Bad Beat In Celebrity Poker

The following hand was written by Phil Gordon, who, in addition to being

} a  great poker play card games and a self-made Internet millionaire, is the host of Celebrity Poker Showdown.

The first season of Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown was a great success.  Although most of the players had very little poker experience, they were all in good spirits and trying earnestly to win.  Especially in the Championship show.

            Each player in the finals started with $10,000 in chips.  The winner of this table would be able to donate $100,000 to his or her favorite charity; second place, $20,000; and third place, $15,000.  The finale would be viewed on Bravo, or possibly NBC.  The stakes, and the pressure, were high low poker.

           At the $200-$400 level, Paul Rudd, who is most famous for his role in Friends? Looked down under the gun and found 6-6.  He raised of $1,000, leaving him with just a bit more than $5,000.  The talented and beautiful Nicole Sullivan, from The King of Queens and Mad TV, saw a J-7 off suit.  She was on the button and had about poker $20,000.  For some reason, she called.

           The flop was glorious A-10-6 rainbow, a perfect flop for Paul.  Now, Paul is quite a good player, and I really thought poker he would try to check-raise.  But instead, he surprised me and moved all-in, for about $5,000.  Not the world’s greatest play, really, because Nicole would need a monster hand to justify calling $5,000 to win $2,000 pot limit omaha.

            Well, she started thinking card games. I was sitting in the announcer’s booth thinking, “What in the hell is she thinking about!” She then announced, out loud, “Paul, I think you’re bluffing!” Great read, Nicole.   Paul was bluffing with a set of sixes poker event.  After about two agonizing minutes, she decided that yes, indeed, Paul was bluffing, and she said, “I call limit stud.”

            The players turned over the hands, and we were, well, absolutely shocked.  Paul was a lock, of course.  Nicole’s only outs were runner-runner king and queen, or runner-runner nine and eight.  A 35-to-1 shot or so.  Paul was already standing up and his arms up in triumph.  Nicole looked like someone hit her in the stomach.  “I’m so stupid,” she muttered to the camera limit hold'em game.

            After everyone finished laughing, the dealer turned a queen. A quiet hush fell over the audience, and the tournament director, Robert Thompson, told the crowd the news: “Well, now all Nicole needs is a king!” Nicole now had about an 8 percent chance to win.

With flourish and some poker high low drama, the dealer flipped over the miracle card … a king! Nicole had called Paul’s “bluff ” and took a 35-to-1 shot all the way to the bank.  Paul was eliminated in a most brutal manner, and Nicole went to win the tournament and claim the $100,000 prize purse for her charity, the Alley Cat Allies, a group dedicated to spaying and neutering stray cats.