Readers of a undeniable age may recall an American radio personality of the prior generation named Paul Harvey. He had a syndicated radio "column" called "THE REMAINDER OF the tale". He would lead with some roughly story that was mildly interesting, then have a commercial break. After the commercial, he'd come again and provides you the punch line, twist, or some strange or bizarre aspect of the entire deal. Like he'd speak about some guy who did this thing, that thing, achieved this accomplishment, after which Harvey would come again after the economic and say "Oh by the way, this guy have been blind since birth."
One of the thrill things about being on the PCA is running into people who find themselves often in a position to provde the "remainder of the tale" about all things poker. For instance, I DISCOVERED myself in a tournament floor chat with Jan Heitmann, a member of Team PokerStars Pro and a stupendously nice guy ("I'm sufficiently famous in Germany that statistically I must be recognized at the subway about once every four years. It hasn't actually happened yet, but I BELIEVE that's my expectation").
Here's the tale that Jan told us...
As you will be aware, the finals of the arena Cup of Poker are run annually here on the PCA. Jan was present at (and marginally fascinated with) not just probably the most famous slowroll in World Cup history, however the most famed slowroll in PCA history, and positively one of the vital famous slowrolls in poker.
Here's the scenario: on the 2010 World Cup of Poker, Luca Pagano, the team captain for Italy, open-raises in late position with 6-2 offsuit. Now Sascha Cornils, playing for Team Germany, wakes up with pocket aces and, not surprisingly, re-raises. Unfortunately for Canada, their representative, Darus Suharto (a November Nine alum), finds pocket kings within the small blind. After a temporary analysis to ensure he can get everybody's chips in, he shoves all-in.
So far, so good.
Luca, it have to be noted, takes his sweet Mediterranean time to fold his trash, staring both other players down as though looking to get a read ("Hmmm. Are they beating six-high?"). But he does eventually fold.
This is where things turn interesting.
Cornils, holding aces, snap calls, turns up his hand, and fist-pumps, right?
Well, no. He freezes for a moment, looks confused, after which turns and frantically signals to his teammates (including Hauptmann Heitmann) that he needs a time-out (WCP teams are permitted a undeniable selection of these).
Jan, of course, officially requests a time-out from tournament director Neil Johnson, and the team goes backstage to confer.
Now, in case you haven't heard this story, you can also not believe it. Fortunately, it's permanently recorded on the net here.
As you watch the video, you will see the German team go off-stage and feature an animated discussion. Within the meantime, the television announcers, who can see the cards, are flipping out, crying etiquette foul and so forth.
When the German team returns, Conils calls and flips up his aces. The group goes completely berserk. Canadian Suharto, who obviously felt his kings were golden (given Cornils' hesitancy), actually laughs in confusion and semi-disgust.
Despite the crowd's almost unanimous calling for a king at the flop (or maybe better, the river), the aces get up and Germany doubles through Canada.
Now, for the remainder of story.
Jan, who was within the center of the entire action, explained to me what happened. Cornils was a freeroll qualifier to the arena Cup of Poker. He was a particularly inexperienced poker player who managed to win his way onto the team; it seems that luck does play an occasional part within the poker world.
Subsequent to winning his seat, he had studied up to he could about tournament poker. Somewhere in there, he had learned that it'd be correct to fold aces preflop. Don't tell me you have not heard the quiz before: "IT IS THE first hand of the WSOP main event, you locate aces at the big blind, and everyone goes all-in before you. Do you call?"
Furthermore, there are occasions when it's clearly mathematically correct to fold aces preflop on or near the bubble of a satellite where finishing (e.g.) 18th is similar to finishing 1st.
Poor Sascha Corlis finds himself focused on the pot of his life, with TV cameras looking at him, a complete crowd watching every move he makes, and his Team Germany teammates holding their breath to peer what he does.
Can anybody blame him for using a timeout that costs him (and his team) almost nothing?
Now, being a poker player, I'm naturally suspicious (up to I trust Jan Heitmann). But two things strongly incline me to believe the "Confused novice" explanation.
1. Look on the re-raise that Corlis puts in over Pagano's original raise. It's almost a min-raise which (as Neil Channing points out at the video) might be worse than either a flat call or a considerable three-bet.
2. Go back and watch the video at 1:35. Darus Suharto (the Canadian with the kings) asks for a chip count from Corlis - he desires to ensure that if he shoves, Corlis is just about forced to name together with his whole range. Now watch Corlis count his chips. This isn't the counting process of a veteran poker player. He's literally counting the chips two at a time (thus explaining the extended period it takes for him to get a count).
I'll let Jan Heitmann pick up the tale here:
"So we get backstage and i am thinking that if he has queens we will have to fold, and we'll probably call if he has kings.Now he tells us he has aces and all of us freak out. All of us say 'You totally must call!' He says, 'Should I delay before calling once I get back?' I say 'No - here's what will happen: you will return there, immediately call and switch up your hand within the same breath. Then I WILL buy beer for the Canadian team."
In short, it was a honest novice misunderstanding that happened at just about the worst possible moment. Jan Heitmann did, in fact, buy a few pitchers of beer for the Canadian team, which smoothed over diplomacy and everyone had fun (and a dynamite tale to tell).
So there's one more great cause of you to return to the PCA - where you'll learn...the remainder of the story.
***
Lee Jones first joined PokerStars in 2003 and have been fascinated by the pro poker world for over 25 years.
Lee can also be on the PCA presenting a poker seminar, hosting Q&A sessions with PokerStars Team Pros, and answering any questions that our players and guests have. Follow him on Twitter (@leehjones) to get details about what he's doing at PCA and where you'll meet him.
Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: World Cup of Poker]
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