Chapter: 10 – Poker Tid Bits

(A) It was 1989 and Richie was planning to play in the $10,000 buy in World Series of Poker no limit Holdem tournament held yearly at the Horseshoe Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas. If he could win a satellite he could free roll into the major tournament without it costing him the $10,000 buy in. He wanted to play a few no limit satellite contests to see if he could win the $10,000 buy into the big tournament.

As luck would have it Richie got down to himself and one other player left at the table. He was heads up with the “Polish Maverick” Bob Stupak who owned the Vegas World Hotel and Casino located on the Las Vegas strip. Bob was not very popular with the “rail birds” and observers of the heads up contest.

In fact the vast majority of the spectators wanted Richie to beat Stupak and send him out of the Horseshoe a loser. Apparently, Bob Stupak was considered an abrupt individual who was not liked at the poker table by the other players. It was a dislike that developed with the players over years of playing poker in the various hotel casinos with him.
The satellite game was on break. When Richie and Stupak returned to resume play, Richie suggested that he and Bob split the $10,000 between them evenly $5,000 and $5,000. Stupak replied that he was a better poker player than Richie so a split was out of the question.

Richie said OK and commented….”then we will play the game down to the cloth”. Meaning winner take all! As the hands progressed maybe 15 to 20 hands were dealt. Bob Stupak commented to Richie “you are playing very tight”. In actuality, it was Stupak who was playing very tight. Two or three hands later Richie flopped a set of Queens and checked the hand to Stupak. Stupak bet right into the check. The turn card was no help so Richie checked once more. Stupak believing he had the better hand bet into Richie with half his stack of poker chips? Richie just slow played and just called waiting for the river or last card to be turned and placed on the felt.

The last card paired the board with two sixes giving Richie a full house and what poker players call “The Mortal Nuts”. In other words a hand that could not lose. Stupak pushed all his chips into the pot and Richie called.

When the cards were turned over most of the rail birds and spectators actually screamed with excitement and enthusiasm seeing Bob Stupak lose. Stupak got up and left the table without a comment to Richie or a handshake. Richie waited to be paid and enjoyed the moment that he won a seat into the $10,000 no limit Holdem tournament. A smile crossed his face realizing that he also put it too Bob Stupak.