In 2006, rising poker star Allie Prescott avoided near disaster when a well-publicized bet with Gavin Smith almost cost him a lot of money. Sitting in first and second on the leader board with just a few tables remaining in a $10,000 WSOP Circuit event at Harrah’s New Orleans, Prescott made the bet that would send either $700,000 to Smith or $1 million in his direction. The catch was that the winner of the bet had to be the last one standing. As it turned out, both players made the final table, but Peter Feldman held on to beat Smith heads up and save Prescott’s bankroll.
After a few more cashes, Prescott disappeared for nearly a year before re-emerging at this year’s World Poker Open in Tunica, Mississippi. Since then, he has cashed 11 times and made four final tables, bringing his lifetime tournament winnings to over $500,000.
Card Player spoke to Prescott during a rain delay at the final table of the Aruba Poker Classic, where he finished fourth for $150,000.
Julio Rodriguez: You took a long break from poker right when you were really beginning to break out. Why the hiatus?
Allie Prescott: To be honest, I just got sick of poker, took a whole year off, didn’t play a tournament, and I just got back into it this year.
JR: So you didn’t touch a deck in all that time?
AP: Not a hand; not a single hand. I had done pretty well toward the end of the year I quit, so it had nothing to do with how I was running. I really just wanted to take some time off, travel, and focus a bit on investing in real estate, which is something I still do.
JR: How long have you been back for?
AP: I’ve been traveling around since the World Poker Open in January.
JR: Do you think your game is back to full strength?
AP: About a month and a half ago I think I was finally getting back to the point I was at before I left. I feel like I’m playing great right now, and, of course, it helps that the cards are finally starting to break even.
JR: How have you changed as a player, and how has your game evolved?
AP: I don’t know necessarily that my style has changed or even if I’m a different player. I was just at a point where I got really sick of the game and I wasn’t giving it my best effort. At this point, I just really like playing again, which, of course, helps me to stay focused and avoid dumb mistakes. I think I’m playing great, but that’s to be expected when you make a final table.
JR: You played baseball for Tulane University in college and experienced your fair share of rain delays. How does it feel to be a part of poker’s first-ever rain delay?
AP: Is this the first-ever rain delay? (Laughing) That’s right, it was something that was much more prevalent on the field. But when you hold a final table on a stage over a pool, anything can happen.
