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BLUFFING
The 1978 no-limit hold 'em world championship at the Horseshoe
in Las Vegas came down to a battle between owlish Bobby
Baldwin of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and sartorial real-estate magnate
Crandall Addington of San Antonio, Texas. An hour before
the championship ended. Addington had $275,000, and Baldwin,
about half as much - $145,000. Among the gamblers along
the rail Addington was the clear favorite, but then came
the hand that turned everything around. Acting first, Baldwin
bet before the flop, and Addington called. Baldwin pushed
in another $30,000 worth of chips, perhaps chasing a straight
or a diamond flush. Then again he might have had a pair
of queens. But Addington promptly called the $30,000. Obviously
he had a good hand himself.
On fourth street the ace of diamonds fell - a scary-looking
card - and by that time there was $92,000 in the pot. Slowly
and deliberately Baldwin pushed in one $10,000 stack of
chips, then another and another, until there were nine stacks
in the center of the table. Finally, with something of a
flourish, Baldwin placed a short stack of $5,000 on top
of the others. He was making a $95,000 bet, leaving himself
almost broke.
Addington deliberated for a long time. He glanced at the
stack of chips, and then at Baldwin for some clue. Was the
kid bluffing? If Addington called the bet and won, Baldwin
would be just about tapped out. If he called the bet and
lost, Baldwin would take a commanding lead. Was the kid
bluffing or not? Addington decided he wasn't and threw away
his hand. As Baldwin raked in the $92,000 pot, he made sure
to flash his two hole cards in Addington's direction. They
are the Worthless. Baldwin had indeed been bluffing. Addington
seemed to get rattled, and an hour later Baldwin won all
the chips and became the 1978 poker champion of the world.
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