Bluffing is your poker player’s bread and butter. However faking your hand is one of the riskiest (if not most satisfying) ways of controlling the outcome. These pros know what the term poker face really means. We give you the best bluffs of all time to learn some tricks and tips…
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Phil Ivey vs. Paul Jackson
During the 2005 Monte Carlo Millions, ten-time WSOP bracelet winner Paul Ivey beat Paul Jackson in this incredible bluff versus bluff hand. This was the largest prize pool European poker had ever seen — $3 million, with $1 million going to the victor.
This game, between Ivey and British player Jackson, is considered to be one of the best poker hands ever televised. Ivey’s Q♥ 8♥ and Jackson’s 6♠ 5♦ bluffed against each other.
In the final hand, Jackson went all-in with Q♥ J♥ and Ivey called with K♣ Q♦. Neither player managed to improve the 10♥ 6♣ 9♣ 2♠ 5♠ deck and Ivey again managed to trump Jackson’s bluff.
Tom Dwan vs. Barry Greenstein
This is one of the biggest bluffs in TV poker history! Filmed as part of the no-limits High Stakes Poker TV series,Tom Dwan and Barry Greenstein went head to head over $900,000.
Originally raised by fellow player Peter Eastgate with , Greenstein re-raised to $15,000 with , and Dwan calling with
The final card turn was Q, meaning Dwan won with three Queens, beating Greenstein’s two pair of Aces and Queens.
Dwan won the pot of $919,600. No sweat.
Scotty Nguyen vs. Humberto Brennes
Viewed as one of the world’s best ever poker bluffs, Scotty Nguyen royally pulled one over on Humberto Brennes at the 1993 WSOP competition. Brennes’
Nguyen said: “This is gonna be the greatest move I ever made” — and it certainly was.
Special highlights have to be Brennes’ fluoro shellsuit, plus the commentator’s phrase: “I can’t believe this, he’s betting $100,000 on cards the Salvation Army would reject.”
Chris Moneymaker vs. Sam Farha
One of the best poker bluffs of all time was by Chris Moneymaker at the 2003 WSOP championship. Moneymaker (taken from his family’s German name Nurmacher) was working as an accountant when he won a seat to the WSOP 2003 event. It was his first live poker tournament.
Farha didn’t think he was up against a strong opponent and Moneymaker took that opportunity to strike. Moneymaker went all in with king high and bluffed so well that Farha folded with a pair of nines.
After winning the WSOP Main Event, Moneymaker quickly quit his job to be a professional player and write his biography.
From bluffs to bad beats, check out these forehead-smackingly tragic bad poker beats.
