Poker Tournament Clash at the WSOP

Day One of the 2003 WSOP main event two poker greats end up in the pot HU.  It’s unusual to see a pro take such a huge risk this early in the game without even a draw hand!  It’s Varkoni v Scotty Ngyuen and Scotty has the upper hand with AJo while Varkoni came in with 97c.  The video don’t give the setup details but on the flop Varkoni fires out a stone cold bluff of 1600 chips with absolutely nothing!  As it’s day one and he is betting this much I would have to presume it’s a pot sized bet, there may have been a feeler raise by Scotty or steal attempt by Varkoni from blinds or early as after the flop Varkoni acts first and bets out the 1600. 

Flop is Kd 2s Jc which gives Scotty middle pair and Varkoni nothing but back door flush draw.  Ordinarily we would expect a check fold here.  Instead Varkoni comes on strong with what must be a pot sized bet.Then Scotty Nygeun thinks for a moment before he calls.  Perhaps he is putting Varkoni on a weak King if it was Varkoni that raised preflop.  Or maybe he sees this as a I don’t want a call sized bet with my 99 or TT.  Scotty feels he may catch his Ace or his paired Jack is good.

This is “contrarian poker”, that is, making a play contrary to expectations. Sometimes in poker tournaments you have to be deceptive in new and different ways.  Both players went against conventional poker tournament theory.  However, Varkoni’s move is perfect if he raised pre with suited gappers and now makes a strong cBet to carry on the illusion and take it down.  You could almost see the Varkoni gulp and go pale when he was called.  The cameras pick up everything. I don’t like the call here by Scotty.  He is out and out gambling and hoping that either his jack is good or that he will hit an ace, catch another Jack or get runner runner straight. It would be so much easier with a poker calculator, playing online, but this is live and for BIG money.

If you think you are ahead and it’s raised to you on a scary board you reraise to make sure or fold.  If it’s not worth a raise it’s not worth a call IMO.  However, there is also the part of poker that is playing the player and Scotty may be just going with his read and the slight overbet here sensing weakness or fear.

Turn is a Qd and does nothing for Varkoni but gives Scotty a straight draw and the checkmark because now Varkoni is drawing dead.  We know why Varkoni checks, because he had NOTHING.  But Scotty, surprisingly checks too.  Perhaps the straight draw on board has him concerned or the two overcards to his pair.  He must be thinking Varkoni has a K or perhaps made his straight or even has pocket queens.If you have an aggressive opponent, you would rather him bet if you were really representing a set.  Here I like the check by Varkoni because after all, he has nothing and no sense burning chips.If Nygeun checks now, that isn’t too good either.  Scotty should bet here a partial pot bet and determine if he is right in his read.  If Varkoni comes over the top he can get away OR if he is thinking he has nothing, then he will take it with a bet.  That doesn’t occur and Scotty goes to the river blind having not a clue about his poker tournament strategy here.

Fifth street helps neither player, and they seem to know it.It’s either check or bet now for Varkoni.  If he checks this hand he is 100% sure to lose and he knows this.  Since Scotty checked the turn he is taking it as a sign of weakness and with the board looking scary for the straight draw and overcard he must be thinking Scotty is on a pair or maybe paired the board.  But he is afraid of the board and checking.  He can make a bet and represent he has something with the board.

The pot is a good size pot and worth the risk he finally determines and makes the play.  He bets out 3,000 which is probably 3/4 the pot.  Not too much to be an over bet and not small enough to give odds for Scotty to call. He feels Scotty does not have a King and simply cannot call unless he does.  Therefore it don’t matter that he has absolutely nothing.  Scotty looks and thinks and decides it’s not worth that much more of his chips.  It probably would have put Scotty as short stack to make the call or at least considerably hampered on the first day if he calls and loses.  Since there is the K and Q on board, even a donk could play Q5 SUITED and nail him, certainly this pro and last years champion knows how to play poker and will have something that the board helps OR that he isn’t afraid of the board such as AA or he may have the stones AT.

I really like the way Varkoni employed betting, cBetting, bluffing, checking and then coming back strong again on the river combined with his image to pull this one off.  I especially like it because I made the same move with success just last today in a tournament.

This type of move is risky and can get ANY player in trouble so if you try it make sure you have the RIGHT situation, position, board AND opponent to be able to pull it off!