WCOOP 2008 The H.O.R.S.E. whisperer

for PokerStarsblog.com on September 17, 2008

Riding the game.

Horses are not a new love to me. I spend my entire life in wellington boots on a ranch. No wonder that I prefer H.O.R.S.E games at the poker table.

You think that doesn’t add up?

If you want to train a horse. it´s all about knowing your opponent. You have to be quick in responding new situations. You need to be flexible and able to change gears. And last but not least: you must stay cool, no matter what comes. This is very similar to the action at the poker table.

In WCOOP Event # 18, more than 2000 horses saddled up. Mixed games have become extremely popular. It was not really a surprise that the field became that big. This year at the WSOP the non-hold’em games were particularly popular. It looks a little bit like a lot of players are tired of getting of holding only two cards in their hands.

Not unlike real horse sports, the WCOOP stable was filled with some really experienced racing horses who know how the wind blows on turf, and also by some wild and frenetic broncos with an eye on the win. Some of these youngsters with courage and a heart of a winner are sometimes able to beat an old hand.

But not on this Sunday.

The start signal was given and I picked up very nice and chatty tables. After a few hours of play, we all got hungry and were trying to figure out to get some food via e-mail. After 11 hours on the turf my race was over and I had to go back to stable, finishing 48th.

Because a horse could not fall asleep promptly after running that long I watched the final table and found a familiar name: Sensor.

I played with him a long time at the same table. All night long I was really impressed by his style: patience paired with a very good feeling for the right spots. Never on tilt – no goofy plays – very cool, no matter what came. Chapeau and congratulations again to you, Sensor. You are the real horse whisperer!