Get playing - open an account today for free offers!

Phil Ivey v Paul Jackson

29 October 2007

It is at this stage of the hand where Paul makes a move which probably is his undoing - he just minimum re-raises

Bluff met bluff at the Monte Carlo Millions when Phil Ivey and British player Paul 'Action Jack' Jackson were heads-up...

Last week in our strategy piece 'Be The Last Into The Pot' we mentioned a famous hand at the Monte Carlo Millions in 2005 involving Phil Ivey and Paul 'Action Jack' Jackson. You can watch the hand on youtube here.

This is one of the most extraordinary hands ever played - the skill and nerve of these two players really is a sight to behold. It has come down to two players in the Monte Carlo Millions 2005 tournament. Gambling legend Phil Ivey, arguably one of the greatest poker players ever, had a decent chip lead over Paul 'Action Jack' Jackson - a self taught pro from England who has dominated online MTTs over the last couple of years.

The hand

Blinds were 10,000/20,000 with an 8000 ante. Paul had around a million chips, Ivey had him covered by about two to one.

Paul limped in for 10,000 with 5d6c. Phil raises to 60,000 with Qh8h. Paul calls.

Flop is JhJc7c.

Phil bets 80,000. Jackson re-raises 90,000 to 170,000.

Phil re-raises 150,000 to 320,000. Paul re-raises another 150,000 to 470,000 leaving himself a stack of 380,000.

Phil thinks for a long while and announces all in. Paul quickly folds.

On the face of it this hand looks like Phil Ivey is using near telepathic powers to look right through Paul Jackson - but there is actually a lot going on under the surface. The first point that must be made is a basic, yet important one. The very best poker players are masters of extracting information. They gain information through bets, and this hand has a lot of betting in it, which in turn gives the players (particularly Phil Ivey) a pretty good idea of where they stand.

The pre flop action is pretty standard for two good players. Paul wants to see a flop cheaply with a couple of low connected cards, Phil, probably sensing weakness, wants to build the pot with two suited vaguely high cards - I’m sure also wants to keep the pressure on Paul.

Fair call

Paul calls the re-raise. This is a fair call; they both have decent stacks behind, and his hand had the potential to flop very well (imagine the flop came 56Q or 34Q - he may be have been able to double through with a well disguised two pair or draw). The only problem with simply calling is that Phil can now rule out quite a few hands. He probably can’t see Paul limp calling with any pocket pair, two high cards, or any ace. This leaves low connectors, one big one small hands (like K6 etc), and possibly any suited hand excluding those which have two cards above ten.

The flop comes JhJc7c. This is a very interesting flop for both players. It is both dangerous, yet frequently safe at the same time. This is a board that either player has probably hit very hard (flush draw, trip jacks, or two pair with sevens or better and jacks), or not at all.

Phil is obviously keen to keep the pressure on, take the pot away, and find out where he stands. He bets out 80,000 into a pot of 176,000. This bet probably means very little to Paul. He has been playing with Phil long enough to know that he is extremely aggressive and will nearly always follow up a pre flop raise with a flop bet - this bet actually gives no real information to Paul other than Phil is still at the table. As a result there is a good chance that Phil has missed the flop, so Paul re-raises 90,000 more to try and either take the pot away then and there, or set up a move for a later bet/street.

Maximum information

I’m sure Phil gains a lot of information from this bet - would Paul really value raise a flush draw or a seven? It seems more likely he would put in larger raises with these hands, hoping to build a pot that he can double through with, and get back in the game. Phil can also be nearly certain that Paul does not have a pair higher than sevens - that was ruled out pre-flop. This leaves either three jacks or complete air.

It is also worth noting that three jacks is probably at the back of Phil’s mind - the only hands that really fit the action so far would be very weak holdings like J4 (one big one small) etc - not really hands to call big pre flop raises with.

In the face of this Phil elects to re-raise and show he means business - betting another 150,000 and cranking up the pressure. It is at this stage of the hand where Paul makes a move which probably is his undoing - he just minimum re-raises.

This move really gives Phil a good idea of where he stands. Surely if Paul had a jack he would have moved all his chips in here - he has bet 150,000 of the 530,000 that he has left. Phil has raised pre flop, bet the flop, and re-raised a bet - what more does he have to do to show complete commitment to the pot? Nearly every player on the planet gets it in here with three of a kind after this sequence of play. Note that this raise also removes the slim chances that Paul could have had a seven or a flush draw - both these hands are going in after Phil re-raises. All this really leaves is air - no other group of hands gets played in this manner.

Strange play

Phil really smells a rat at this point - he is well aware how strange this play is from Paul. And after a long think comes to the conclusion (which is obviously at the front of his mind when he first re-raises) that Paul has no hand of any substance. He moves all in and Paul quickly folds; the hand cripples Paul and Phil goes on to win one of the richest tournaments in the world.

We can only wonder what Phil would have done if Paul had been ‘last in’ and moved all his chips into the middle instead of raising small on the final bet. It is possible Phil would have called, although we will probably never know (who knows what’s possible when that massive brain of Ivey’s gets going).

What we do know is that Phil really thought this hand through - you only have to look at the concentration on his face to see how much he is focussing on how this hand has played out. There is a lesson for all of us in this hand - really think about what’s going on. Phil comes to his conclusion through logic and concentration - not magic - and it’s something anyone can do if they have nerve and conviction.

What this hand also shows very well is that being the first player to get it all in when in a raising war means a huge amount when bluffing - had Paul gone all in on his final bet he would at least have removed the option for Phil to re-raise bluff him. Instead he crippled himself, allowing Phil that one extra chance - and he paid dearly for it.