Moneymaker vs Farha

World Series of Poker, Main Event, 2003. Heads-up for the title.

Heads-up for the world title

Why it is famous

An online qualifier who paid $86 into a satellite bluffed a veteran off top pair on television. It is often called the start of the poker boom. Norman Chad called it "the bluff of the century" on ESPN. Farha said later, "I bluffed myself out."

What to take from it

A bluff works when its story is consistent. The turn raise and the river shove both said "flush", and top pair has no answer to that.

The hand

Moneymaker K♠7♥

Farha Q♠9♥

Before the flop

Blinds 20K and 40K. Moneymaker has the button.

Moneymaker raises to 100K.

Farha calls.

The flop

Board 9♠2♦6♠

Farha checks.

Moneymaker checks.

The turn

Board 9♠2♦6♠8♠

Farha bets 300K.

Moneymaker raises to 800K.

Farha calls.

The river

Board 9♠2♦6♠8♠3♥

Farha checks.

Moneymaker moves all in.

Farha folds.

Moneymaker wins the pot.

The decisions

Moneymaker. King-seven with the king of spades is a big draw: any spade makes a flush, and a ten or a five makes a straight. Raising gives two ways to win. Farha can fold a pair right now, and if he calls there are still plenty of cards that make the best hand. His bet after a checked flop looked like a pair he wanted to protect, not a monster.
Moneymaker. King-high can never win a showdown here, so checking gives up. The turn raise when the third spade came told a flush-or-straight story, and Farha only called it. Only a bet that risks his whole tournament makes top pair fold.
Farha. The turn raise and the river shove tell one consistent story: the flush got there. Top pair beats only a bluff, and folding keeps him in the match. A call would have won: Moneymaker had king-high. Farha later blamed himself for it. The lesson is that a consistent story is what makes a bluff work.

What the sources do not say. The stacks are not agreed. Three outlets give about 4.6 million against 3.8 million, but another report implies different ones, so no stacks are shown. The size of Moneymaker’s river all in is not documented. How long Farha thought before folding is reported as anything from several minutes to about twenty.

Sources

Practise it in 5 minutes Play this hand, one decision at a time.

Quads is for adults, 18 and over. It teaches with play chips only: there is no real money, ever.