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 When
I first opened this website in November 2000, one of the first things I did was get a photo for the main page with my
friend, reigning World Series of Poker Champion, Chris Ferguson. I did this for two reasons. The first is the obvious
one of having the world champ on my site. The second is more obscure: in my poker life I have at one point or another
thought I "held over" exactly three players (holding over someone is to have abnormally good luck against them).
When I told this to two of those players they both said (I'm not making this up): "You don't hold over me."
So that is the pitiful limited nature of my "holdoverability". Chris is the third player in this cursed trifecta.
Back in 1994, Chris and I got head-up in a
Lowball tournament at the
Bicycle
Casino. We managed to get in that position by very different routes. Chris was the massive chip leader all night.
He could do no wrong, making hands, reading bluffs, making bluffs, everything worked. On the other hand, I was on fumes
for hours. At two tables, Chris was to my immediate right, raising almost every hand with his mountain of chips. Since
I only had a few chips in front of me, Chris' raising was a terrible problem. I was going to have to get a hand and show
down a winner -- no chance to steal the blinds, no chance to bluff, just show the best hand, and quick. But then when
we are six handed at our table, Chris folded a hand. Finally I could make a move. I looked down to find 88433 --
two pair is not exactly a Lowball dynamo. The big blind was two chips, and I only had five chips altogether. But the
two players in the blinds only had a few more chips than me, so I raised, hoping I might win the blinds, and if I was
put all-in at least I could split two pair (making it less likely I would pair and less likely my opponent would make
a hand since there was a good chance they would need one of my discards). To my disappointment, the big blind called me,
but he did not put me all in (I think he had three chips left). When the big blind drew one, I immediately switched
gears and decided to "snow" my hand by rapping pat. Since we were four players out of the money I figured
the big blind would not just throw away one of his three chips to see my hand, especially since I was (apparently)
playing very tight -- entirely due to Chris' constant raising and the putrid cards I was getting.
Sure enough, the big blind checked after the draw, I bet my pathetic lone chip into the pot, and was very relieved when my
opponent folded. Miami John Cernuto and Mike Sexton were watching the end of the tournament (from the rail...). John says:
"That has to be a six." Since I hadn't played any hands for so long they thought I had a monster. So I flipped over
my ratbag two pair. Sexton got a big kick out of John's backwards "read" and my from-out-of-left-field snow.
I managed to make the final table with a few chips. It wasn't until we were four handed that I wasn't the lowest stack
at the table. Finally I got head-up with Chris... and I had by far the best rush of cards in my life -- a five times
better rush than I ever had before or since. Four consecutive times it was my big blind Chris would raise, I would reraise
and draw one to wheel, make the wheel, then bet and get called by Chris. Four wheels in the big blind in a row! Besides
that I made two sixes, and had an obvious betting hand virtually every time. I'd bet, Chris would call, and I'd show some
ridiculously powerful hand. I never even got the chance to bluff! Chris' great fortune for the rest of the tournament
completely evaporated. I won virtually every hand.
Chris Ferguson: the solitary universe of poker players I hold over! Too bad poker doesn't have more World Champion,
computer science PhDs for me to beat up on... :)
-- Steve Badger
Chris is a consultant for and plays at
Full Tilt Poker. Also see Shirley Rosario's
Chris Ferguson profile.
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