I wish to share this poker hamd and see if anyone has any incredible hands they may have observed or played.

I do this in part to give additional honor to an old poker pro and friend who the Almighty recently called home.

The greatest poker play I have ever observed was by an older long time poker professional who played all forms of
poker in brick and mortar cash games as well as anyone. I had the privilege of being permitted to observe his play. The following hand is from my witnessing the play of an older man who believed in the necessity of overall poker study, but as he became older said study mostly bores him. He (perhaps wrongly?) did not believe GTO method of play was either optimal or necessary. He did not study through any solver or computer, stating he will play as he does through observing others at the table and the play of hands; adding that persons playing today dont seem to have altered much from previous play, adding that his method and style is the way he will play for the rest of his life.

2-5 NL holdem

A new player comes to the table, he is wearing a rolex watch and fancy jewelry. He sits down in a 9 handed game in position UTG +1. He asks the max buy in (1000$) buys the max and replies he want to take the hand now rather than wait for the blind to pass. Hero is on the button.

First hand newer player UTG +1 puts in a 25$ chip and says raise, it was unclear if he had yet looked as his cards.

2 MP position players call
Hero (Bttn) has 45hh and calls (1000 eff), others fold (102$ pot after rake)

Flop J23 rb but one heart
Raiser bets 60$
MP calls
MP calls
Hero calls (pot 282)

Turn 7h

check
check
check
Hero $180

UTG+1 calls
others fold

(pot 642)

River Jc (Js 3h 2c 7h)

UTG +1 moves all in for his remaining 736$

Hero has 5 high...and I watch him think for about 15 seconds, then as he is counting his chips, accidentally(??) knocks some over, but counts out 50 and puts stacks of 100 into the pot counting them out as he called. He takes his time putting his stacks of chips into the pot while he watches this new player then throw his hand into the muck. Later he told me he could not think of any hand that player could have other than no pair, and that he purposely knocked some chips to give him time to count and put them into the pot while doing so. It was a risk, as the man could have shown, but from observing the type of person and his flashy demeanor, believing this man would not wish to be embarrassed showing such poor cards, he made a strong poker judgement. A few regs/pros I know think this man is an idiot to have done this absent more knowledge about the player. I want to know what real pros think of this

I have none of that ability or courage in me yet to call with a hand that cannot possibly win and believing my instincts about the person will prevail. Maybe someday(?) but this in my mind is the greatest poker play I have ever had the privilege to witness!! Regardless of favorable or unfavorable responses, this very fine much older true professional poker player passed away a few months ago, and will be greatly missed.

So he gave him the old “slow call”. Brilliant and gutsy. Yes, one of the all time creative plays.

I'm so confused. So he called with 4 high and.... wat?

The bettor mucked his hand before the old man had even finished calling, because bettor was bluffing and old man was making such a slow, methodical call, that bettor believed he had to have been beat.

It's called a "bluff call" and many experienced players, including myself, have used it. It's rare and this is the first time I've heard of it being used with an unknown on their first hand.

I vaguely recall one of the pros like Negreanu, Esfandiari, or Hellmuth using it.

The best poker play of all time is the triple check raise. I am not impressed with this story.

Only seen it twice. Once in a 3/6 limit game and the victim was a moron. Second, the "victim" had the nuts.