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The effects of Tom McEvoy’s victory at the 1983 World Series of Poker became apparent the following year. Where tournament poker had once been the solitary domain of the high stakes professional, McEvoy had qualified by satellite, giving hope to amateurs and small-limit players much as Chris Moneymaker would twenty years later. In all, 132 players entered the main event.
With the chips replaced by bundles of cash for the final table, the 1984 World Series had worked its way down to three players; “Gentleman” Jack Keller, Cowboy Wolford and Jessie Alto. While Keller would eventually emerge the champion, it was the other two players who would get involved in the hand of the tournament, considered by some to be the greatest bluff in World Series history.
Alto had been dominating the final table. He held over one million dollars thanks to some super-aggressive play that saw him raising every hand. Keller and Wolford watched helplessly as he stole their blinds time and again before Wolford finally decided to play back.
Wolford bet out on the flop and turn, following those moves with an all-in on the river where he unwrapped a bundle, dropped the cash on the table and winked at his wife in the audience. Alto made the tough fold and would have been fine with that if Wolford hadn’t shown him the 5-3o he’d held for the bluff. Alto, feeling betrayed by his old friend’s treachery, came unraveled. He shoved in blind twice in a row, with Keller winning both hands. Jesse went out in third place. It was the biggest choke in World Series history.
The shocking turn of events left Keller with a massive chip advantage, and forty minutes later he’s take the title. Jack had pocket tens to Wolford’s 6h-4h, and made the call when Cowboy moved all-in on a flop of 9c-6s-5d. The higher pair held up through 8s on the turn and Jd on the river.
Keller took home $660,000 for the win, a record purse at the time, but thanks to having sold most of his action off before the tournament, he saw little of it. Still, his fate was better than Alto’s; seven times between 1975 and 1988 jesse would make the final table. He never won the big one.
Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com
