[Toddy]

At Harrah’s Lake Tahoe Casino in Nevada, the World Series of Poker circuit event had reached the final table, and nine players faced each other in the traditional game of No-Limit Texas Hold’em. The pressure of the final table is a mixed bag, with the elation of making the cut mixing poorly with the nervousness of playing against eight other sharks under the lights and cameras. Tommy Reed, normally cool under fire, illustrated the stress all the players should have been feeling with a very odd play.

Three players stayed in this particular hand, Jonathan Schecter, Tommy Reed and David Pham.

Pham’s hole cards were: QQ







He confidently bet 18,000 in chips. Reed was next. He took a peek at his pair of Tens:







…and called. Schecter also called, with his pocket cards: 6d7d







...perhaps feeling either a straight or a flush coming on the Flop. The Flop was: 7cAdJd







Schecter almost had his flush and everyone had a pair. While Pham had the pair of ladies, he apparently didn’t feel strong enough to raise; he checked, as did his two opponents. The Turn brought: Tc







And suddenly Reed had the best hand with a set of Tens. Pham was first to act; he again checked, showing signs of weakness to Reed, who was next to act.

It was at this point things began to seem odd in Reed’s manner of play. With trips and a weak check in front of him, he should have raised, but instead, he checked.

Now Schecter saw weakness and, although he had yet to hit his flush, decided to come on strong with a bet of 30,000. Much to his chagrin, Pham called.

This would have been the perfect time for a re-raise for Reed. Inexplicably, he shrugged his shoulders and folded.

While the commentators struggled to understand this move, the River card was: 3s







Schecter tried to bluff with a big bet, but was foiled when Pham called All In.

Pham won the pot as Shcecter folded, but the camera was on Reed, who leaned over to seat mate Phil Ivey and bared his soul:

“I screwed up,” he said.
Ivey asked, “An ace?”
Reed shook his head. “Three tens.”
The word passed along the table, and no one seemed willing to believe he had tossed a set of tens. Reed probably couldn’t believe it himself