Bernd Gleissner moved all in after looking at his cards.
Mostafa Haidary slowly peeled back his cards, and then turned to his supporters on the rail.
“This is it, guys,” Haidary said.
Haidary then quickly made the call to put Gleissner at risk.
Bernd Gleissner: A♦J♣
Mostafa Haidary: A♥Q♠
Haidary’s rail erupted in cheers when they saw the tabled hands.
Haidary was ahead and it remained that way when the dealer fanned 5♥2♣2♥ on the flop, and the 2♠ on the turn kept Haidary in the lead.
The dealer placed K♠ on the river, and Haidary’s rail yelled out in celebration. Then, they realized it was a chopped pot and Haidary and Gleissner laughed.
Earlier this year on an ordinary Monday afternoon, a bespectacled man walked into the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop on Las Vegas Blvd. Tucked under his arm was an uninteresting box that only he knew contained something rather interesting – a pair of gold watches dating back more than 40 years.
These were not your run-of-the-mill wristwear, but rather evidence of a unique and often overlooked time of poker history, a year when the World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet, now the game’s highest accolade, was replaced in favor of watches.
1982 WSOP watches
The man holding the box was David Sklansky, who in 1978 forever changed poker by advocating a mathematical approach to the game in his groundbreaking book The Theory of Poker. Nicknamed “The Mathematician,” he proved his prowess just four years later when he won two WSOP tournaments in five days.
First, he won the 1982 WSOP Event #7: $800 Mixed Doubles Limit Seven Card Stud, a tournament that paired one man with one woman, alongside Dani Kelly, and followed that up by taking down Event #12: $1,000 Limit 5-Card Draw High. A year later, the Binions reverted back to the beloved bracelets players know today, and Sklansky captured his third piece of WSOP hardware by winning Event #11: $1,000 Limit Omaha.
It was a remarkable accomplishment, and for more than four decades he’s kept safe the evidence of his victories, both of which still worked. So, why was Sklansky carrying his 1982 WSOP gold watches, two of only 15 ever awarded, into a pawn shop? Well, he was looking to sell them of course, but not to just any of the dozens of pawn shops spread across Las Vegas. Oh no, he was walking into arguably the most famous pawn shop in the world, the home to the wildly popular television show Pawn Stars, and he was there to do it with cameras rolling.
The action between Bernd Gleissner and Mostafa Haidary slowed after the break, as both players took turns winning pots with preflop raises.
But one hand eventually went to the river.
The board read 10♥2♠6♣6♠ on the turn, and Haidary bet 500,000, which drew a quick call from Gleissner.
The river produced the 9♣, and Haidary sized up to a 2,100,000 bet.
Gleissner leaned forward and tilted his head as he looked at the board. He then made the call, which resulted in Haidary patting the table as he mucked his hand.
Bernd Gleissner raised to 1,400,00 from the small blind. Haidary moved all in and had Gleissner covered. Eventually, Gleissner found the call and both players revealed their hands.
Bernd Gleissner: Q♦9♦
Mostafa Haidary: 10♦10♠
The board ran out Q♠8♠2♠9♥3♣ for Gleissner to take the pot.
Mostafa Haidary raised to 800,000 and Bernd Gleissner called.
The dealer fanned Q♣K♥7♦ on the board, and Haidary fired 500,000, which Gleissner called.
The turn brought the 2♣ on the board and fireworks.
Haidary sized up to a 2,300,000 bet, resulting in Gleissner moving all in. Haidary immediately called his remaining 14,975,000 to put himself at risk.
Mostafa Haidary: K♣7♣
Bernd Gleissner: J♣10♣
Both players had large pieces of the board, but Haidry’s two pair remained in the lead. The 8♥ on the river gave Haidry the hand and he pulled back a chunk of chips he previously lost to Gleissner.
