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An Interview with Final Table Participant Rafe Furst
Rafe Furst goes into today’s final table of the $1,500 pot-limit hold ‘em event in third chip position. Rafe, a member of the Tiltboys, has 222,000 in chips. The blinds will start at $8,000 and $16,000. Furst is an experienced player, but this is his first WSOP Final Table. I spoke to him before the start of today’s event.
JG: First off, congratulations.
RF: Thank you.
JG: Is making a WSOP final table the culmination of a dream?
RF: Well, it’s definitely a goal of mine to win a World Series of Poker bracelet, as it is every other poker player. It would definitely be my best achievement in poker so far, except for maybe the time I took fifth in the ladies only event at Bay 101 while playing in drag.
JG: Do you think you’ll be disappointed in anything but first place?
RF: I don’t’ think of it in terms of disappointment. I have an opportunity. And, of course, everyone but the first place winner feels disappointment at the time. I don’t think about it. I’m playing for first place and we’ll see what happens.
JG: Do you feel you’ve played your best poker ever over the past few days?
RF: Pretty close. Certainly you have to get some cards, and I got some cards. But to me, the thing that I’m most proud of in terms of my play is that I’ve never had it in with the worst of it. I’ve always had it good. That’s all you can really ask for. I think I played really solid and I got hands when I needed them. I think everyone at the final table did as well.
JG: You had to put your chips in with some pretty sketchy cards yesterday, like when you moved in with Ace-6.
RF: Well, at that point I thought Ace-6 was a monster. Randy Jensen, [who open-raised in the hand], is kind of known for playing all sorts of cards – he likes baby cards. Even before the hand started I thought Randy would have to make a move. So that’s another reason to suspect he was weak there. My only question was weather my kicker was big enough in case he was playing Ace-little. But I wasn’t in such great shape. I was surprised he had a hand as strong as King-Queen suited.
JG: What were you feeling knowing your chips were in as only a 3 to 2 favorite.
RF: I survived a lot of those yesterday. Once you’ve made your play and all the chips are in, there’s nothing you can do. Whatever happens happens.
JG: What’s your impression of the other players at the final table?
RF: I think everyone has played fairly solid. I haven’t played with them a lot. The only person I played with prior to the tournament was John Juanda. You know, I think most of them will be fairly nervous, it being a television situation. And I feel great having the tall stack on my right.
I’m just going to have to wait and see what happens. My feeling is that tight is right. It’s been that way through the whole tournament. Nobody has run over the table with a lot of preflop play. I’m going to be selective but aggressive.
JG: Are you willing to gamble if it means potentially busting but it puts you in better stead for winning a bracelet.
RF: In general, the answer is yes, but of course it depends on the particulars. I’ll have to weigh the benefits of taking the money over the chances at finishing first. But it’s only rare situations where that would come into play, like if two people already have their money in and I have a good but very beatable hand like Queens. It would be very unusual circumstances. Usually if it’s the correct play in the hand, it’s the correct play in the tournament.
JG: Would this solidify your standing as the best of the Tiltboys?
RF: Well, Perry [Friedman] has a bracelet and a final table last year and other final tables as well, so I have to say that he’s the best.
