Darren Hickman(credit: Matchroom Poker)
Have you ever heard the term cold deck? A cold deck, for the uninitiated, actually refers to a deck of playing cards that has been tampered with to benefit the player doing the tampering. Recently, though, the term has come to mean any hand that looks as if this may have occurred.
What makes a cold deck? Basically, lots of pocket pairs dealt to the players or big draws being beaten by bigger ones, etc.
Of course, the best way to learn about a cold deck is by example. We’ve got a great one from the Party Poker European Open III. Check it out here:
Tournament: Party Poker European Open III
Name of the game: No Limit Hold’em
Players in hand:
- Denis O’Mahoney Kc,Kd
- Darren Hickman QcQd
- Achilleas Kallikas Ah,As
- Dale Hoy 7c,7d
- Johnny Newston 5c,5s
Preflop
Raised and re-raised by O’Mahoney and Hickman. Kallakis plays it off well and pushes all in. Hoy and Newston smartly fold. O’Mahoney, who’s conservative, wonders about what to do for a while in the tank. Folds his kings in a great laydown. Hickman makes the call and freaks when he sees the aces.
Flop
2
,3
,K
O’Mahoney is annoyed that he folded, but…the turn yield a 4
.
River
Q
Kallikas out in third place due to the two-outer on the river. O’Mahoney is kind of annoyed that he didn’t call. He’d have been the chip leader, but that honor went to Darren Hickman. Hickman went on to place second to Irish Poker legend, Liam Flood.
There’s always a tournament going on at Party Poker. Visit them now for a full schedule of events!