In the realm of non-scary poker nicknames, ‘3Coin’ is right up there with ‘durrrr’ and ‘Texas Dolly.’ Doyle Brunson and Tom Dwan were plenty scary at the poker table, though, so those relatively tame nicknames took on lives of their own to become intimidating in their own way.
Big Bluffs And Merged Ranges
But in the case of Randy ‘3Coin’ Sadler, it’s something else altogether. He’s a guy in his 60s (or so) who sports a crazy white beard, often braided, with oddball accoutrements hanging off. He has an outrageous table demeanor and a love of bluffing. Some might call it an addiction to bluffing.
Sadler displayed it earlier this year against Phil Hellmuth, getting him to fold trips when he held just two pair.
Then the old guy showed his “bluff,” however accidental it may have been, and cackled as he dragged the pot.
On the other hand, there was the time when Sadler pushed $85,000 into a $10,000 pot on a board of 9♥8♥7♥3♠10♥. 3Coin had an offsuit jack, which gave him a straight.
Corey Eyring, an emerging poker pro and vlogger, held the A♥ and showed it to the table before making it clear that losing the pot would sweep away his bankroll.
Sadler sat calmly, emotionless, and watched his opponent sweat. It definitely wasn’t his entire net worth on the line.
It was an outrageous bet, but not out of character for 3Coin. Eyring couldn’t decide and ultimately left it up to fate. He said he would randomly turn over one of his two hole cards, and if it was the A♥, he would call.
Freaked out and under incredible pressure, he even insisted that it was “binding” and had another player at the table flip the card for him.
3Coin: The Old-School Action Player Live Poker Needs
This time, the poker gods were on Eyring’s side.
“Good hand,” Sadler said, shrugging off the six-figure loss. “I’m glad you did it.”
It’s the kind of crazy thing that happens when 3Coin is in action, and the sentiment seemed completely sincere. It sort of made me love Sadler, his style of play and his ability to properly handle a loss.
He hoots and hollers, and has a giant heart. He’s the kind of guy that poker needs. Never mind that he comes across as a mystery man who dropped in from some backwoods hold’em haunt with a bottomless bundle of cash.
Of course, that is never quite the case.
Sadler’s Smokehouse Millions Fuel Splashy Play
Sadler grew up in East Texas and watched as his parents put a lot of work into the family smokehouse business. The smoked meat didn’t always pay the bills, however, and his father made ends meet by running a poker game.
As Sadler put it, his father was on the phone so often that it was clear he did a bit of bookmaking as well. The business rebounded, and in 2020, the Sadlers sold their eponymous company for some $270 million.
But 3Coin – the nickname derives from a necklace he wears with three of the gold coins that his dad gave him – was already chugging along. He talked up his vintage/custom/“modern edge” clothing company, and his hard-loan business with his offspring (they lend money to people who can’t get traditional bank loans).
But lately, he has become a regular presence on numerous cash game livestreams as a big-money poker player.
It’s not been a cheap endeavor. As he told the guys on the excellent Table 1 podcast, a sharp player said that he had the makings for becoming good at poker, but there was one caveat:
“It will cost you a fortune getting there,” he said.
“He told the truth,” said Sadler.
Effortless Charm On Live Streams
3Coin has proven to be a natural for streaming cash games. He plays gutsily, loves the attention, is always good-natured, and never a bad loser when things don’t go his way. That’s a good thing because, in a bid for rapid improvement, 3Coin has devoted himself to going up against the best players.
Sometimes it works, like on a series of sit-downs for Hellmuth’s Home Game where the Poker Brat groaned that “3Coin has bludgeoned me on every hand… it’s stunning.” Other times, he learns more expensive lessons about the game.
“When a pro bets all-in in front of you on the turn, don’t bluff him,” Sadler said.
Playing in Bobby’s Room, competing for pots against fellow needler Shaun Deeb, flashing his 3Coin sign (it looks like the OK finger gesture), putting up engaging videos on social media that promote himself, his company, and the game of poker, 3Coin is a welcome addition to the card-playing landscape. He loves the camaraderie and competition.
Joe Among Pros
“I am the Joe sitting with the pros,” he declared to Table 1. “When I win, I think I am one. But the Joes get it. I am having so much fun sitting at the table. I know why I am sitting at the table… because I have the money to do it.”
Who says money can’t buy happiness? For 3Coin, it seems to be purchasing high-octane pleasure and a life in which everything is a gas. Luckily for the rest of us, we get to come along for the ride and learn how rich guys should act.
And he even gives good advice that we can all benefit from.
“That energy and atmosphere, if you have that written down, and you hold yourself accountable to it, you can’t help moving forward. I’m always about motivating and [being] a grinder. You just don’t quit.”
Michael Kaplan is a journalist based in New York City. He is the author of six books including Advantage Players, and has worked for publications that include Wired, GQ and the New York Post. He has written extensively on technology, gambling, and business — with a particular interest in spots where all three intersect. His article on Kelly “Baccarat Machine” Sun and Phil Ivey is currently in development as a feature film.
- Photos by PokerGO
