The Rise of the Hammer

  There are plenty of fun poker names for starting hands in Texas Holdem. Big Slick (ace king), Fishhooks (two Jacks), Pocket Rockets (two Aces) and the like; one poker hand had to do without a name for a long time, not only because there was no real name that came to mind for seven two, but because it was the worst starting hand in the game. One online poker blogger came up with the name "The Hammer" and ran a contest to see who could win with this hand, and the name has caught on. It looks like contests using the hammer have caught on as well, with some of the biggest names in poker playing along.  Phil "The Poker Brat" Hellmuth isn't cash-poor. The former World Series of Poker champion, and current record holder at 11 WSOP bracelets, has been known to spend quite a bit playing poker, and making side bets - often called prop, or proposition, bets. During a recent game on the televised High Stakes Poker show he wanted to win a prop bet so badly that he spent nearly seventy grand trying to win $500 from the other players, and the respect of his peers.  The prop bet was that anyone who won a hand holding seven deuce would win $500 on the spot from all the other players at the table. With 7-2 of hearts Phil raised to $2,200, likely hoping to take it down there, but got a call from Mike Baxter holding Jh and Tc. When the flop hit Qc-9d-5s Baxter hit an opened ended straight draw, so he called as Hellmuth bluffed off another $6,000. Baxter managed a Th on the turn, and had a long hard think when Hellmuth bet out $17k and told him on the spot that he knew he was holding Ten Jack. Baxter called. The river of 6d still didn't help Phil, who threw out $44k - this is real money, not tournament chips.  Baxter called. The $69k Phil spent trying to bluff with the Hammer had to hurt, even the Poker Brat, and just goes to show you that the Hammer Games are gaining in popularity.