Poker Quiz: You Are Johnny Chan

Poker Quiz

In this quiz, you are going to be Johnny Chan. You are playing in the WSOP main event. You started with $20,000 in chips and you just sat down at your starting table.

The tournament director says, "Shuffle up and deal."

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It's the first hand. Yes, you bought in for $10,000 so make sure you don't lose it all on hand #1=)

Blinds $50-$100. You are under the gun and find Ah-Ac. You are Johnny Chan, so it makes sense you'd find pocket Aces, right? And, since you are Johnny Chan you are going to raise, right? Wrong. You limp with Aces.

4 Players call as well. The pot is $550.

The flop is 4d-3d-2h. No you don't have the Ace of diamonds.

The big blind checks. You bet $250. There are three callers. The pot is $1,550.

The turn is a 9d. The big blind checks, you check, one player bets $4,750. The big blind calls. What should you do?

a) Fold
b) Call and go for a straight.
c) Move all-in. You are Johnny Chan, and players fear you.

Answer tomorrow.

My Johnny Chan story

Okay, I picked this quiz just so I could tell you my Johnny Chan story. I was playing in the WSOP $1,500 buy-in event many years ago. At my starting table was Johnny Chan. It was pre-internet poker, so everyone was playing very conservatively; whomever raises pre-flop tended to win the blinds uncontested.

In this one hand, near the end of round 1, a player in early position raises the big blind of $150 to $450. Everyone folds to Johnny Chan in late position. He moves all-in for $1,500. The pre-flop raiser insta-calls with his $1,000 and shows pocket Queens. Chan shows A-K. The flop has the Ace and Johnny Chan doubles up.

On the very next hand, another early position player raises to $450. It's folded to Johnny Chan. He moves all-in. Again, an insta-call. This time the raiser has A-K, and Chan shows pocket Queens. Yeah, Chan wins again as this player gets no help.

Sure enough, someone at the table speaks up on cue with "That's why he's Johnny Chan."