Game Geek Beats Out Poker Champ at E3 2005

Sounds like a major accomplishment…don’t it?

Annie Duke,
2004’s World Series of Poker champ, the world’s first female champ was
on hand at Los Angeles’ Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) to promote
Crave’s World Championship Poker game for the Xbox and Playstation 2.
Members of the media were invited to take on the champ in a 30 minute
round of No Limit Hold Em. Yours truly was granted a seat across from
the steely eyed, ruthless mother of 4. We were joined by four
additional players, including two developers from Blizzard
Entertainment.

As we began each player was given $7,000 in
chips and seated at a beautifully felted table. Cards were dealt to
determine the dealer position and the game began. I decided to take a
page from Maverick and
not bother to go hard into any hands, but instead to see if the lights
and sounds of the Expo around us made it harder for people to conceal
their tells. Since we only had a half hour, I let 3 hands go by and
observe the other players. I think Annie may have suspected my
intentions, because she was doing the same.

On the next hand,
I was in the $400 blind and dealt an Ace / 10 suited. Not a great hand,
but I was already in and with no raises I was gonna see the flop
regardless. Wham! Flush on the flop. I’m not goin anywhere when Annie
drops in 2 grand and scares everyone else out. I figure I’ll use her
professional status against her and let her try to intimidate me, not
knowing my experience of the game. Turn card is a Jack of Diamonds.
Makes no difference to me, I’ve got my club flush.

Up till
now Annie has been really talkative to her neighbors, relating stories
of the championship and her mentors. Now she’s silent. Bingo.. she’s
got something. Maybe trips, or two pair. She raises another thousand
and I call, still playing the amateur angle.

River shows a 7
of hearts. Chatty Kathy starts up with her neighbors again. I figure
she’s not too happy with it. Bet is to her again and she doesn’t
hesitate to push her remaining chips to the center. All in. The small
crowd that has gathered to watch ushers up lots of “oohs” and “aaahs”.
She’s trying to scare me out. Not happening. I get the official amount
and discover I’ll still have a thousand or so to spare so quickly call
her.

I flip my Ace high flush as she reveals a busted
straight, but a pair of Jacks to back it up. Ballsy move on her part,
but I called her bluff and took the pot. Nice little chunk of fake
bucks. Rounds of applause erupt and I get a few pats on the back from
spectators. She congratulates me from across the table and motions to
the other players “There’s the one at the table to watch, not me”.

In the end, I lost a chunk with pocket kings and came in second place
chip leader, but that’s the true story of how I de-throned the Queen of
Poker.

Some images courtesy of http://www.annieduke.com/