THE BEST I’VE SEEN I’m always being asked what’s the most exciting game of Texas Hold’em I’ve personally seen. Well, it’s actually a game that a lot of people will have seen at the same time as it was a major male-female clash in the World Series of Poker between the beautiful and talented Jennifer Harman and the equally talented but not quite so beautiful Cory Zeidman.
A ROYAL OPENING Harman has pocket Queens and the flop delivers Ten of Spades-Jack of Diamonds and Queen of Hearts, landing Jennifer with trip Queens. Cory, on the other hand, holds Eight and Nine of Diamonds and has just made his straight. Jennifer bets out $500. Cory raises to $2,000 and Harman flat calls. A Ten of Diamonds looms on the turn presenting Jennifer with a Full House. She decides to check and Cory bets out $1,000 which Jennifer raises up to $3,000. After what seems an age, Zeidman calls, completely unaware he has just one chance in fifty of winning the pot.
DIAMOND GEEZER The one-outer card that can save Cory is the Seven of Diamonds and like a miracle from the Poker Gods it shows up giving him a pure diamond running flush! Harman is going like a train and puts Cory all-in. Cory deliberately over-plays his delay in calling. It’s a gesture of pure poker theatre. As the cards are flipped the colour drains from Jennifer’s Hollywood face and for a few seconds she looks like one of Dracula’s midnight victims. Beautiful but impaled by a streak of blood red diamonds. A classic!
FREQUENTLY ASKED POKER QUESTIONS Q: I’ve been doing well playing $2-$4 cash games with around a $300 bankroll. I’ve been averaging around a forty percent profit per evening playing in this manner consistently. Should I step up to a higher limit or would you recommend multi-tabling to build up my bankroll? A: I’m fairly convinced going up to a higher limit is going to put you among more experienced players and your profit ratio may drop to zero or below. Multi-tabling at a limit where you’ve had consistent success sounds like a reasonable strategy if you are able to maintain focus. Add just one game at a time and see how it goes. If you choose a higher limit game instead be ready for the jolt. Drop back down in limit if you lose three or four games in a row.
Q: Who’s the best poker player in the world? A: Currently, and only in my opinion, Phil Ivey, by some distance.
