Poker Articles

Berated by a Poker Legend

By John Carlisle, MA, NCC

I have had the fortune (and misfortune) of being able to play in tournaments against some of poker's elite. Sometimes I have fared well, and other times I have found myself wondering what just happened while watching my chips get pushed away from me! No matter the outcome, hands played against poker legends are always much more memorable than your usual playing session.

A couple of years ago, I was playing at a tough table in a Las Vegas casino. At least two of the players at my table were poker stars, with a third being a recognizable face by most serious poker fans. Well-known player #1 sat two seats to my right, and he opened the action by raising about three times the blind. I peeked down at my hole cards to find wired 6's, so I called to see if I could get lucky and hit a set on the flop. The players in the blinds folded, leaving me and the poker legend head's up to duel. While I pride myself on not be intimidated by anyone at the poker tables, I cannot honestly say that my heart was not beating just a bit faster than normal as I squared off against this legend. I felt good about the hand as the dealer prepared the flop, as I sat with a pair (and presumably the lead in the hand) and I had position.

The flop hit the board with a couple of rags and a ten, with no flush or straight possibilities looming. While I had not hit the set that I was dreaming of, I was still quite pleased with the texture of the flop. I couldn't imagine that he had a 10 in his hand, unless he'd made a nice little play with something like J-10 suited. I had him pegged for either a rather sizable Ace (maybe A-Q) or a speculative hand (something like 6-7 or 7-8 suited). The legend did not act quickly on the flop. Instead, he paused to take a moment to stare at me. It seemed as if he was sizing me up. I guessed he was wondering how much it might take to move me off of my hand. "Bet," was his one word statement as he slid some chips just a few inches in front of his stack. I leaned in toward him and focused my eyes on him. While it appeared I was trying to look for a tell or stare into his soul, I was actually thinking through the hand. I was trying to reaffirm the range of hands that I put him on, plus think through what might happen after the turn and river.

Put simply, I was wondering if I had the gumption to follow my read throughout the hand, even if a huge amount of pressure was applied. Thinking my hand of 6-6 was solid at the moment, I announced a raise and made about a pot-sized move. The legend called in a heartbeat, which threw me for a bit of a loop. The turn was a Jack and brought a second spade to the board. The legend led out with a sizable bet. I was not thrilled with the card to say the least. It was another overcard, and one which hit right in the wheelhouse of possible hands that I put him on. Still, my gut told me that he was simply bullying me. For some reason I did not think that he had hit any part of the action yet. Instead, my thinking was that he knew what I had based on my pre-flop action and post-flop raise. I guessed that he was assured that I had a smallish pocket pair and he was poised to move me off of the hand. I was stubbornly blocking his efforts. I should have raised or folded at this point, but I made a stubborn call instead. The River did not frighten me, but I was still hoping for a check from my foe to allow a free showdown. I did not get that fortune, as the legend slid out another sizable bet to fire his final bullet. I cursed my weak call on the turn as I thought about my options.

Although I had told myself I would call with my 6's and trust my read, it was easier thought than done. I sank back into my chair and thought through the hand once again. I knew I was risking many of my chips with a seemingly terrible hand. I knew I was facing a poker great who was unlikely to misplay a hand. I knew that I was taking a great risk, but I reluctantly called when I ultimately chose to follow my gut. The table swooned as I exposed my pocket 6's, and immediately turned their eyes toward the legend. It was going to be a moment where I had one of my most foolish calls, or a moment of a great call. The legend sighed and lifted his hands toward the air, still not completely confirming my suspicions. He tossed his cards face-down into the muck and hurriedly stood up. "You can't play that hand like that! You can't! How do you expect to win a tournament doing that, man," he exclaimed. "Great call," another player chimed in. The legend could not contain himself. "Good call? What? I knew he had garbage. I should have known this guy couldn't lay a pair down," he called out as he walked from the table. He came back several minutes later flashing me more looks of discontent and a couple more comments.

I found a surprising pride evolving by being berated by a great. I never reacted or commented back to him, but I instead just smiled and went back to the business of poker. Between deals I analyzed his outburst, wondering if there might be more to his motives. Was he simply venting frustration, or was he attempting to intimidate me? Was his showboating for the benefit of the other competitors at the table, as the message was being sent to not cross this legend or you'll be put on the spot and belittled? Perhaps his reaction was a little bit of all of these factors rolled into one. No matter what his motive was, I was determined to stay on track and use his chips wisely. I also wondered if the chance to make a great call against a legend influenced me into hanging around with a little pair. Would I have made the same play against some no-named schmuck, or was I motivated to make a cleaver play against a big-named player to boost my confidence and give me a story to tell?

We've probably all had harsh words tossed our way at the poker tables by some drunk amateur who thinks he is the greatest. It is rather easy to discount these fools. Yet when a heated barrage comes at you from a man with sizable endorsement deals and some WSOP bracelets, it takes a bit more skill and patience to stay on course. I knew that my play had exposed his poker mortality. The amateurs at the table no longer feared his every move. That might make him more vulnerable, and he moved to reestablish his perceived dominance of the table by putting on a show of aggression. I could tell that even though the legend was putting on a nice show, he was not actually on tilt. While I will never know if his emotions were genuine at that moment, I was certain that he was still very much in control of his game.

There are several pro poker players who are known to flash into boorish behavior when lesser known players better them at the tables. While each one may have a different motivation, it should be noted that their outbursts do indeed serve some sort of goal. Most to the time the legends at the table like to command respect and to use a sense of intimidation to help overpower the table. If you happen to be the target of the flurry, do not fall into the trap. Instead, you should be soaking up a feeling of satisfaction if you are getting the focus of a big-named pro. If he's spending his time focused on you, it must mean that you have found a way to get the better of him.

There is little doubt that fame and reputation will influence the play at the tables. Poker legends have to adjust to star-struck hopefuls who might call them often, just to have a story to tell in their home games. There is little doubt that most of your co-workers would be impressed by you being able to say they took a pot from Chan, Brunson, Hellmuth, Ivey, etc. If you are bellied-up to the same table as a guy that you normally watch on TV, you may need to be sure that your anticipation and emotions don't influence you to make foolish plays. If you do find yourself getting belittled or berated by a well-known poker pro, consider his motivations and focus on your own reactions. Poker is a game of psychology. When a well known pro is involved, it changes the perception of the entire situation.

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About the Author:
John is a National Certified Counselor (NCC). He has a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from West Virginia University, and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Lock Haven University. You can find out more about the psychology of poker from "the Poker Counselor" at pokercounselor@yahoo.com