Satoshi Tanaka Quintuples Up Thanks to a Bluff From Justin Zaki

Photo:  Justin Zaki (center)

In the last hand before the break, Justin Zaki raises under the gun to 1,000, WPT Champion Eric Afriat calls UTG+1, the cutoff calls, the button calls, Tuan Pham calls from the small blind, and Satoshi Tanaka moves all in from the big blind for 1,600.

Zaki thinks for a while before four-betting it to 6,400. The player on the button calls, but the other three fold. There is 8,200 in the main pot, plus another 9,600 in the side pot.

The flop comes , Zaki bets 4,700, and the button calls. There is now 19,000 in the side pot.

The turn card is the , and Zaki moves all in for 20,400. The player on the button thinks for a while before he folds, and Zaki takes the side pot worth 19,000.

For the main pot, Zaki shows for nine high with a gutshot straight draw. Tanaka slowly turns over his cards as if he’s seeing them for the first time (which he is if he moved in blind) — Tanaka shows the followed by the .

Tanaka does a double-take as he realizes that he is in the lead having paired his six.

The river card is the , and Tanaka wins the pot with two pair, jacks and sixes, to quintuple up in chips.

As he pulls in the pot, Tanaka looks at Zaki and says, “You’re my hero.”

Satoshi Tanaka  –  8,200  (21 bb)
Justin Zaki  –  39,500  (99 bb)

Even though he lost the main pot, Zaki still made a nice profit of 8,000 on the hand by winning the side pot.

Photo:  Tuan Phan (left) and Satoshi Tanaka (center)