Largest Cash Pots
Marcus Bateman
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Marcus Bateman /
17 July 2008 /
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This is a film clip of one of the largest cash pots ever seen on television.
It involves an interesting hand between WSOP main event winner Jamie Gold, and high stakes cash professional Patrick Antonius. Although the play of the hand itself is interesting, what I want to consider here is the body language and comments made by the players throughout the hand.
The first - and arguably most important - aspect of the hand is the comments Jamie Gold makes after looking down at his kings:
"Feels like aces. Wish it was aces. But it feels like aces".
This is quite a comment from Jamie Gold, and one which is immediately picked up by the players around him. Notice that Sammy Farha quickly tells him he has a problem with this hand when the action is folded around to him. Sammy Farha knows Gold has effectively told the table he has a big pair that isn't aces, is well aware of the skill level of Patrick Antonius, and of how damaging giving away information such as this can be later in the hand. As a result is quick to point out the trouble Gold could get into here.
Compare the slightly resigned looking Gold to the calm and still Antonius as he makes the call. Gold's behaviour in the hand up to this point is a near polar opposite too Antonius'. The effect of this huge disparity between the player's body language and comments has left Gold in the unenviable position of having very little knowledge of his opponent's hand, while leaving Antonius pretty sure of Gold's.
As the hand develops Gold continues to leak information. Contrast the timing and movement of each player during the bets that are made throughout the subsequent streets of the hand. At no point in the hand does Antonius change his posture, the amount of time he thinks about each decision, or his facial expression. Gold's behaviour continues to be a near total opposite: Shuffling nervously in his chair, counting out each of his bet sizes in a different way and at different speeds, and consistently changing his facial expression.
Between the comments at the start of the hand, Gold's bet sizes, and his behaviour on the turn, his hand might as well be face up to a player like Antonius. Jamie gives away a lot of tells in this hand that are easily avoidable - and Antonius ruthlessly exploits them.
There are two key lessons to learn from this hand. Firstly, do not fall into the trap of giving away unnecessary information at the table - it will cost you vast sums of money in the long run. Secondly, think carefully about the comments and behaviour of a player during a hand - often they will be giving out huge numbers of clues that can be used to establish where you stand in the hand. Now all you have to do is get that monster hand to stand up.
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