FULL TILT POKER BLOG

#146 – FTOPS Main Event A – Howard Lederer, Senator Kyl, and the 3,800 Horde

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During the last FTOPS Main Event, I had Clonie Gowen at my house, taking sex surveys from PSYCHOLOGY TODAY between hands. I’m all alone in my house for this one, so there won’t be any excitement this time, huh?

Howard Lederer gave me a call.

He called about a half hour before the tournament started and we talked through the first couple hands. I’ve written about that business of poker being a game of skill vs. a game of luck and the North Carolina decision. (##120-122) Naturally, it’s a subject that interests him a great deal – he was on Page One of a Wall Street Journal story on the issue.

He mentioned to me something interesting one of my senators, Jon Kyl, said recently. Kyl issued a press release on April 30 about the UIGEA, which he sponsored. He raised the luck v. skill issue and concluded:

“And finally, if poker gambling enthusiasts truly believe it is a ‘game of skill,’ they can gain an ‘exemption’ by proving that to a court. Under most definitions of ‘gambling’ in state laws, games of skill are not ‘gambling’ even if there is an entry fee and a prize to be won. While poker, like other card games, involves an element of skill,the hands that win or lose are a result of chance – ‘the luck of the draw.’ If enthusiasts could prove otherwise to the satisfaction of a court, then they would not be subject to online gambling restrictions.”

I thought that was very interesting. We both agreed to was a very open-minded statement by someone who has been our biggest opponent.

Howard said, “I assume you’re playing the event today, good luck.” It was the third hand and I had A-Qs.

Of course, I’m terrified of busting out or crippling myself early, so I ended up giving him the commentary. A couple players limped. I raised. They called. The flop was Q-8-7, two spades. (I had no spades.) I bet 3/4 the pot, one player called. The turn was the six of spades. He checked, I checked. The river was another 7. We both checked.

I won the pot with top pair/top kicker. The other player had Q-Jo.

“Geez, Howard, I think that’s all I could have beat by the end of that hand. And I came out blazing with it.”

“Well, good luck.”

My heart’s been in my throat about a half dozen times since. (We’re not at the second break yet.) I picked up a couple thousand chips early with aces and had to shake 3 callers off me on the flop.

Then I got moved to Andy Bloch’s right. We both had about 8,000 chips and as good a friend as I consider Andy, that’s not where I want to see him: at the poker table, to my left, with more chips than me.

Right away, I got into a big hand, though not with Bloch. With two jacks in early position, I raised 3x. I got flat-called by the button. Alarms are already ringing.

The good news is the flop comes jack-high. The bad news is that it’s all diamonds. I don’t remember the exact sequence of betting but I wanted to get the chips in sooner rather than later, or at least get myself pot-committed. (I think I had him outchipped by about 100 chips.) There was betting and raising, and an offsuit king on the turn. We got it all in. I had my set and he had Kd-Td for a made flush.

Obviously, I didn’t LIKE the situation. But I’m pretty sure pushing was right. Based on the stacks, all the chips were getting in and I wanted to make a single diamond – like pocket aces – pay the maximum to draw out. And I wanted to get all-in against any lower sets or two-pair. And I knew if I happened to get flat-called by a guy with two diamonds, I still have 10 outs for a full house or quads. (Nine here because the other player had a king.)

The river was another king, giving me the full house and putting me on the first page of the leaderboard.

Shortly after, I got moved to another table and lost half my chips on a similar hand. Again, I had pocket jacks and got flat-called. The flop was 3-4-Q. I bet and was called. Then I caught my magic card on the turn, a jack. I bet, was raised, and called. The river was a queen. We got it all in and I lost to Q-J.

Every hand has been a struggle. It seems like every time I put a chip in the pot, they are all at risk. At the second break, there are 2,400 players left, out of 3,800 starters. The prize pool is an eye-popping $1.9 million. That’s $336k for first, $203k for second, and $133k for third. The final table gets you at least $25k. Bottom-dollar is 522nd, which is worth $665.

I counted 20 red pros in the field. Six are already gone. My buddy Roland de Wolfe went out in the first 15 minutes, and Andy Bloch busted after getting moved from his personal ATM. Average chips is 7,900.

We just started up again, so it’s back to the battle!

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