All In with a K4?

Usually late night television holds no appeal for me, especially since we’ve relocated to Europe.  I couldn’t sleep, and didn’t feel like logging on to my favorite online poker room, so when I happened upon a re-play of  last November’s Partouche Poker Tournament telecast, I decided to sit down, have a brandy and watch again how this one turns out.

The Partouche Poker Tour is the biggest orgainized poker event in France.  With over 2,460 ‘Satellite’ tournaments, it was fun watching the winners of the second level ‘Super Satellites’ take a seat in the Partouche Main Event.  With a €1.3 million prize, the tour ended with the final heads up match at the beautiful Palm Beach Casino in Cannes.

The champ, Vanessa Selbst was seated at the final table with six other players when I settled in to watch. I quickly became fascinated with Ibrahim Raouf, who went in under the gun with 4S-6C.  Totally bluffing.  I could not get over his ability to just crack his opponent’s tough veneer with a long hard stare, making them wonder what he had, if they could beat him.  He was so good at it!  And sure enough, after calling, then betting, then raising and even re-raising, he got his opponents, one by one to drop and fold leaving him to rake in the huge €250,000 pot with nothing in his hand.  Finally after the cards were re-shuffled and the next hand was about to be dealt he looks over at the last one to fold and says, “Yeah, I didn’t have a thing.”

As the remaining players one by one put all-in and lost, it was down to Selbst and Raphael Kroll.  Heads up play was mediocre at best with Kroll taking down the first few pots.  On the fifth hand Selbst picked up pocket queens and Kroll had a K4.  She opened and bet high and then Kroll went all-in.  All in?  With a K4?  I just couldn’t believe it.  A K4?  Pre-flop.  His face showed it all as the cards were flipped over.  He knew it.  He had three outs, the remaining kings.  The odds were against him this time.

I went to bed wondering why the hell he went all-in with a K4 at the final table with €1.3 million at stake.  I’ll bet you that even he doesn’t know.