Viva La Razz

Some people compare watching razz being played to undergoing major surgery… without the pain killers. They’re not far off, but some hands do well to dispel that notion. I was snaking my way through the last tables remaining in the $1,500 Seven Card Razz event a little while ago when I happened upon Perry Friedman’s table.

Perry was showing a 2 and started the betting, which got raised and reraised and finally capped. The next round of betting produced more of the same. In fact, the betting got capped in every round until finally both Chris Bjorin and Ross Mallor were forced all in. Carlos Mortensen had enough chips to stick around until the very end, but probably wished he hadn’t. He was showing 7-9-Q-3 and had A-5 in the hole. Perry was showing 2-Q-6-J and taunted Carlos, “You can’t beat that jack, can you?”

Carlos could, his low was to the 9, but Perry’s was to the 6. His last card, a 5, made his hand. On the final round of betting Carlos only had to call $1,400, but he did it reluctantly knowing that he was beat. Pot odds demanded that he call to see Perry’s cards. Both Bjorin and Mallor were knocked out on the hand and Carlos was nearly crippled. The sole beneficiary of all this was Perry, who now has $38,300 with 31 players left.

And they say razz isn’t exciting. In the soon-to-be immortal words of Mike Matusow during the $50,000 HORSE event, “Viva la razz!”