From The Other Side Of The Table

The stories in this chapter were contributed by many of my poker friends and fellow players, thought poker in some cases I have slightly tweaked the telling. 

I am proud that these guest authors have offered their unique, insightful views of how and why certain poker greats like nine-time World Series of Poker winners Doyle “Texas Dolly”  Brunson and Johnny “The Oriental Express” Chan, to well-known players Ted Forrest, Jennifer Harman, Annie Duke, John “Bono” Bonetti, Layne Flack, Howard Lederer, Daniel Negreanu, Peter “The Poet” Costa, Men “The master” John Cernuto, to the most celebrated poker tournament director of our time, Jack McClelland, you have here a great selection for your enjoyment and enlightenment.  Everyone ought to enjoy these hands, because these folks know their poker!

Doyle “texas dolly” Brunson’s “math”

Over the last 44 years of playing professionally, it’s hard to single out any particular hand as being the most unusual.  I think of the two royal flushes I made playing No-limit Hold’em poker game, both times against World Champion Bobby Baldwin, beating four jacks once and aces full the other time.  Another time, chip Reese beat my quads twice in the same night poker!

            But the hand remember most was against David Sklansky, in the World Series of Poker in 1974.  We were heads-up in the finals of the seven card stud Hi-Louis Split no-qualifier, and had about the same amount of money.  We got involved in a pot where I had A-2-5-8 in four and David had 4-5-7-8.  We went to war and raised each other until we were both all-in.  I was laughing to myself at his mistake: I had the best high and the best low! David busted out; I caught good and scooped the pot limit omaha, and claimed the Championship.

It wasn’t until the next week, when a magazine that David was writing for came out, that I learned what David was thinking.  He was talking about poker this final hand, and he had down in his article our first four cards.  Then he said, “I knew at that moment that I knew more about the game than Doyle.”  He then went on to prove mathematically that his hand would scoop mine more times than mine would scoop his.  Where was Poker Probe (Poker Probe is software that allows you to compare hands and determine which hand is the favorite to win, and by how much) when I needed it?  It was also my introduction into the world of math in party poker.  I realized that I had better sharpen up if I was to survive in the poker world.  That hand has always stayed with me.  I’ll bet David remembers it well also.  I remember the neat way be closed his article in the magazine: “But Doyle wasn’t giving any refunds.”