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he Guardian Poker Column |
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Victoria
Coren |
Wed 16 February
2011 |
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No apple pie,
no burgers, no Coke and who's got all the aces?
Sometimes, aces aren't the only thing it's
hard to find in a poker tournament. Playing the UKIPT event at Dusk Til Dawn in
Nottingham (a great club with skilled dealers and a lovely spirit), I watched
Jeff Kimber order an apple pie and custard from the menu. The waitress came
back twice once to say they had no custard, then to say they had no
apple pie. On the break, I went to a restaurant with Jeff for a hamburger and
Coke, only to be told they had run out of burgers, buns and all fizzy drinks. I
think the universe is telling the poker scene (or Nottingham) that it should
have a healthier diet. |
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At least my curiosity was fed by Jeff's
tale of a mysterious hand he played during a £1k side event at the EPT
London, against a chap who wins big online under the name Ugotabanana.
James Dempsey raised to 400 under the gun and an unknown German player
called. Kimber, in the cut-off, reraised to 1350 with A J. This Banana, who was playing two events at once and shouting
prop-bets across the room at his friends, flat called from the button. The
others folded.
The flop came J 8 3. Kimber bet 2100 and Banana called. They
both checked the K turn. The river was a blank. Kimber checked, Banana
moved all in for 8,000 and Kimber folded.
What could Banana's hand have
been? He invested 12% of his chips in a pre-flop call of a double raise. Then
he smooth called on a dry flop. With his multi-tabling and noisy side betting,
Banana was projecting a gambly image; can this have been a super-gutsy "float"
with no hand, and a visionary bluff on the river? Or did he hit the weird flop?
Nah. I think he must have had aces.
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