Stud game on ABC's "Line of Fire"

[M.B.E.]

The newish ABC crime drama "Line of Fire (http://abc.go.com/primetime/lineoffire/index.html)" features a private game of no-limit seven-card stud in tonight's episode. I've seen it already since it airs a day early in Canada.

I like this series a lot but the poker scene was unrealistic. Does anyone even play NL7CS? They picked that game for a reason, however; holdem would not have suited the plot point.

[dogsballs]

the Gaming Club and maybe other Prima sites have NL and PL stud. the games go regular.

[M.B.E.]

Interesting. The Reuben/Ciaffone book talks about pot-limit stud, but not no-limit.

The "Line of Fire" episode featured poker used by criminals to con an honest guy -- it's the traditional way poker has been featured in pop culture and obviously doesn't cast the game in the best light.

The subplot was this. Jonah Malloy is the "crime boss" of Richmond, Virginia. He's also a baseball fan. In a previous episode Malloy asked a favour of the owner of the local minor-league baseball team, Eddie. Stupidly Eddie turned him down so naturally Malloy needed revenge. He had someone dig into Eddie's past but all they found were some allegations of SEC violations twenty years ago. But they discovered that Eddie is a decent poker player ("tournament poker, mostly").

So Malloy drops in on Eddie, on an unrelated matter, and casually works poker into the conversation. Eddie shows an interest, and Malloy says he's going to play in a private game in Atlantic City that evening against a rich oil guy from Texas who's a fish. Eddie asks if there's a seat available and of course there is. The buyin to the game is $250K.

The game apparently takes place at the fictional "Mediterranean Hotel and Casino". As I mentioned, it is no-limit seven-card stud. The casino has supplied the table, equipment, and dealer -- if you ask me that isn't really a private game, but whatever.

So after a while Eddie is doing quite well in the game, and is dealt rolled-up nines. The supposed "Texas oil guy" (actually one of Malloy's henchmen) raises to $2,000 with a king showing. Everyone else folds and Eddie raises to $4,000. Texas oil guy calls. On fourth street Eddie catches a three and the Texas oil guy pairs the king. They bet and raise, yada yada. On fifth street Texas oil guy catches another king, and has trip kings on board. But now he says something which really flusters Eddie, and Eddie calls his bet. It didn't look to me like Eddie had a full house, just trip nines. Anyway I think Eddie called again on sixth street. On the river Eddie catches a nine giving him quads. Texas oil guy comes out betting over a million. The dealer says to Eddie "we're playing table stakes, so you can go all in". Duh. Eddie asks for a five-minute break. What the hell? What kind of experienced poker player would even ask for a break in the middle of a hand. So during the break, Eddie tells Malloy that he has quad nines and can he borrow a million dollars for the sure thing. How does he know it's a sure thing? Because he saw another player fold a king on third street. That's the only original thing about this subplot -- and that's why I said it wouldn't have worked if they used holdem. Malloy says, "are you sure? I think it was a jack". (I guess they don't care about the one-player-to-a-hand rule.) But Eddie is certain it was a king, meaning that there's no way his quad nines can lose. (If that's the case, why doesn't he ask to borrow two million so he can raise? Anyway, that doesn't come up.) Malloy lends him a million dollars, payable the next afternoon. Eddie announces that even though he didn't have the money on the table, he wants to call the entire bet. Texas oil-guy has no objection so the money goes in. And wouldn't you know it, Texas oil guy really does have all four kings. So Eddie is dumbfounded and tells Malloy he doesn't have a million dollars, only $150K. So Malloy settles for $150K plus 15% of the baseball team plus Eddie's prized baseball autographed by Babe Ruth.

[Timer]

I'd been watching this show but no more. This poker scene was one of the worst in history. Hollywood will NEVER get it right. Why do they even try? What a total joke.