Tell me about Andy Beal

[KSOT]

I don't really know much about the guy, other than what I could piece together from various google finds, none of which were very detailed.

I know he used to come to the Bellagio and demand that the best pros play him in 100,000/200,000 limit HE heads up. As I understood it, he ended up losing more than he won, but then when he issued an open challenge to the pros for them to come to Texas and play him, they refused. Why would they do that? I read that Doyle wrote a letter accusing his challenge of being biased somehow, but I couldn't find it. What was it about? Did the pros have some reason to be afraid?

I saw a number of posters talking about how awesome he was at Limit HE, but what did he ever do to prove that?

Any and all Andy Beal details are welcome. I'm very curious.

[PuckNPoker]

The Professor, The Banker, and the Suicide King is the complete book on the subject if you are really really interested.

[Octopus]

Search on (or just read) The Professor, The Banker, and the Suicide King by Michael Craig

[TroutMaskReplica]

try here. the book itself is a pretty good read and undoubtedly the best account of the games around but you'll find some more info than you have even just reading the editorial/user reviews.

[KSOT]

Would it be possuible for you guys to give me some details on your own, so I don't have to order, wait for and read a book about it?

[david050173]

[ QUOTE ]
Would it be possuible for you guys to give me some details on your own, so I don't have to order, wait for and read a book about it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Do a search through this forum on Andy Beal. It has been discussed numerous times. Basically the guy has tons of cash. He plays a real good game of HU limit texas holdem. And he wants to play at stakes were variance can bust the pros.

[DarthIgnurnt]

[ QUOTE ]
Would it be possuible for you guys to give me some details on your own, so I don't have to order, wait for and read a book about it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Lazy like me. I like that.

I read the aforementioned book (an interesting, and rather quick read btw.) not really knowing anything about this story.

Beal was (is) a Texas banker that had made tons of money through various ventures, and had always shown a 100% committment to those things he got involved with.

When one of those things became poker, he was interested in nothing less than competing with the best players in the world at stakes higher than had ever been played.

He was interested only in Limit Holdem, headsup. During his several (maybe 3 or 4) trips to Vegas, the limits in these games went consistently up. I believe they started in the 10/20K or 20/40K range and went as high at one point to 50/100K or 100/200K.

Beal's thought was that he could take the advantage away from the pros by playing at limits that were so high that a loss would be potentially devastating to them (i.e. it would deplete their entire bankroll). He dedicated himself completely to learning the game, disguising his tells, adapting to the styles of different pros, and fully understanding the implications of pot odds in a HU Limit situation.

The pros countered by forming "the corporation", which included a single bankroll funded by a number of players, many of whom would play Beal heads up in 6+ hour sessions. I believe this bankroll got as high as $10 or $20MM for each side.

The players include Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Chau Giang, Howard Lederer, Barry Greenstein, Ted Forrest, and a few others. Beal had his share of success against the group, at one point beating them for several million dollars in a 2-3 day period. Overall, however, he was a loser against this group. I recall that Todd Brunson had throttled him fairly soundly, and Lederer (I think?) beat him so consistently that Beal refused to play with him anymore.

There have been a number of "open letter challenges" in Card Player, etc. for a rematch between the corporation (Doyle as spokesman) and Andy Beal. Not sure what the current status is, but I believe they were trying to put together a game where each side had $80MM and they would play limits escalating even beyond the 100/200K that had been already played.

[danzasmack]

i am a slow reader and finished that book in like 3 days. Def. pick it up.

He refused to play a few players at different points - but the story is tense and beal is a very interesting guy.

10/10, seriously

[-Skeme-]

It was $40m from each side, not $80.

[DarthIgnurnt]

[ QUOTE ]
It was $40m from each side, not $80.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. My bad.

Here's a link to the "open letter" from Doyle.

Fisherman's Tales