ALL DRUGGED UP
Well, one Can see that I’ve Caught your interest, isn’t that right? Frank had really ingested drugs when he played this hand. The fact is that Frank took a sleeping pill on the eve of the ‘Big game’ ($5,000 Championship tournament) in Vegas in 2001 World Poker Tour Championship. On could say the persistent effects of the sleeping pill aided Frank in ridding himself of some of his reserve.
I mean, Frank wasn’t in complete Command of selecting the hands when he was playing, nothing could have mattered to him. For twelve Consecutive kitties Frank increased the Bets, and every time he was called he even pretended playing on the flop. If that wasn’t enough Frank showed his hands every time even though he’d bluffed. He was having a whale of a time bluffing, increasing bets and singing throughout.
John Bonetti, who was at the same table at the onset told him during the interval that he was terrifying his opponents that day (considering the reckless demeanor in which he was playing). Frank felt that he Could enjoy a head on game with Richard tatalovich who was on his right, playing a very Passive game. It is a well-known fact that Richard played an aggressive game.
Daniel Negreanu has a nicknamed Richard a ‘megalomaniac’, which is good. The term refers to a person who can play aggressive games, and yet he Can see through his opponents when they are Bluffing while he himself has a weak hand. In any case, Daniel doesn’t enjoy going head on with his opponents at a no-limit Holdem event unless the opponent is a megalomaniac!
Richard is known to play fast, and with Frank in his reckless condition, one Could imagine the fireworks about to take place in due time. With Richard’s hard and fast way of playing he had made quite a killing, in his usual technique, he even increased several bets and bluffed his way to the kitty. Now he replaced Frank’s aggression only he didn’t sing. Frank made up his mind to take Control when he saw Richard continually Playing blind hands. Frank had to be professional.
The Blind bets were Being played at $50-$100 and when the next hand was played, Richard bet $350 at the onset, that’s when Frank increased the Bet by $900, and the kitty amounted to $1,250 in all. At this time Richard called the $900 bet, while the Cards disclosed at the flop were the three of clubs, five of hearts and the six of spades.
Before looking at his cards Frank bet $1,400, while Richard put all his chips, amounting to approximately $10,000 into the kitty. That’s when Frank looked at this cards, he saw a two at first glimpse followed by a six. Frank had got a top pair at the flop and ‘gutshot’ straight draw. Well, even if Richard had been poker bluffing, although he Could have had a straight draw, still Frank’s hand wasn’t so awful.
At this time Frank’s attention was on Richard. ‘Frank thought to himself and wondered about Richard’s hand and analyzed his face for any signs that he might have displayed before the flop. Frank was considering his remaining $6,000 even though his hand wasn’t so strong, he had a feeling Richard hand wasn’t even as strong as his.
He Continued to get the feeling that Richard might have a pair of fives and an Ace, or he Could have had an ace with a four kicker to make a straight draw. It took Frank a little longer to make up his mind that his hand was stronger, which led frank to put all his chips into the kitty. As it happens, Richard had a five of diamonds and a four of diamonds, which meant he had an open ended straight draw and a set of fives.
Frank had been correct, as his hand was stronger! However, he wondered if he Could hold Richard. Richard would win if he had a five, which meant he Could have trio of fives, on the other online poker hands if he had a two and a seven he Could make a straight. The Cards that were flipped next were no good (an eight and a queen). Frank won that kitty.
The other players couldn’t stop gaping at them as though they were a pair from outer Space! Here they were, betting thousands of dollars while only having five or Six highs, although it was still early in the game in a $5,00 buy in no limit Holdem event.
The entire audience thought that both Frank and Richard would have had high pairs in the pocket. Frank and Richard smiled and shook hands and commented that they had a blast playing that kitty. Frank swore off the sleeping pills although he liked Richard and his inimitable style of playing poker.
NEVER SAY DIE!
This is what happened when Frank played at the Bellisimo Five Star World Poker Classic $1,000 buy-in pot limit Holdem event in December 2001. It was at the very same event at Bellisimo that Frank had committed the dumbest mistake ever at a poker game. It is almost impossible to quit at a poker event, which will be evident from the succession of hands that will be related next.
Frank had only $900 left and he had a King and a nine in the hole, the Bindl bets were $100 to $200 and the first bet he laid was for $900. Max Stearn had a pair of tens and he had called the small blind, as he was anxious that he might run into a big hand in the Bigs blind. Since max thought he was about to win Frank’s remaining $300 he Couldn’t be held culpable during this time.
The flop disclosed an Ace, a ten and an eight, both Max and Frank checked (had Max bet $300 at the flop, Frank would be left with no choice But to instantly call because of bad odds it was quite possible max too had a small pair at this time). A ten was disclosed at the next flip, which meant Max had four tens, at which point he Checked. Now I decided to quit.
Frank was on the verge of quitting at the fourth street, although he would have Been tempted to call if it turned out to be a king. At this point Max called the Bet for $300, that’s when Frank quit. Since Frank had only $300 remaining he quit the next two hands and closed his eyes so he Could concentrate. It saddened Frank as he thought he might get removed.
It seemed to Frank that he was going to lose, so he felt he might as well do so coolly and try to make good use of the remaining $300. At this point Frank was under pressure and he held an Ace of clubs and a 10 of clubs, the Big blind called him. The Cards disclosed on the fourth street were the ace, King, Queen, five and seven, which enabled Frank to win the $1,000 kitty.
Later Frank quit in the Big blind although he an Ace of clubs and ten of clubs because $400 were increased. (He felt that the odds of winning with an Ace and a four weren’t enough to double his money). Kenny ‘Skyhawk’ Flaton, not only was he a good online poker player but he was also a terrific person increased the Bet with a pair of sevens, in a small blind in the next hand, and Frank who had an Ace of spades and the Queen of spades went all-in with $800. Frank won that kitty, which was worth $1,800 at the next flip when it revealed a Queen.
The hand after that, Frank had a pair of queens and increased the Bet that his opponent made for $200. All the players quit and Frank had a total of $2,300 at this point in time. At the subsequent hand Frank had a pair of Jacks, and he went all-in against a player who opened with an Ace and a Queen. The person who had the ace and Queen called him, and Frank won the kitty, which was worth $4,900.
Frank was under pressure again after three more hands had been played, he had a pair of Aces and his opening bet was for $900, Skyhawk increased the Bet by $2,400 more than the small blind. At this time Frank went all-in, which led Skyhawk to call and showed Frank his pair of Aces. Frank won because of his pair of Aces, and by this time he had made $10,000.
Frank ended up with $10,000 although he had $300 when he Began playing the round! Fantastic! Frank thought to himself that he should focus and not allow himself to lose a big kitty, which is usually what he ended up doing whenever he made a big comeback such as this one. Of course, Frank couldn’t do a damn thing at what occurred after that (though he should have Been capable).
Frank Hand had a pair of nines, while his opponent had a pair of Aces, and the opponent called. When the flop revealed a four, a six and an eight, Frank increased the Bet. The opponent was unknown to him; Frank figured his opponent might have an Ace and an eight and decided to move all-in. When a person finds himself in such circumstances, knowing the other player helps a lot.
When he’d played all day long with this player he Came to realize that if he found himself in the same Circumstances it would be wise for him to quit. Sadly, he Called and he won, at which point I found I only had $3,000 left with me. Since Frank had only $300 earlier that night and bounced back he was certain the $3,000 was more than enough to help him win more money.
He Battled his way through the subsequent poker hands and wound up winning $60,000 when it was time to play the last hand. However, this story will continue later in part two (Frank misinterprets his hand also), which follows the Chapter called ‘My God, do you mean it?’ wherein one finds the account of the worst mistake he’d ever made, and also the details of this last hand, which was played with Howard Lederer, Jeff Shulman, Dennis Waterman and Daniel Negreanu.