Phil is a Lucky Guy

Just as I was about to write another Hand of the Week column describing a couple of bad beats that I received in seven-card stud (yes, Scotty Nguyen, I was going to write about that hand at Commerce Casino), I suddenly realized how lucky I really am. As I looked over my swimming pool at the fairway of the Las Vegas Country Club from the balcony of my new Vegas house (for at least two months of the year), I couldn't find the strength to write about getting unlucky in another big poker hand. Look, I consider myself to be one of the best tournament poker players in the world today, and I should have the best hand every time I play a big pot – period. The fact that I win about two out of three pots that I play is just a result of the way the math comes out. If I am a 2-to-1 favorite in every pot that I play, I am supposed to win two out of three pots. That means that I am supposed to lose one pot in three. My own human nature and low self-esteem from yesteryear cause me to throw a "hissy fit" every time someone draws out on me in a significant pot. We are well into the World Series of Poker (WSOP) right now, and I have thrown far too many fits. When I drew Mel Weiner in the heads-up match-play event at the WSOP, the big joke was that it was going to be "Weiner vs. Whiner." Even though the joke was just, I didn't appreciate it very much, believe me! I am sick of the way that I have been acting at the table – even though the rest of the poker world is used to it by now – and it is time for me to act like the man that I am away from the table while I'm at the table.

In Bay 101's Shooting Star tournament in early April, the following hand came up in the main no-limit hold'em $1,500 buy-in event. With the blinds at $200-$400 and $6,200 left, I had already made up my mind that I was going to move all in with 10-10 on the button after an early-position raiser made it $1,800 to go. Just as I was getting ready to push my money into the pot, the man to my right decided that he was going to go all in for about $8,500. Oh, what a change of scenery! This man had put all of his money in after a raise and a reraise with 8-8 only moments before (mind you, I didn't like that play at all). So, what should I do here against a man who is willing to commit loads of money with middle pairs? Fold, of course. What were the chances that he had a pair lower than tens, whereby I would be a 4.5-to-1 favorite over his hand? Pretty slim. If he did have a big pair, I was a 4.5-to-1 underdog, and even if it was A-K, I would be only a 13-to-10 favorite. I'm not looking to be a 13-to-10 favorite in a no-limit hold'em event, as there is just too much play involved. Even though I wanted to play this hand rather badly, I knew the right play was to fold. So, I folded in order to wait for a better spot to bet all of my remaining chips. If you have the patience to wait for a better spot, fold the tens, but if you are going to put your money in later in a worse spot, you might as well play the tens.

How unlucky can a man be who is on top of the WSOP money list? How unlucky can a man be who has seven (I accidentally wrote eight; I wonder if that is a sign) WSOP bracelets? I recognize that I am one of the luckiest poker players in the world today, if not the luckiest. Just don't ask me about it after I get outdrawn in a big pot! I hope you enjoyed this Hand of the Week. Good luck playing your hands this week.

Editor's note: You can play $5-$10 limit hold'em online with Phil at UltimateBet.com at table "Hellmuth." To read more Hand of the Week columns, go to PhilHellmuth.com.