Durr

Season 5 of High Stakes poker has been as my son says, the 'shitz-fitz'!  No idea how to spell that either, but it certainly means 'da bomb'!  

An absolutely amazing hand played by Durr (Tom Dwan) is at the 36:50 mark.  Check this out:

Is this guy in a league of his own or what???   Here's a few thought's I have on this amazing hand.

First, Barry open raises UTG with AA, and EVERYONE CALLS!  WTF!!!  I remembered some guy at the WSOP singin 'It's a family affair', when I saw that.  So they take the flop 8 HANDED! 

Flop comes 2T2.  Eastgate (holding 42) and Doyle check, but Barry leads mind you, into 8 players for half pot or so.  Now if you've been watching HSP, Durr has been taking his time, playing slow if you will.  Something that struck me odd, given the guy plays multi-table High stakes online, where you are constantly having to make quick decisions.  But I'm convince the guy is just like a computer, he has his inputs, and now is coming out with best +EV play.

So he raises, with his top pair, which HE KNOWS is no good.  But what he does know, is that Barry's bet into 8 players, is showing strength, so a raise by him is 'indicative' of greater strength, and knows it will narrow the field down.  

Table folds back to Eastgate, who has made trip ducks crap kicker.  He flats, and so does Barry.  I really think Eastgate's flat was really Bad.  If he thought his hand was good, a raise was in order.  I think he's a good enough player to realize that Dwan is representing significant strength, and if so, he has to think Dwan's on A2 or maybe TT.  Either hand has him crushed, so sticking around with a call, just doesn't seem to be his best option.  But what the fuck do I know? I play 1/2 !  

Barry is in more of a pickle.  He knows Dwan, a thinking multi-level player, could be making this play, well, with exactly what he has.  So Barry's flat I think at least is more defendable than Eastgate's, getting 4:1 at this point, and seeing if perhaps that slows Dwan down.

The Turn brings a 7, and Eastgate and Barry check...Dwan then bets 100k into a 130k pot (apprx).  What is his thought process?  Well, given the action on the flop, I think he knows without a doubt exactly what both Eastgate and Barry have!  After Eastgate checks and then flats the flop, he knows that he's probably got a weak duck.  Recall, this was a family pot. Since Dwan has a ten in his hand, it makes Tens Full very unlikely.  Barry having bet into the field on the flop, then calling his raise, makes his most likely holding a big pair.  To do this at the table is one thing, to watch the clip a billion time like I have, to draw my conclusions, is another.  That guy is just thinking on a completely different level!  

Then, to add insult to injury, after the hand is over, Eli says 'Barry folded the best hand', to which Dwan snap replies ' No, Peter folded the best hand', then proceeds to make a $2000 bet with Doyle!!!  " Thats Gold Jerry, Gold!!!!!"

If you haven't watch Season 5, which continues Sunday but with a bunch of new players, search on Youtube, they are all there. There are many other interesting hands, a couple involving monster pots, and yes, Durr's right in the middle of them all!

Best poker show on TV, period.

2BA