Poker After Dark - Calling, Unabomber Style

  With the Poker Brat and the Magician gone, the two remaining players in this episode of Poker After Dark seemed to have little to say to each other. Each was a powerful personality in their own right, and perhaps they felt that. Perhaps they were each used to the spotlight and didn't know how to read the other player, and so a default respect fell into place as host Shana Hiatt looked on. It was Shawn Sheikhan and Phil "Unabomber" Laak left, and they were both about equal in chips. In this format each player puts up $20k of their own money and fights for the whole pot.  Shawn started this hand with: ... and raised it up to $5,000. Interestingly, with: ... Laak called. With such a big, upfront raise he likely surmised that Shawn did not have low cards, but did not have a monster like Ace Ace, and so his suited low cards were live. He was right.  When the flop came down as: ... both players checked and it was time for the turn. The turn came: ... and Shawn was ready to take the pot down, and bet out $9,500. With an open ended straight draw promising big rewards, Laak called.  When the river came: ... it was enough to slow Shawn down, who checked. Laak, happy with a pair of eights but probably sure he was beat, also checked. When he discovered he won with his pair of eights he was ecstatic. Shawn, however, was furious - but not at Phil. He was angry with the way he played the hand, knowing he should have either played it slow or kept firing to take the pot.