World Series of Poker

Whether you’re playing on PKR poker or watching poker, one of the most exciting moments possible is when two monster hands go head to head and neither side gives. Usually, you’re lucky to catch something like this live when it happens, but it’s almost as fun to relive it after the fact.

Such was the case during a 2008 WSOP hand between players 27-year-old Justin Phillips and Mabuchi. We enter the game with the hand already fully dealt. Community cards are Ace hearts, nine clubs, Queen diamonds, 10 diamonds and Ace diamonds.

In this game for some reason, we don’t get to see the players hidden cards, and thus aren’t able to follow along with full knowledge of the outcome. Sometimes a little surprise can be pretty sweet.

After a little back and forth, Mabuchi splashes the pot worse than I’ve ever seen on his forceful, statement all-in bet. Phillips calls, and just as quickly as the cards are flipped you see the check mark appear onscreen next to Phillips name. He’s holding a royal flush and in dramatic form took down Mabuchi’s four aces.

Mabuchi is beyond disgusted, as I would be, throwing his cards and shaking his head in disbelief and unimaginable frustration.

I think it was so frustrating for him because he played it exactly how he was supposed to. Even with a full house instead of four aces, you have to commit everything. Doesn’t matter what round, doesn’t matter how high-profile the tournament, those are the hands to win big on an all-in. It just so happened that his opponent had a better big-time hand, and after winning he certainly let him know it.

I’m not super familiar with Phillips, but he set up with headphones, a wife beater, and after the hand was mugging for the cameras with fist pumps and muscle shots. Nothing like adding insult to injury.

There’s something to be said for etiquette, especially if you’re not an established star. A reputation like that can stick with you. You also shouldn’t celebrate like it’s the winning table that early in the tournament – him and everyone else could be shaking hands and walking out within the hour themselves. That’s not to say poker can’t benefit from a little infusion of NASCAR, I just found it off-putting. And, as we all know, he didn’t win the tournament, so the celebration was, in fact, obviously premature.