Poker Angle-Shoot Exposed By Thomas Kremser
July 27, 2011 9:35 amConcord Card Club owner Thomas Kremser is one of the most respected poker tournament directors in the world, as well as a recipient of multiple industry awards including the European Poker Lifetime Achievement Award.
THE Austrian born tournament director has been in charge of most of the top events on the poker calendar throughout his illustrious career including the World Poker Tour, European Poker Tour, Late Night Poker and many others.
Demonstrating the skills it takes to rise to the top of his field, Thomas Kremser recently adjudicated on a controversial moment during the EPT Grand Final in Madrid which has earned him extra respect from his peers.
The unusual situation occurred during a hand played between eventual tournament winner Ivan Freitez of Venezuela and Eugene Yanayt, whilst on the final table bubble.
Trying to extract more chips from his opponent, Freitez holding 6-5 on a 5-3-K-5-6 board employed an angle-shot tactic after Yanayt (K-Q) bet into him on the river.
For the third time during the EPT Grand Final, the Venezuelan tried to hoodwink an opponent by feigning bad English and so counted out enough chips for only a call before announcing ‘raise’ as he pushed these chips forward.
Doing a first class acting job, Freitez then looked gormless a while before looking panicked and claiming he meant ‘call’ because “no speak English.”
Knowing his announcement of a raise must stand, Freitez was angling to induce a call or re-raise from his hoodwinked opponent before world class tournament director Thomas Kremser stepped in to clear up the incident.
Although angle-shooting isn’t actually against the written rules of poker ,the underhand practice is considered bad etiquette and poor sportsmanship leading Kremser to announce:
“I think this is exactly the same situation we have had already in this tournament, you did exactly the same move when you had the nuts,” before explaining to Yanayt; “I shall share this information with you.”
Forewarning Yanayt that his opponent likely held a monster hand, the US pro amazingly decided to call instead of fold, but probably still avoided a costlier mistake had he elected to re-raise.
Thomas Kremser’s inspired decision helped bring a fair resolution to the unethical manoeuvre by Freitez, while costing the Venezuelan any potential extra value he may have extracted by playing the hand in a straight forward manner.