Lakers owner Frank Mariani’s Hand

At a recent Legends of Poker basics tournament, Frank Mariani (co-owner with Jerry Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers)  made a $500 last-longer bet with John Duthie “Bono” Bonetti.  Bono had no idea what he was getting into! If Frank had not made the bet, then he might indeed not have lasted very long.  But the bet with Bono gave Frank some incentive to play his A game of cards.  Frank Mariani’s A game is pretty good the winner!

            Although Frank did not make the final table that day, he did make the final two tables much to my close friend Bono’s dismay. A couple of days later, in pot limit Omaha Eight or Better, Frank made the final table with me.  He busted me that day, after he flopped a wheel!

            Frank Mariani is a first-class guy all the way.  Ever since I can remember playing high low poker -stakes poker in L.A., he has been around, playing.  He has been nice enough to invite Huck Seed, Yosh Nakano, Eric Drache, Johnny Chan, and me to the Lakers training camp every year.  After I attended a recent Lakers game as Frank’s guest, and with the usual post game poker play card games in progress, his wife, Lynn, offered to take my wife all the way across town to our hotel.  We still remember that really kind and considerate gesture.  I must add that I have never seen Frank in so much as even a disagreement at the poker table in all these years.

            Anyway, the following hand came up between Frank and me at a Bicycle Club Casino’s limit Hold’em game tournament. There were about poker players left when Frank raised it up to $900 to go, in the first position with As-Ks.  The small blind reraised to $900 with Kd-Kh, I made it four bets with Ah-Ad, and Frank and the small blind quickly called the cap of $1,200.  Fortunately for me, Frank had started the hand with only $1,900.

            The flop came 10s-Jd-Qc, which gave Frank the nut straight.  The small blind bet $300, and I just called.  Frank made it $900, and the small blind made it $900.  I called, and Frank called $700 of the $900 all-in.  On fourth street, the Qd came off to make 10s-Jd-Qc-Qd on the board.  The small blind bad beat $900, and I called. The last card was 4th, so that the final board was 10s-Jd-Qc-Qd-4h.  The small blind checked, I bet $900, and the small blind called.  The $5,700 main pot went to Frank with a straight, and I won the $2,800 side pot with aces up

            The chips went to good use, because Frank proceeded to win the poker tournament.  Now let’s take a closer look at what happened.

            Before the flop, it seemed that everyone played their hands right.  On the flop, I was already in defensive mode because 10-J-Q was one of the worst flops that I could imagine.  With that flop, a lot of legitimate hands beat my pocket aces.  Hands of 10-10,J-J, Q-Q, or A-K would all bad beat poker my A-A.  Not to mention that K-K, 9-9, and 8-8 would still be drawing against my hand.  The small blind’s bet on the flop was ok, Frank’s raise was obviously correct, and I like the reraise by the small blind to try to get rid of me.  (Maybe I would then fold 9-9 or 8-8.)

            The bet by the small blind on fourth street was weak, but not too bad.  After all, what hand did he put me on?  I had capped it pre-flop and called three bets on the flop.  My call on fourth street was pretty easy, seven card stud though I thought that I might be beat.  Also, I knew the player and thought he had aces or kings.

            I like the small blind’s check on the river (it’s about time!) and I like my bet, too.  Of course, my bet is only good if I’m willing to does have a tough call on the end with kings, since he can only beat a bluff, or the incredibly unlikely A-J (unlikely that anyone could  have played A-J that poorly!).

            Frank, good luck with the Lakers every year! (Although they are so good, they don’t need luck limit stud.)