Smartest guy in the room.......Bobby Bo.
Bonilla was literally at the table next to me at the 2004 World Series of Poker. This was the year after Chris Moneymaker won it all and introduced the game to many more people than the degenerates like me that were taught how to count with a deck of cards by their gangster grandpa at the living room table......so the turnout was bigger that normal. A guy named Greg Raymer won it in 2004.
I was at table 85 seat 2, near the boardwalk, at the old Binions. This was the last year they held it at Binions before it got too big and they had to move it. Bonilla was constantly getting bothered by people while playing in a $10k tournament, and he handled it all with class and patience right next to me. Very nice guy. I must have seen him take 5 pictures and sign 5 autographs.
There was an open seat at my table for the first few blind levels, and a couple guys at the table said that it was probably a big time pro because they like to "make an entrance" and get the attention. Sure enough......somewhere during the 6th/7th blind level.........who walks in and sits down at my table and puts an orange in the cup holder????? Johnny Fuckin Chan.
I am not good at a lot of things. Poker is not one of them. I can hold my own at large stakes games with the best in the world, and often play in sizable cash games that would make the average recreational player's butthole tighten up. But......if I am being totally honest.........when Chan walked over and sat down.............even my butthole tightened up a bit.........and that doesn't happen much.
There is just something about that guy. He has a presence to him. Like he knows what you know. I wish I had a cool story about stacking him and sending him packing, but I intentionally stayed out of his way except in this one hand that I spiked a set of 7s, I raised preflop in the hijack position and he flat cold called me so we were heads up. The flop came Q37 rainbow. I was in position and he checked it to me, and I fired a pot sized C Bet, which he called. Then the turn is another Q. So QQ37 with backdoor spade flush draw, and I am boated up now with a really well hidden full house and in position. He leads out with a pot sized bet (I figured Q/10, Q/J, maybe Q/9) and I think about it and raise him about 4x the pot, decent sized raise, telling the story that I have a boat or a big Qx hand.....AQ or KQ..............and this guy looked at me, looked down at his cards, turned over a single Queen to show me, and then mucked his cards. You mother f........
No, I didn't show him the boat, because I didn't wanna give him the satisfaction of knowing he made a great lay down. Most players lose a lot on a hand like that, some lose it all. He got away from it and didn't even feel it or think twice. The dude is a true fucking master. There are a lot of decent poker players, and there are very few that are on the level of actually being able to put the villain on a hand (or range of hands), and be accurate............then there are guys like Chan. The guy literally snap folded trip Queens to me confidently, and I still feel like he laughed to himself as he did it, like "Ok kid, nice try".
When I was young my grandpa always told me that anyone can play good cards, but the great ones can fold good cards. The money is in the folding.
I am making myself wanna go play cards., haven't played much lately. Might go find me a soft seat to celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day later.
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