Part6: The biggest bluffs of the WSOP - I

• Author: Andrew
• Filed under: Allen Cunningham, High Stakes News, Jamie Gold, Kenny Tran, Paul Wasicka, Poker, WSOP Articles
• Date: Jul 18,2008

Third place

It’s the 2007 WSOP and Kenny Tran is running very hot, making a lot of great calls, catching a lot of bluffs, picking up a lot of pots and building up very big chip stacks.

With seven players at his table, the final table nearing and the blinds at 50k/100k Kenny Tran decides to be aggressive and raises it up to 300k in early/middle position with As7h, called in the small blind by Spadea with KsQd and Henson in the big blind with 7d7c. The flop comes 494 rainbow and both players in the blinds check.

Kenny Tran decides to bet 500k into a 900k pot, called only by Henson with his sevens. The turn is a 10, which changes nothing. Again Henson checks and Kenny leads out for 1million chips, again just over half the pot. Henson hesitates, before calling again.

The dealer deals the river - a King which yet again changes nothing. Henson checks for the 3rd time in a row and with the pot at 3,8million, Kenny fires a third and final bullet of 2million knowing that he can only win the pot by making his opponent fold. Henson thinks a bit and talks aloud to the table, asking all the right questions, but makes the incorrect decision to fold…

Analysing this situation, Henson could have won the pot on the flop by either betting to find out where he stood or raising on the flop. There is no hand except trip 4s, or full house that Tran could be value betting on the river. Whilst Henson probably wanted to float to the final table without taking too many risks, Kenny wants to be at the final table with a big chip stack.

Second place

It’s the main event of the 2006 WSOP, the richest tournament in the history of poker, with the winner taking a cool $12,000,000! Out of 8773 hopefuls, only one seasoned pro has made it to the final table, Allen Cunningham.

Known for his tremendous reading and analytical skills Allen is a member of the $10million tournament winnings club (after winning a WSOP circuit event a couple of months back).

With the blinds at 150k/300k, a running ante of 50k and 4 players remaining Allen Cunningham raises it up to 800k in first position, Michael Binger folds on the button. Jamie Gold decides to call from the small blind with a very interesting hand, K7clubs and Paul Wasicka also decides to call from the big blind with KQ-diamonds.

With the pot currently standing at 2,6million chips the dealer shows the flop: AJ9 all hearts. Jamie, Paul and Allen all check. The turn is the Ace of clubs and Paul Wasicka bets out 1 million, Cunningham re-raises to 4,5million and Paul Wasicka thinks a bit before going all in with King-high with only a gutshot-draw - basically with absolutely nothing (and the tournament on the line)! Allen is obliged to fold and Wasicka scoops up a huge pot!

Paul Wasicka later explained his reasoning and thinking process behind this bluff:

After calling pre flop, Wasicka saw the flop and was going to check/fold to a bet from Allen, but when Allen checked behind him, he got suspicious. Paul says that you can’t slow play any hand on such a coordinated flop like that with 3 players in the pot. Whilst analysing the situation he put Allen on maybe KQ, K10 or a small pocket pair. When the turn card came down, a second ace, Paul put in only a small bet, thinking that if someone has a monster they will call, if not he will take down the pot.

Now that’s what I call poker 

Check out the next part for number-1 bluff!