Taunting the Bull

In the first of ESPN's WSOP broadcasts, they have a talented final table including Scott Fishman and Dave "DevilFish" Ulliot. There is an interesting hand early on where an early position player raises, Fishman smooth calls on the button with 8-8, and DevilFish comes over the top all-in (a slightly more than pot-sized raise) with K-K. DevilFish works hard for the call too, putting off some interesting weak tells, and Fishman is certain that his eights are best, but he eventually mucks.

Now here's the interesting part: DevilFish, for some reason, WANTS Fishman to think that he just made a bad laydown - that DevilFish put a move on him. Although DevilFish briefly states later that he had a good hand, he says it in a way that I thought Fishman interpreted to be patronizing. Why am I mentioning this? Fishman is a tough, smart, aggressive player - I don't know why DevilFish would want to put him in a vengeful mood - why he'd want Fishman gunning for him.

Fishman is not the type of player who would crumble and go on tilt from making this laydown of pocket eights incorrectly (although it was indeed correct) - but I get the feeling that he is the type of player who will aggressively look for an opportunity to stick one to Devilfish. Fishman gets his chance very shortly thereafter when everyone folds to him in the SB. He limps with a rag hand - 9-5 offsuit or something, and Devilfish makes a pot sized raise with the same hand. Fishman comes back over the top with a pot-sized re-raise and takes it down, showing his hand after DevilFish concedes and shows his own cards. Watching at home, it seemed to me that Fishman was saying "Don't fuck with me - I'm no tourist."

until next time,

KD