The Genius of Alan Goerhing
Anytime I play poker, I see it as an opportunity to learn. At the WPO last year in Tunica, I had Alan Goerhing at my starting table. To say the least, Alan plays a very different game than me. But he has had a lot of success in big no-limit hold'em tournaments. And I wanted to see what he was doing that I might be able to use in my own game. In particular, he seems to be able to build huge leads early, and sometimes bring it all the way home.
I love that poker can accommodate many different winning styles. It is important to not dismiss other winning players just because they don't play like you. Instead you should see what it is that they are doing right.
The day got off to a quick start for Alan, as he slow played AA against KK and busted someone. He then flopped Queen's full to win another big pot. By the third level, he had about 32,000. He was off to a very fast start and he was getting some big hands. But, I felt that it was his reputation as a loose player and his aggressive style that was letting him capitalize on his good fortune. He dabbles in a lot of pots. He likes to make small raises and small bluffs, but if he gets a big hand, he likes to put the hammer down. His reputation allows him to get paid off when he does make a good hand. Soon the fireworks started.
With the blinds 100-200, he opened the pot for 400 from late position. It was his usual small bring in. The big blind re-raised, making it 1600 total. Alan then did a strange thing; he re-raised 2000 more. This play can't win the pot before the flop, but I guess he just wanted to make the pot a little bigger while he got to play the hand in position. The flop came Kh 4c 5c. And it went check, check. The turn brought (Kh 4c 5c) 6c. The big blind bet 5000 and Alan moved him in for 4000 more. The big blind thought about for a little while, but he couldn't fold his AhKc. He called and asked Alan if he had the aces with the A of clubs. Alan just laughed, and turned over the 3h3d. Wow!! A pretty crazy play but he did have a few outs. The river came no change and he was down to 18,000. The way the hand played though, if the big blind had a pocket pair under the K, he would have folded.
A couple of hands later, Alan limped in middle position, and about 4 players saw a cheap flop. The flop came 4c 4h Qd. Everyone checked. The turn was (4c 4h Qd) 6h. It went check, check, from the blinds and Alan bet 600. It went fold, fold to the big blind who raised it to 2000 and Alan called. The river came (4c 4h Qd 6h) Kc. The big blind moved in for 5000 more and Alan called instantly. The big blind said you win and Alan proudly displayed his Ac6c. Wow again!! I wouldn't have played the hand in the first place, but to win about 8000 with one small pair was pretty impressive. One thing was obvious. He had taken a great read, but it was the fact that he is often taking small stabs at pots that gets people to bluff at him a lot. He knows how his style affects people and he used to his advantage beautifully in that hand.
A little while later Peter Costa opened in first position for 600 and everyone folded to Alan in the big blind and he called. The flop came 4h Jc Jh. They both checked. The turn was (4h Jc Jh) 9s. Alan bet 800, about half the pot and Peter called. The river was (4h Jc Jh 9s) 4c. Alan again bet about half the pot, 1500. Peter thought about it for a while and then he folded the AA face up! Alan then turned over KK!!!! Wow, wow. How did he do that? He didn't double Peter up before the flop, and then he managed to beat the AA without improving or risking a lot of chips.
My day had not gone well. I was down to about 6500 at the start of the next hand. I was in middle position and looked down at QQ. I opened the pot for 600. It was folded to Alan and he raised it to 1400. In all the hands I have seen Alan play, either in person or on TV, I had never seen him fast-play a really big pair before the flop. After his raise, there would be 2900 if I called. With only 5100 left I didn't feel like I could fold on any flop and given the fact that I felt like my hand was good, I moved in before the flop. He quickly called and to my dismay, he turned over KK. The board did not help my hand and I was out of the tourney and headed home early.
As I walked away from the table, I could only marvel at this amazing two hand sequence. Alan had just won two back-to-back pots with KK. He somehow just called against the AA before the flop, and then confused his opponent out of the pot later. And he got me to put all of my money in before the flop with QQ.
I was not only disappointed at my loss, I was also disappointed that my day of Goerhing watching had to come to an end. No single player has ever offered me more entertainment in one session than Alan did that day. And I would guess that no player other than Alan could have showed a profit with the back-to-back KK's. Surely, 99% of players would have doubled Peter up for over 12,000 on the KK vs. AA hand, and then busted me for about half the loss on the next hand. I am looking forward to sitting across from Alan Goerhing again soon. I may not do any better, but I know I will be thoroughly entertained.