When working for Pokernews one spends countless hours in cardrooms, casinos and the like. We thought we'd seen it all when it comes to tournaments. Until now.
Two of the flatscreens in the tournament area are showing the Christmas classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Yep, the old claymation special from the 60s narrated by Burl Ives that every generation since has watched countless times.
Crazier still is that not a single player has complained about it and some are watching. Even poker players aren't immune to the Christmas spirit.
We found this hand at the river with pot near 10,000 already built. The board showed and Matt Keikoan was heads up in the small blind. He checked and his opponent, on the button, bet 6,075.
Keikoan leaned back in his chair, counted out calling chips and was deep in thought. After a few tense moments Keikoan tossed in the call and his opponent wasn't ready to show his cards. Keikoan tabled and his opponent mucked.
Beth Shak, who is seated at the same table, was wowed that neither had a flush or straight. The others at the table agreed and Shak said, "This is why I'm having to play a second time."
Rex Clinkscales limped in from early position, and two opponents followed suit behind him. A fourth player raised to 475, Clinkscales re-raised to 1,500, and only the raiser called.
The two checked every street as the board ran , and Clinkscales' opponent opened up . Clinkscales mucked, and is now down below 12,000.
When we reached the table, the flop had already been dealt: . A player in the small blind led for 850, another player in the big blind called, and so too did Michael "The Hugginator" Hug in late position. The turn was the , and the player in the small blind checked. The player in the big blind fired 2,000, and only Hug called.
The completed the board, and the player in the big blind fired 2,500. Hug chose to muck his hand, and is now back down to starting stack.
Dave Inselberg had an opponent all in and at risk with the board reading . Inselberg's was ahead of his opponent's , and held when the completed the board.
After the hand, James Boyle bid the gentleman goodbye, but received no response.
"He was a liar anyway," Boyle said. He then pointed to a few players at the table saying, "he's a liar" to each, and one player found this offensive, calling the floor. "I didn't call him a liar," Boyle pleaded once the floor arrived.
Thankfully, the situation was resolved rather quickly, and the cards are back in the air.
If you've ever met Chris Tryba in a tournament then you're bound to be his friend. He is one of the more colorful personalities on the circuit and has the game to back it up. We spent an entire orbit with Tryba to see how he operates.
Hand 1 - In the big blind he folds on the river to a board full of rags and when he saw the winning hand he remarked, "Nice bet, you had the second best hand." He muttered something about a "cock sandwich."
Hand 2 - In the small blind he folded preflop. He sipped his hot tea and popped a new toothpick in his mouth.
Hand 3 - On the button he called 150 and six players were in the pot. The flop came and action checked around. The turn came and action checked around to him. He bet 700, everybody folded and he took the pot.
Hand 4 - From the cutoff he raised to 950 after an early position player opened for 425. His opponent called and the flop came . Both players checked and the turn came . He bet 1,500 and his opponent folded. Tryba showed and took the pot.
He also switched from tea to Red Bull on ice when a server delivered his drink mid-hand.
Hand 5 - Tryba opens for 400 and takes the pot.
Hand 6 - He folded preflop and ditched his toothpick.
Hand 7 - From under the gun (table is eight-handed) he opened for 375. An opponent he's friendly with folded face up. Tryba gave him grief asking why he folded and said, "Phil Hellmuth gave me the worst bad beat of my life with eight-four suited. It was in my first $10,000 buy in tournament."
He did gain a call and the flop came out with three nines. He bet and his opponent folded.
Hand 8 - From the big blind he called a bet of 550 from the player on the button. The flop came , Tryba checked and his opponent bet 1,150. Tryba folded and his opponent flashed a queen.
Hand 9 - He folded his small blind preflop after an opening raise of 375.
![[user196975]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Matt Keikoan was heads up in the small blind. He checked and his opponent, on the button, bet 6,075.
and his opponent mucked.
, and Clinkscales' opponent opened up 
. Clinkscales mucked, and is now down below 12,000.
, and the player in the small blind checked. The player in the big blind fired 2,000, and only Hug called.
completed the board, and the player in the big blind fired 2,500. Hug chose to muck his hand, and is now back down to starting stack.
was ahead of his opponent's 
, and held when the 
completed the board.
. Both players checked and the turn came 
and took the pot.
face up. Tryba gave him grief asking why he folded and said, "Phil Hellmuth gave me the worst bad beat of my life with eight-four suited. It was in my first $10,000 buy in tournament."
, Tryba checked and his opponent bet 1,150. Tryba folded and his opponent flashed a queen.