William Chen(credit: Wikipedia)
William “Bill” Chen has quite the resume. A two-time WSOP bracelet holder (both of his bracelets were earned in 2006), the 38 year old has a Ph.D in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley. He’s co-author of a book that’s aptly if not creatively entitled “The Mathematics of Poker”. Chen, a member of Team Poker Stars who retains a job in the non-poker world, is also the creator of “The Chen Formula”, which assigns mathematical values to starting hands in hold’em.
Considered, therefore, a strictly by the numbers guy, players don’t think of Chen as much of a bluffer. That’s probably why he got away with this semi-bluff on his very first hand on GSN’s popular game show “High Stakes Poker”.
Read on…and judge for yourself:
Game Type: No Limit Texas Hold’em
Tournament: High Stakes Poker
Players in hand: Daniel Alaei, Mike Matusow, Jamie Gold, William Chen
Starting Hands
Mike Matusow - 9
, 7
Jamie Gold – T
, 8
Daniel Alaei - 5, 5
William Chen – A, Q
PreFlop
Mike Matusow: The Mouth wanted to take this pot down at the blinds, apparently, with a bet of $2,100. Jamie Gold: The 2006 WSOP champ spoiled his plans with a call. Daniel Alaei also made the call. William Chen had JUST paid his $100k and sat down; and, in his first hand he shoves in a big overbet of $9k. This had to have had his opponents a bit confused.
Mikey the Mouth folds, but Gold and Alaei stuck around
The Flop
4, 6, 3
William Chen - with a big grin he forces $15k into the pot.
Jamie Gold - too rich for his blood, Gold folded.
Daniel Alaei - actually started to think about calling. He might have, too, if it were not for Chen’s table talk.
Chen started to laugh and goof around, and said he was going to buy in many times anyway so Daniel could have the first $100k. Daniel started to think about his OWN $100k being at risk, and made the fold.
Not bad bluffing for a numbers buy, wouldn’t you say?
Bill Chen chats with the folks at Poker News during the WSOP in the summer of 2008: