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 The WPT Hollywood Invitational gives
the poker world a chance to play with celebrities in a $200,000 freeroll. With poker being what it is today, that sentence
should actually read... The WPT Invitational gives celebrities the chance to play with the poker greats. Tonight's episode
was entertaining to say the least. I loved it.
The final six were Phil The Unabomber Laak
Humberto Brenes, Joe Cassidy, John Juanda,
Harry Demetriou and Antonio Esfandiari.
It definitely was not the best poker, but the show was great. Phil Laak had me laughing throughout the event (when I saw
it live and on TV). His behavior might be inappropriate most of the times at a final table event, but considering tonight's
event was a freeroll AND the other players were joining in on the fun, I thought his antics were harmless. I also think
this show will bring a lot more future players to the casinos.
On the first hand, Phil raised to $41,000 with deuces and all of the other players folded. He then proceeded to tell each
player, "you are going down," "you are going down" and "you are going down". This started
the show with a bang.
Joe seemed to play a solid game throughout the event (questionable final
hand, but we will get to that later). He raised to $23,000 with AJ and
Antonio reraised him to $63,000 with 96 and Joe called. Antonio raises
with a lot of hands and it was nice to see somebody stand their ground
with him. The flop was AAT and both players checked. The turn was a nine
and Joe bet and Antonio folded. Antonio was obviously finished with this
hand as soon as Joe called preflop. He did not attempt to make a move for
the pot when his nine showed up on the turn. Antonio ended up losing on
the next hand shown when he moved all-in with pocket threes and Phil
called with pocket tens. Phil was calling for a three for his friend and
ex-roommate. He even picked up the remaining of his chips and said, "I am
coming back when the three comes." The flop was J64 and the turn was a two
giving Antonio more outs, but the river was a nine and he left in sixth place.
Again, Joe showed he was not going to be pushed around at the table when
he called in the small blind with Q8 and Phil checked his 85. The flop was
QJ7. Joe bet $20,000. Phil raised to $60,000 and tied up the hood of his
sweatshirt to cover his face completely. Joe reraised all-in and Phil folded.
I mentioned that tonight's poker was not the best in the world and the
following is just one example. Harry raised to $30,000 with pocket aces
and Phil moved in with KT. I am not sure what Phil was thinking on this
hand, but Harry has a reputation for being a tight player and he was
living up to that reputation. I saw this show in person and saw how many
times he laid hands down. Making a move like Phil did is fine, but NOT
against the tightest player at the table when he has shown he is chip
committed on the hand. Harry called the all-in bet and doubled up on the hand.
Humberto managed to get a few of the chip leader's chips when he called
with KJ and John checked his 76 of clubs. The flop was QT9 with two clubs.
Humberto made a good bet of $14,000 with his nut
straight and John raised
all-in with his straight flush draw and Humberto called. The turn was an
ace of hearts and the river was a ten of diamonds.
Harry finished in fifth place when he raised to $35,000 with KT of spades,
Joe reraised to $85,000 with AJ and Harry moved all-in. I suppose Harry
thought it was time to stand his ground, but it didn't work out for him.
The flop was QJ3 giving Harry a lot of outs, but the turn was an eight and the river another eight.
Luck was definitely on Phil's side on a lot of hands including flopping a
king pairing his hand of K7 against John's pocket jacks. John had raised
the $12,000 blind to $36,000 and Phil moved all-in for $197,000. If luck
was on Phil's side, then bad luck was on John's. The next hand shown he
lost another all-in bet when he held KJ. Humberto moved in with A6 for
$77,000 and John called. The flop was A74 and the turn was a ten giving
John the gutshot straight draw. The river was not the queen he needed, but a four instead.
 Joe
was playing a great, solid game and for some reason, he decided to move
all-in with his pocket fives against just the blinds. I am not sure what
he was thinking on this hand because he had a decent amount of chips. The
move was not necessary and if he thought it was, why would he want to risk
his WHOLE stack? Phil also made a questionable move when he called the
all-in bet without hesitation with AT. They both committed on hands that
were at best coin flips and at worst in BIG trouble. The flop was KQ7 with
two diamonds and the turn was a six of diamonds giving Phil a higher flush
draw. The river was an eight of diamonds and Joe was left with only
$19,000. Once he put his $2,000 ante in the pot, it was almost a sure
thing he would move the rest of his chips in with any hand. He did make
the move with Q4 of spades and both blinds called. John and Humberto
checked the hand down and John won the pot with a pair of sixes. Joe finished in fourth place.
John's luck did not improve when he called an all-in bet of $156,000 by
Humberto. John held KJ. John turned the jack, but Humberto spiked an ace
on the river. Humberto managed to double up on the next hand we see when
he raised to $60,000 with pocket fours and Phil called with Q9 of clubs.
Phil said, "I check as I can not win" before the flop was even put out. I
am not sure what that was about. If I ever check a weak hand blind, then
it is time for me to give up poker. Humberto moved all-in on the flop and
Phil called after he said, "It's wrong, but I am doing it." He had a lot
more outs than he gave himself credit for. A queen, a nine or any club
would win the pot, but none came.
 Phil
got some more of John's chips when he called with T7 of clubs on the
button and John checked with 32. The flop was 776. John bet $35,000. Phil
doubled the bet, then laid his head on the table trying to hide. John
reraised to $120,000 and Phil called. The turn was a six, not that it
mattered. John had already figured out his three high was not going to win
the pot. He laid his hand down after Phil bet a measly $30,000. John was
eliminated the next hand when Phil raised to $100,000 with KQ of hearts,
Humberto folded A7 and John moved all-in with A4. Phil quickly called and
he flopped the queen. John finished the tournament in third place
when neither the turn or the river was an ace.
I figured Humberto was in a great position to win the tournament if he showed
patience. He won the next hand two hands and took the chip lead. The first
hand, Humberto called with JT and Phil checked in the big blind with
pocket eights. The flop was T94. Phil bet $30,000 and Humberto called. The
turn was a four and both players checked. The river was a six, Phil
checked, Humberto bet $100,000 and Phil folded. This was probably Phil's
best move of the night. He lost the pot, but he managed to only lose a
small amount of money with his pocket eights. The second hand, Phil moved
all-in with Q7 and Humberto called with pocket threes. The flop was JT4,
the turn was another ten and the river was a nine. Humberto doubled up and won $860,000.
Humberto did not show patience on the following hand and it cost him the
tournament. Phil moved all-in with A2 and Humberto called with K8 of
clubs. The way Phil was playing, I am sure he could have found a better
situation to commit his chips. The flop was QJ8 giving Humberto a pair.
The turn was a six, but the river was the dreaded ace! In an interview for
Ron Rose's book, Ron asked Phil: "What is
your *most memorable* poker experience?" Phil's responded:
It was the ace on the river. Humberto Brenes and I were the last two
(of 192 entrants) in the LA Celebrity Invitational freeroll... The Ace on
the river was my biggest suckout to date. Instead of 38,000 I went on to
win 125,000 [including the $25,000 seat into the WPT finals]. It turned
out to be the $87,000 dollar Ace. Initially I collapsed in amazement.
Later, all I could think of was all the times that they sucked out on me
and how now I was not only even with the universe but actually handily
ahead. I, of course, drove extra careful that week, as I was not planning
on letting the universe re-level the playing field.
Humberto took the whole thing in stride and showed a lot of class when the
ace showed up. He even went over and gave Phil a bear hug from behind.
The final hand Humberto decided to move the remaining of his chips with
J2! Phil looked down and saw the AK of clubs and made an easy call. The
flop was Q94, the turn was a four and the river was a king. Phil showed so
much excitement when he saw the king. I was happy to see it come. I
believe this particular episode and Phil's antics (although unconventional
and some might even say "unsportsmanlike") will bring even more players
into the game. I just hope I don't see players imitate him. One Phil
Laak is charming, but twenty would drive me nuts!
Also see the Season One and
Season Three reports. |
