Player's Stories

An Exchange with Todd Tucker about
"I Read Your Article"
By Dr. Mark Burtman

What was my biggest fear? Someone would read my previous contribution "I read your Article" and say "What? He sucks at poker! What's he doing writing articles about poker?" Sure enough it happened. It seems Todd Tucker read my stuff and reached just that same conclusion. Read Todd's response here. So now I get to respond to Todd.

First, let me say that Todd's description of events is quite correct. I did get hit with the deck that day. I had had such terrible luck the preceding three days that I knew I was due for some better luck and I got it. I didn't lose a single hand that went to the river til the final table.

I have never maintained that I won by outplaying the field with a short stack. I doubled up early with my A-K against an A-Q early and I had the largest stack at every table I played. And I played my large stack well, avoiding confrontations with any stack large enough to hurt me, by forcing anyone who called to be willing to go all-in with any hand they chose to play against me. So if anyone came over the top of me, I knew they had a great hand and I got away from it. Todd Tucker himself complimented me on my play of my big stack of chips. I also had people raising into me when I had big hands like A-A, Q-Q, or A-K, which greatly accelerated the growth of my stack. Excuse me for being fortunate.

I have never described mucking J-8 as a strong play. But I was pointing out that in a high stakes situation, I was aware that playing J-8 is a weak play that I wouldn't do. On the other hand, I might do it in other less critical games. Todd, you might want to lighten up. It was just a poker story. It's a poker story written by a poker wannabe, for poker wanna-bes. It's about someone who still has a lot of flaws in his game, but is still willing to write about the process of improvement while engaging in that process himself.

Furthermore by pointing out that I can succeed and have big wins, despite obvious flaws in my play, I hope to encourage other poker wanna-bes to get out there and take a shot at it. Remember there's more of us wanna-bes out there than you, Todd, the obvious accomplished master of the game that you are.

While we're at it, let's talk about the hand that you have yet to get over. I reached the final table as the chip leader, by a large margin. I didn't even play a hand 'til four people were eliminated. By then Jerry Muir had become chip leader, as he had been playing sheriff and busting everyone else. He was on my left, when you you finally made your move. I had reached a point where the rest of the pack had caught up with me and I decided it was time to make a move.

I wanted to go out playing, not passively being blinded off, so I played an A-2 suited against someone who went all in, who had only about 25% of the chips that I had. I caught two deuces to make trips against his Queen. Clearly I was dog, but a dog against someone who couldn't really hurt me. At that point I was losing $1,000 a round just sitting there.

The fact is, Todd, the strongest hand I had to play for the entire final table was pocket 6's, which I played twice in close succession against Fred Burger, beating his A-K or Q both times to knock him out. I have news for you Todd. Fred was probably the best player at the final table that day, other than Les Rozlyo, not you. You were way too tight. If I had your starting hand criteria, I probably would have not played a single hand at the final table that day.

And you're still too high strung. You wouldn't even take a breath mint when I offered you one. So you're A-Q lost to an A-2. It's not like you were a 4.5 to 1 favorite. You're not entitled to win just because you are a 3 to 2 favorite, if you were even that much of a favorite. You need to put this bad-beat story behind you. You brought it up when we were in Tunica together. I even cited it when I wrote up my report for the day.

Do you remember how we played at the same table in the $500 no limit event at the WPO this year? And you raised me with pocket 8's and I was going to come back over the top of you with pocket 10's, but someone else put his smaller stack all-in between us. So I laid my 10's down, but you couldn't let go of your 8's and you had to face his pocket Q's. Who made the right play then, you or me? It must further really burn your ass that I made the final table in that event, taking 7th, when you the better player only made 20th. I guess I just keep getting lucky when I'm up against you.

My perception, Todd, is that this is a bad beat story that won't go away. You told that you still lose sleep over that hand. Maybe writing about how lucky I was last August will give you some sense of closure and vindication, and you'll be able to move on from this highly traumatic event. Maybe I should send you the $14,000 more than you that I won, because you really deserved it more than I did, as you were the better player. I know I'm going to email the guy that took out my pocket Kings with a Q-3 during one of the WPO no-limit events, because I should have won that hand, instead of being knocked out of the tournament.

Furthermore, T.J. needs to tell everyone how much better he is than Chris Ferguson, because T.J. had an A-Q in the WSOP, when he lost the Championship to Chris' A-9 on the last card of the last hand, when a nine fell on the river. Mike Laing has a legitimate gripe with Todd Brunson, who made a flush against Mike's pocket Kings/set of Kings, as played something like an A-3 in the 2000 WPO main event. What about Brian Moore? He lost to John Juanda's flush with pocket aces, making a set on the turn. John played a King-x and needed four clubs on the board to eliminate Mike Moore. Now there's a series of bad beats, but I don't hear much complaining from the losers of those hands.

Regarding the last hand that I played heads up with Les and lost: Let's replay that hand. I was in the big blind with 6-7 suited in hearts. We were both pretty even in chips about $55,000 each. I think the blinds were something like $1,000-$2,000. He made a small raise to about $8,000. I figured it was cheap enough for me to call. I felt then that I had the perfect trap hand, as I put him on big cards.

The flop came Q-7-4 rainbow. I checked and he made a small bet of about $10,000. I put him on something like an A-K, while I had second pair. I came over the top, all-in, and I was surprised to see him call. I really didn't put him on a Queen. When the cards were turned up at the river, he showed A-Q and I showed my second pair. I misread my opponent and he played the hand exceptionally well. I shook his hand and lauded his play. Even now I compliment his play.

As to whether I misplayed the hand, I don't think I did, although I would rather have gone down with something stronger. Nonetheless, I am happy to say I went down making a move. If you read Sklansky on heads-up play, he suggests that you play as if the top card isn't there, so playing second pair aggressively is recommended.

Look at some of the other final hands that have been played. How about the 2001 WPO Championship. John Juanda called a preflop raise by Scott O'Brien with a 3-4 suited. Scott O'Brien had raised with 5-4 suited. The flop came 7-4-3 and Scott O'Brien pushed all-in and lost to John's two pair. Maybe Todd should write about how bad they played. Maybe he's a better player than they are and they should acknowledge that. Maybe you should talk to Todd Brunson and Ronnie Williams about the last hand of the 2000 WPO Championship. He went all-in when his 8-7 offsuit made top pair on the flop, but he was beaten by Ronnie Williams who held a flush draw and gut shot straight draw. Ronnie hit his straight and became champion and got his picture all-over the WPO pamphlet.

So in the end I find it rather bold to assert that you were better than any other player in a game that you played. I certainly hope that no one is reading that into my stories. I certainly write about when I win, but I also write about when I lose. And I certainly do express my opinions. Sometimes I even talk about my bad beats, but I don't ridicule those who defeat me, when they were taking the worst of it.

If I was writing an article titled, "Secrets of a Master Bettor" or "How I Became the Dominate Force in Tournament Poker Today", you might want to question my credentials in poker, because I am not qualified to write such works. I don't even have a counter-argument to the fact that I was not a great poker player in August of 2001. Hell, I just wrote an article describing I played J-8 like they were pocket Aces. That's hardly an argument in support of my poker expertise.

But I will tell you this. I was a better poker player last August than I was the previous August. I am a better poker player now than I was last August. I promise you I will be a better poker player this April than I was this February. And that is theme of everything I write. This is a dynamic process, and if you think that the Mark Burtman you played last August is the same Mark Burtman you'll be playing next time, then I will have an advantage. You might want to reread the last couple of lines in that article that you cite.

Until then I hope you start sleeping better.