In the Sept. 10th CardPlayer Magazine there’s an article written by Phil Hellmuth in which he discusses getting blown out of the Turning Stone American Poker Championship Tournament. Here’s Phil in his own words:
Instead, a mere five hands later, with the blinds at $250-$500, I raised it to $1500 to go with the 3h2h, and the flop came down 10h 5h 3d (I had flopped a pair and a flush draw). When the big blind checked to me, I moved all in for about $14,000 into the $3500 pot. My opponent called me quickly with the Qh Ts.
I absolutely hate this call here, especially because he had only $16,000 left. Was he hoping that I had stone-cold bluffed my last $14,000 into a $3500 pot on the flop? Apparently, but I don’t ever remember betting out that much money relative to the size of the pot on a pure bluff in my long poker life. Best case, he could hope I had the Ah Kh, which would still be a very slight favorite over his hand. I guess he thought I had J-10 or 9-9 or didn’t think it through at all.
Before going any further, Phil didn’t get his flush nor did his hand improve at all on the turn or river. I can see where a third party might question his opponent’s call here but Phil critisizing of a guy for calling with top pair when he went all in with 3h 2h with bottom pair and a flush draw is nothing more than a demonstration of Phil’s own ego. Wait, Phil RAISED 3x the BB with 32s! IMHO, Phil’s every play was wrong from beginning to bust yet he’s talking about how he doesn’t like the other guy’s call? Amazing. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like the other guy’s play either but then again you won’t see me writing in a public forum how I called down a hand with bottom pair and then talk about what a goof it was for my opponent to call my flop bet with just . . . top pair.
It reminds me of Josh Arieh in the WSOP. Board is As Kh Qh and Josh has Th 9h. His opponent, Demetriou, has AJ (i.e the better hand) and Demetriou puts out a bet that would require Josh to go all in. Now, I’ve seen people debate back and forth whether Josh’s call was correct or not or whether Demetriou was correct in betting out that much at a guy who was already pretty much pot committed but bottom line is that Josh’s behavior after hitting his hand was in the words of announcer Norm Chad, “classless.” After hitting his hand he taunts Demetriou on camera asking “You put me all in with AJ?” He’s shaking his head and making faces like Demetriou was a stone-cold idiot. Again, agree or disagree with either Josh’s or Demetriou’s play here but for one player to critisize another player’s marginal play while also making a marginal play is just stupid.