Poker Highlights

I was watching the World Series of Poker on ESPN yesterday was simply amazed at just how cruel the evil Mistress of Poker can be.

Actor Oliver Hudson--son of Goldie Hawn, brother to Kate Hudson—entered this year's World Series of Poker with great optimism but terrible luck.

In the very first hand of the very first game on the very first day of the Main Event held at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, Oliver Hudson became the very personification of the notion that "luck beats skill" in poker. Of course, as Sam Farha proved, it's even better to be skilled AND lucky.

Here's how the hand played out for Hudson:
- Hudson was dealt pocket 10s in a game that the blinds are 25 and 50. He raises to 450.
- Farha calls. Perhaps Hudson was thinking Farha also had a pocket pair.
- The flop comes out Ace, Ace, 10. WOW! Hudson flops a full house!
- Thinking Farha probably has an Ace or a Ten in his hole for a set or two pair which his own full boat can still easily beat, Hudson goes and bets $300 more to slow play Farha into wasting more money.
- Sam Farha raised another $1000!
- Hudson was delighted. He goes ALL IN to force Farha into a tough situation. That's $10,000 of his starting stack on the first hand! Hudson figures he will double-up on the first hand while eliminating past champion Sammy Farha.
- Farha calls and flips his cards.

Oh, Mistress of Poker, you are cruel indeed.
Farha shows an Ace 10 for a full house; Aces over 10s to beat Hudsons 10s over Aces!