Men Nguyen’s “Drawing Dead”

This story takes us back to the 2000 World Series of Poker (WSOP), I was playing in the $ 1,500 buy-in seven card stud Low (Razz), and was lucky enough to reach the final table, where strategy is all about amassing chips. We were seven-handed, playing $1,000-$2,000 limit, when an intriguing situation came up.  Here’s how it played out, and how I trapped my opponent into drawing dead.

            I was in seat 1 and was dealt (3-4) 7, the seven being the door card.  Seat 5 brought it in with the high low poker card on the board, and World Champion Tom McEvoy called with a door-card eight.  I raised it to $1,000 to go with my seven and ended up heads-up with the player in seat 7.  On the turn, I caught a five for (3-4) 7-5, and Tom caught a ten, for a board of 8-10.  He checked, I bet $1,000, and he then called.  On fifth street came an interesting decision: I caught an ace for (3-4) 7-5-A ( I had made a seven low!), and he caught a jack for 8-10-J.

            These were my thoughts: from this point on he had no chance to bad beat me.  Even if he were to catch perfect, the best he could make was an eight low, and I already had a seven low! The bets were $2,000 now, and the prospect of him folding was not what I had a chance to make him think that I had paired up, and maybe he would buy a great low card games for his hand and give me another $2,000.  So I decided to play sly like a fox and trap him! I checked and he checked.  As good as my plan was, unless I caught ugly and he caught pretty, my options on sixth street would be the same as on fifth.

            Sixth street came, and I bought a king and he bought a deuce.  His board now read 8-10-J-2, and mine was (3-4) 7-5-A-K.  If I did have a pair, then the best I could have at that point in the hand was a king low.  It was therefore possible, from my opponent’s vantage point, that he had me beat.  He checked, and then I checked.   I thought poker about betting here on sixth street, but betting would have looked too suspicious after I had received a king.  by checking, I was assuring myself of a call on seventh street, whether he improved his hand or not.

            After seventh street was delivered, Tom checked, and I bet $2,000 without looking at my last card, and he beat me into the pot to call my $2,000 bet! Then I showed the seven low and he said, “ Nice hand, sir.” [Phil Hellmuth note: “Nice hand, sir” is men’s favorite phrase!] Remember, at any level, and especially at the WSOP, it’s not so important to make a hand as it is to maximize your opportunities to lure every chip you can from your opponent limit stud.  This hand I played ‘perfecto.”

Phil’s two cents bluff: Men really earned that extra $2,000 bet! Sometimes, trapping your opponent is a great strategy, especially in Razz.