Aviation Club de France is the picture of elegance. Founded in 1907 Paris by a collection of Aviators, it’s a high class gambling establishment, with dress code, fine dining and plenty of poker to go round. It’s a den of tranquility where being a gentleman is held in higher esteem than winning ugly. That’s why the fourth episode of the World Poker tour’s season three was so shocking.
In stark contrast to the Club, Tony Guoga, better known as Tony G, is loud, brash and obnoxious. He’ll happily tell anyone who asks that this is the case when he’s playing poker, and that it’s by design. To him, poker is not a gentleman’s game so much as a game of psychological warfare, and he uses every trick he can to throw opponents out of their comfort zone. His mouth constantly flaps as a razor-sharp wit works the gears. It an effective technique that sometimes leaves even the most docile opponents rattled.
Guoga’s opponent in the French final was Surinder Sunar, member of the English poker hall of fame and one of the continent’s most-respected players. A quiet man who’d been through poker’s wars for over twenty years. The normally stone-faced Sunar started letting the cracks show as Tony’s barbs became more direct and more heated. It got bad enough that the strain of holding in his frustration (He admitted afterwards he’d have hit Tony hard if they were away from the table) poured out after every contested hand. It was a great battle of wills to watch, with Tony apparently shaking the immovable object.
Still, Surinder survived. While his anger flashed between hands, he’d stayed calm during the play. Even then, he’d needed to get lucky to survive elimination; his K-6 beat Tony’s T-T when two sixes leapt off the deck in succession. That gave the Englishman back the chip lead.
Sitting on the small blind, Guoga found Kd-3h, a better hand than the average, and immediately announced himself all-in. Surinder slowly looked down at his first card, Ad; He knew Guoga was in aggressive mode and said “I looked at one card and its really good” “Good luck to you” Tony snapped back instantly.
“I think I can call without looking at the other card” Sunar continued “I think I have you this time”. Guoga shrugged and said “Good luck” Surinder called, then had the dealer reveal his second card to he and the entire room: 7s. Tony would need a king or three to stay alive. He wouldn’t get them. The board came 6s-10d-Qc-Js-6c. Sunar was the champion. Tony’s performance made him an icon.
Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com
