Pocket Rockets Crash 'n Burn Against a Draw
The final hand at the 1979 WSOP was a classic. Bobby Hoff had $121,000 and Hal Fowler had $419,000. Holding pocket aces, Hoff raised, making it $38,000 to play. Most players in Fowler’s situation—he had a 4-to-1 lead—would look for a premium hand to play to try to grind a man out in this spot. And he certainly would not play a pot with a weak hand when his opponent had raised.
But Hal didn’t play it that way—he called the raise with 7-6 offsuit, making it a $76,000 pot. Of course that’s not how most professionals would play when they had a big chip lead, but being the amateur that he claimed to be, Hal played any two cards.
The flop came J-5-3. Bobby bet $40,000 and Hal called with an inside-straight draw. Since he had called $38,000 before the flop, it seems a cinch that he was going to call $40,000 on the flop with a middle-buster straight draw and the chip lead. It’s rare that you would even get a flop that you would have a draw to with 7-6 offsuit. But now Fowler had a chance to bust Hoff if he caught the right card. Of course, off came a four on fourth street. He checked and Hoff bet $43,000 all-in. Naturally Fowler called. He had made the nuts and sent Hoff and his pocket rockets to the rail in second place.
Hoff probably would not have lost this pot if he had been playing against a more experienced tournament player. With that big a lead, a world-class player would not have played a big pot against Hoff. If you have a 4-to-1 lead on somebody, you don’t want to play big pots, all you want to do is grind them out. Why give the other guy a chance to catch up? If you have $400,000 and he has $100,000, why would you want to let things degenerate to 3-to-2? If that happens, you will be behind if you lose one pot! Knowing this type of tournament strategy is important because you may need it in the next event you play.
Although Fowler didn’t understand tournament strategy, he knew how to play the hand once he had made the call, so he was no rank amateur. Once he picked up the draw, he knew that Hoff couldn’t break him, so he called $40,000 on the flop on the come trying to make the straight on the turn or river. When he didn’t hit it on the turn, he was smart enough to check. Actually it didn’t matter whether he checked or bet because Hoff was going to call anyway if Fowler led at the pot.
Fowler was the first amateur to win the championship. All the Texas gamblers were flabbergasted when he outdrew Hoff, who was a top pro on the Southern circuit at that time. Fowler’s reaction when he won the title was rather amazing—he just sat there like a mannequin. You never see that happening these days, do you? No beating on the chest, no arms thrust into the air, no buddies rushing over to celebrate his win.
Next time I’ll be discussing some of the late action at the 1981 WSOP, the first year that Stu Ungar won the championship.
Note: My writing partners Tom McEvoy, Dana Smith and I originally wrote this material for our book, Championship Tournament Hold’em Hands, published by Cardoza Publishing. I’ve adapted these lessons for you with Avery Cardoza’s permission.
