Who Was ´Treetop Strauss´?

Jack ´treetop´ Strauss was the 6´6´´ American poker player, credited with some of the most remarkable stories in poker.

A graduate of the Texas A&M University and two-time WSOP champion, Jack's most famous win was in 1982, when he was down to one single $500 chip. The story goes that he pushed his chips into the pot and, losing the hand, stood up to leave. The chip was found under his napkin and, because he didn't declare himself all-in, he was allowed to continue playing. The famous poker aphorism, ´a chip and a chair´ is said to originate from this story, though the actual words are said to have been uttered by Annie Duke.

My favourite story about Jack Strauss concerns a bluff he made during a high-stakes cash poker game. Jack had one several pots in a row and was on a ´rush´. He decided that he was going to play any two cards and raised preflop with 72. The flop dropped 7-3-3 and Strauss continued to bet out, only to be raised by his opponent. This suggested that his opponent had a better over pair, so Strauss called the raise. The ´turn´ card was a two, which was of no help to Strauss at all as there was a better pair on the board already. Deciding to continue his bluff, Strauss made a huge bet, forcing his opponent into some serious thought: what would Strauss have raised preflop with to be making such a bet?

Strauss chucked to himself and offered a proposition: for $25 he would show his opponent any one of his two pocket cards. The guy took the offer and Strauss flipped over the two. After several more minutes his opponent folded believing that Strauss must have a full house, twos over threes, such was the strength of his bet.

He folded, ensuring the remarkable, affable giant, Jack ´Treetop´ Strauss his place in history.

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