Three Classic Televised Bluffs

1. Hellmuth vs Matusow, HSP Season 4. We’ve heard many times before that the 72o game is good for the game; an action instigator if nothing else. But the notoriously tight Hellmuth used it to bluff Matusow off of kings in one of the first hands of HSP 4 (you can watch HSP videos at sites like http://www.pokersites.com and www.pokertube.com). Mike opened to $1,800 with the kings, and Hellmuth decided to repop it to $7,000 from the big blind with the dreaded 72o. Matusow flat called, and they took QJ6 rainbow flop. They both checked, and the 8 of diamonds fell on the turn, putting a dimaond flush draw out. Hellmuth bet $17,000, and Matusow called. The river paired the 6, and after asking for a count from Matusow ($65,000) Hellmuth led out $40,000. Matusow tanked for a minute, than inexplicably laid his kings down face up, allowing Hellmuth to smugly turn over the 72o, causing the table to erupt in laughter and Matusow to leap up and declare, “That was the ONLY THING I thought!” Hellmuth collected $500 from every player, and changed the way people viewed his cash game abilities...at least until HSP 6 came out.

2. Ivey vs Jackson, Monte Carlo Millions. The biggest bluff I’ve ever seen televised. Jackson limped his button with the 56o, and Ivey raised to 74k (blinds 12k/24k/4k) Jackson called, and took a J77cc flop. Ivey leads 80k, prompting Jackson to bluff raise to 170k. After a short tank, Ivey reraises to 320k. Jackson then 4 bets it up to 470k, and Ivey tanks one more time. He looks over at Jackson’s stack and asks, “How much you got left?” Jackson slowly responded, “Three sixty, three eighty.” Something in the way Jackson said that, coupled with the amount he left himself, made Ivey finally pull the trigger and shove all-in, albiet with the best hand. Jackson then proceeds to sink in his chair, visibly dejected by his failed bluff attempt, and said, “Good laydown, eh?” as he mucked his hand. Lesson learned, don’t bluff Phil Ivey; he reads souls for a living...

3. Durrrr vs Ivey, HSP Season 6. ...unless you happen to be Durrrr. Durrrr and Ivey had been putting on a clinic during HSP 6, and this final hand shows the level of play they were displaying. Phil Laak opened to $3,900, and 3 players called. Durrrr then popped it to $28,900 with 98s, getting only a single caller; Ivey and his A6d. The flop was a big one for Ivey; KQ10dd, but Durrrr fired out $45,800 before Ivey could do anything. After asking for a stack count ($750,000 for Dwan, $1,000,000 for Ivey) Ivey elected to call, and the 3 of spades fell on the turn. Durrrr fired the second barrel, betting $123,200. Ivey decided to flat call again with his big draw. A six of clubs fell on the river, and Durrrr fired the final barrel, $268,200, creating a pot of $676,900. Ivey tanked for a full 3 minutes before laying 4th pair down, giving Dwan a monster pot and making Ivey shake his head about the bluff he could’ve caught.