Bono Versus The master With Huck

How about poker that John “Bono” Bonetti in 1999 at the U.S.. Poker Championships?  Three firsts, a second, and a fifth, including a first in the big $4,000 buy-in Stud and a second in the $7,500 buy-in “Major” no-limit Hold’em poker game event at the U.S.. Open in Atlantic City.  John also had Daniel Negreanu all-in the major, with Daniel drawing to a flush.

            Oh, by the way, John was 71 years old! Someone alert the marketing department of the Poker Play card games Association (PPA): it’s time to recruit some new, older players down in Florida.  The purely fictional PPA better start marketing John Bonetti to everyone around the country over the ago of 57, since that is the ago at which this late bloomer won his first poker tournament.  In Tunica, Mississippi, in 2004, bono finished seventh in the Horseshoe’s World Poker Tournament event, and just missed the televised final six.  Too bad.

            John reminds me of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, who was 52 years old and living in safe comfort before he reinvented himself as a cunning leader with a warrior’s heart.  John is honorable and honest, and has been my best friend since 1994,  congratulations on all your accomplishments, bono!

            This most interesting hand came up between Huck Seed, bono, and Men “The master” Nguyen at the 1996 World Series of Poker, at the final table.  Huck had been raising every time on his button, which was Bono’s small blind and The master’s big blind.  Twice in the space of an hour, Huck had opened for $100,000 and Bono had made $200,000 to go (only a $100,000 raise).  Both times Huck folded, and both times Bono shoed 2-3 off suit!

            At that point limit stud, Huck came charging in again for $100,000 Bono made it $200,000, and then Men moved all-in.  Men had been able to reraise only about $ 180,000 more ($ 380,000 total), so John called him very reluctantly.  Much to everyone’s surprise, John had Ad-Qs and Men had 9h-8h.  The board brought no help for the hands, and Men was eliminated, placing about fifth.

            What the heck happened here?  Huck told me he was working on a steal, and this makes sense.  John wanted to make the same $100,000 raise that he had previously, in order to disguise his hand (maybe they would put him on 2-3 again).  This way, perhaps, he could lure Huck into moving all-in on him pre-flop.

            It’s my guess that Men “The master” Nguyen just made a bad read.  He thought John had a hand that was so weak (like 2-3 off suit) that he couldn’t call the additional $180,000.  But even if John was on a steal, he may have had Men in bad shape anyway advanced stud poker.  Give men some points for sheer daring.  It takes guts to make the play he made.  But I still don’t like men’s move, because he didn’t have enough firepower to make that play.  His play would have been much more powerful if he’d more chips in front of him.  If he’d another $100,000, he might well have made Bono lay his hand down.

            Still, why risk all of your chips with 9-8 in the World Championships in this spot?  Why not wait for a better hand and a better spot?  I think John has to call Men’s $180,000 raise, unless he had a really strong read on Men.  Still, it goes without saying that Huck, John, and Men are three of the best poker tournament players in the world today wpt 2003.