Phil's WSOP Win Number Eight

In the 2003 World Series of Poker’s $2,500 buy-in limit Hold’em tournament, I found myself heads-up with Young Chan.  In 2001, I was heads-up with Scotty Nguyen in Omaha Eight or Better (O 8B) with a chance to win my eighth title; I lost. 

In 2002, I was heads-up with Johnny Chan in no-limit Hold’em poker games with a chance to win number eight; I lost (instead, Chan won number seven to tie me).  This time I needed to win! Especially since I knew that I was at the peak of my poker powers.  Unfortunately, I don’t seem to reach that peak too often, so that when I do, I need to forge ahead with guns blazing poker high low!

            I was play poker card games great poker, and I was ready to win, but Young Chan wasn’t going for it!  Back and forth we battled, 100 hands, then 200 hands, then we crested 300 hands of heads-up poker, and neither of us would back down.  We were playing $3,000-$6,000 limit stud when the following hand came up; it would give me the confidence to win-and perhaps take a little steam out of Young Chan’s sails.  I raised with K-10 off suit before the flop, and the flop came down 2s-4s-7h.

            Young checked, and then I bet out $3,000.  Now he check-raised me, making it $6,000 to go.  I checked my hand to see if it held a spade, in case two spades came on the next two cards.  I didn’t have a spade, but decided to call the $3,000 bet anyway. The next card games was the 7d, for a board of 2s-4s-7h-7d, and now Chan bet out $6,000.  I felt the right play was to fold (Chan could have me beat with any pair or ace high, or have me crushed with trip sevens), but something inside me said, “Now is the time to call, you have the best hand: Young has a straight draw or a flush draw.  Phil, don’t blow this opportunity.”

            Finally, I decided to trust my instincts, and called the $6,000 bet (in my mind, I believed Young had a straight draw of some sort, like 6-8).  The last card was the 9s, for 2s-4s-7h-7d-9s, and Young bet out $6,000 again.  The flush had hit! Now I could beat only a busted straight draw.  But I thought that was exactly what Chan had, so I called the $6,000 bet without too much hesitation.

            When Young rapped the table, meaning that he was bluffing, I jumped out of my seat.  After all, this was a supertough call, and I had made it!  I heard the Internet announcer-Mark Seif-in the background saying, “Incredible.  I mean what a great call Phil Hellmuth just made with king high.  The flush hit, the pairs were there, in fact he couldn’t beat anything but a busted straight draw, yet he called with K-10 high!” I’m sure that Young heard that as well high low poker.

            When you make a great call like that, it shows you that your instincts and reads are dead-on, and it gives you some confidence in your style of play.  It can also demoralize your opponent a bit.  But to Young’s credit, I didn’t see him lower the level of his play very much at all.

            Later on, at the $4,000-$8,000 limit, I had Young down to $22,000 and all-in with 4d-5h, up against my 4-4.  It came all red, and the last card made Chan a flush.  Next hand, Chan had A-4 to my 10-9, and I flopped a flush draw, and missed; Young now had $88,000 again! The third hand, however, proved to be a monster monkey poker.

            Young made it $16,000 to go with what he later said was A-8, and I made it $24,000 to go with A-Q.  I bet the flop of 10-8-4, and Young called.  A queen hit on the turn, and I decided that Young would bet if I checked here.  I checked, and Young came out firing, with $16,000, and I check-raised, making it $32,000 to go.  I noticed that he had only $24,000 left, so I announced, “I bet $16,000 in the dark.” The river was an ace, for a board of 10-8-4-Q-A, and now Chan called me quickly.  (By the way, if he had A-8, then his not raising here turned out to be a great move!) I flipped my hand faceup and collected the pot limit omaha!

            It was all over the next hand when Young and I were all-in in the dark, his 6-2 to my 6-4, and a turn four gave me my eighth WSOP Championship. It would have tied me for the all-time record, but Doyle Brunson had won number nine one week earlier. Oh well, at least I gave myself some breathing room against Johnny Chan, at least for three days, until he won number eight to tie me.  A few days later Chan won number nine to pass me! A week after that I won number nine! Finally, after all these years, I had caught Doyle.  Chan, Doyle, and I are all knotted up at nine WSOP wins after the 2003 WSOP.

            But I’m not rooting against anyone else in poker event.  Doyle’s winning number nine, at age 70, is terrific; go, Doyle go! And Chan’s winning numbers eight and nine, Ferguson’s winning poker numbers four and five, and Seidel’s winning number six is great theater and drama for poker and the WSOP! Boys, I’ll race y’ll race to 24!