Saturday, August 09, 2008

Do not be intimidated by playing hold em. These strategies will make you a better player.

We do not promote gambling of any type. This blog information is to be used when playing hold em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Featured Texas Hold Em Article

Phil Hellmuth's rap and hip hop


By Adam Johnson

His head was buried in the sleeve of his black jacket, his left arm extending toward the middle of the table. Listening to music from his Ipod, he decided to have some connection to the outside world, however disconnected to his present world it may have been.

Yet there was Phil Hellmuth, the self-proclaimed best hold-em player in the world, struggling with his short stack in the $1500 Pot-Limit tournament at the World Series of Poker.

If someone who couldn�t spell poker walked up to the table, they probably would have guessed this downtrodden man wasn�t much in the poker world.

How deceiving their deductions would have been.

Suddenly he sprouted to life and sought out myself, one of many media members in the Amazon Room near his table, to be his much needed set of ears.

�You want to hear about some hands, I�ll tell you about some hands,� said Hellmuth, the then ten time bracelet winner with an eagerness that made me wonder if I asked him a question.

After hearing how his A-A couldn�t beat seat 10�s A-6 and how his late position pre-flop raise was defended by a guy out of the blind with 6-high, it was quite clear that he felt like Peter Weber in a prestigious bowling tournament with bumper lanes. His skills just didn�t seem to translate and his frustration was visible if not tangible to those present.

Such is the life of a gifted tournament poker player on most days, when failure can last for months and someone with little experience can win a major tournament.

Seated to Hellmuth�s left was another short-chipped professional and good friend of Hellmuth�s, Gavin Smith.

Known as one of the most gregarious players on the tournament circuit, Smith was up to his usual antics at the table, taking a completely different route than Hellmuth.

Upon a request from the aforementioned seat 10, the main subject of Hellmuth�s diatribes, Smith grabbed Hellmuth�s Ipod and read the display, �Bad Boys for Life, P Diddy,� he said.

A poll wasn�t conducted at the time, but P Diddy didn�t exactly seem to be in Hellmuth�s �range� from reading the table�s body language. Seat 10 and a few other players chuckled and Smith told them that Phil is actually a big fan of rap and hip hop music.

Wearing black designer shoes that likely cost as much as the tournament entry and a black and yellow Ultimate Bet Hockey jersey, nothing about Hellmuth�s style screams hip-hop.

Perhaps in a giving mood after sending Hellmuth into a momentary tailspin, seat 10 sent his Ipod to Smith, who hooked it up to Hellmuth�s while his head was buried.

Hellmuth continued on as if nothing happened, and listened to a Kanye West song seat 10 doctored up for him.

Completely amused by the situation, Smith asked for my phone and took a picture of Hellmuth listening to the man�s Ipod. Smith organized that I send the picture to the man so his friends and kids could see Hellmuth listening to his Ipod.

A conversation about rap ensued between the two, exchanging similar tastes in music. Much like Hellmuth, Smith�s gears were stuck in neutral as well.

�If I get up to 20,000 chips, I�ll be dangerous,� he said, with a stack that was probably a third of that number.

After sheriffing (not a real word) a player who bet K-J on the turn and went all-in on the river on a paired board with all baby cards, Smith check called on both streets after betting the flop, revealing the best hand with a measly two-pair.

The busted player seemed shocked as did others at the table, that Smith knew his hand was good. To those familiar with Smith�s ability, the result seemed pretty standard.

Hellmuth busted within the next hour and Smith held true to his prediction, finishing 2nd in a field of 781 players.

They provided a contrast of playing styles and personalities in a time when chips were hard to come by for both, but as always, they are never short on entertainment value no matter what.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=phil-hellmuth-rap-and-hip-hop.html

Latest Texas Hold Em News:

PokerStars.net LAPT Punta del Este, Day 1: Raymer, Brenes Among Early Leaders

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:42:00 -0700
The third stop on the PokerStars.net Latin America Poker Tour kicked off yesterday in Punta del Este, Uruguay, with 351 players from around the world heading to the seaside resort to enjoy neither sun nor surf, but a shot at a prize pool...

EPT Adds Hungary Stop; Hotel Booking Service, London High-Roller Tourney Also Announced

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:34:00 -0700
The PokerStars.com European Poker Tour has announced several recent developments, including the addition of a stop at Budapest, Hungary, October 28 – November 1, 2008. The €4,350, four-day NLHE event will be capped at 500 players...

The PokerNews Profile: Anna Wroblewski

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:30:00 -0700
Anna Wroblewski doesn't know when her birthday is. Not the month, the day or the year, though she estimates she's about 22 years old. Orphaned at age four in her native Vietnam, Wroblewski and her younger sister lived with a slew...

WPTE Posts Another Loss, Changes Online Gaming Strategy

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:02:00 -0700
Analysts were prepared for another loss from World Poker Tour Enterprises, Inc. this quarter. The shift from the Travel Channel to GSN for the televised WPT series had resulted in lower per episode fees, WPTE's online money site...


Everything Music
Mens Workouts
Joke of the Day
|

Labels:

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home