For the last few hours, I parked myself at the rail between tables 17 and 19 in the Amazon Room. I assigned myself the task of railbirding (yes, I just made up that word) the man who has won more money in poker than any other: Chip Reese. I’d heard from many people that Chip isn’t a flashy player. He’s quiet and steady and all but immune from tilt. Howard Lederer once commented that Reese makes the decisions his opponents would rather not see every single time. When he said this, Howard smiled in a way that spoke to both his respect for Chip and the exasperation that Reese has caused him over the years.
In the hours that I watched him, Chip was quiet and steady and tight. Chip’s table included Johnny Chan, Brandon Adams, Howard Lederer, and Jim Bechtel, and no one seemed too eager to get out of line. Chip chose his moments well. When a player unknown to me and the rest of the poker media (i.e., he seemed a little fishy) raised in early position in limit hold ‘em, Reese reraised from the button, and then took the pot with a bet on a raggy flop.
Just a little while later, Reese raised from early position and was called by the same unknown who was on the button. The flop came down Ah-Jc-3h. Chip bet, and was raised. He called and then check-called the turn and river. Reese’s pocket Queens took the pot against his opponents King-high flush draw.
For the rest of the day, it was hard to get a line on Chip. He didn’t show down many hands. My notes show only one hand where he called a river bet (in Seven Stud) and was shown a better hand.
What I found most notable about Chip’s play was the ease with which he went about his play. There were no drawn-out decisions. He acted quickly and without any display of emotion. As you might expect, he behaved like a seasoned professional.
Contrast this display with demeanor of Tuan Le, who sat at an adjacent table with Eli Elezra, Chad Brown, Cyndy Violette, and others. Tuan, one of the more successful no-limit hold ‘em specialists, is fit, with defined biceps. He wears a scowl most of the time, and in no-limit, he pushes his chips with abandon. There’s no doubt that the intimidating air works for him in most tournaments. People are scared to deal with him without a serious hand.
But today, the scowl-enhanced re-raise in limit hold ‘em seems a little silly, especially when he he’s forced to reveal Ac-5c at showdown. Sure, he managed to get lucky in one hand, hitting a flush on the river. But one can only imagine that Brown, Elezra, and Violette where happy enough to see Tuan giving this kind of action with Ace-rag in Limit Hold ‘em.
Later, Tuan lost his I’ll-fuck-you-up scowl when the game moved to Omaha-Hi/Lo. The poor guy was pretty clearly confused on several decisions and seemed to be passively throwing in chips in the pot without any clear idea of what good could come from his donations. In one massive four-way pot, Tuan was caught in a whipsaw: Brown betting in front of him, Elezra raising behind, and Tuan threw in his chips, looking beleaguered and bewildered. Imagine your high-school bully competing in the Spelling B, and you’ll have a good idea of the expression I’m talking about.
In a hand shortly thereafter, Le played a pot that was capped three-way on the flop then went for two bets on the turn. On the river, when it was between he and Eleza once again, Tuan hemmed and hawed, considering the call. Finally, he folded. It’s hard to believe any reasonable hand could be properly folded at that point, given the size of the pot.
The no-limit specialists won’t last long here. More to come as tables consolidate.
