CARL OLSON

I was playing a PokerStars tournament a few nights ago, and I busted out in some unjust fashion, so I decided to rail Carl Olson, since he shows consistantly strong results. He finished 2nd last year in Deauville to his best pal, Brandon Schaeffer, and he is one of the best-regarded online players. I met him in Vegas last year at the World Series. He is a young guy, in his early to mid-twenties.

He was on Team PokerRoom, as was I, for last December's Bellagio Legends of Poker WPT event, but he didn't hang out with the team at all, so I never saw him during that week. Both he and Brandon have ignored emails from me, so I'm not sure what's up with that. Still, if I'm not playing, I may as well watch somebody who has a shot at winning, to see if they are doing anything that I am not.

I had busted out of the tourney with some kind of unjust AK v AQ battle in which my opponent hit his queen. Earlier in the tournament, after sitting tight for awhile, I had made a play from the small blind. I raised with KJ and was reraised. I called and we took a flop. The flop came ragged seven-high. I checked and he bet. I wanted his chips more than I wanted to lay down my overcards, so I pushed all-in. I figured either he is going to fold his AQ or maybe he calls with 88 or 99 and I still have a shot at drawing out. He did have 88, which is not an automatic call, yet still he made it. I was fortunate enough to catch a J on the turn and take down the pot, drawing scorn from the table and from the rail.

Now, much later in the same event, after I had been dismissed, I see Olson make exactly the same play. He check raised all-in with uncoordinated overcards, and when he was called, he spiked a pair on the river to win. Now, when he does it, it is considered genius and he got a flurry of nh's.

Later still, I saw him do the same check-raise all-in trick, yet this time he was on a double bellybuster draw with an overcard on board. He pushed all in, the pair of kings called, and Olson hit his eight-outer. I wasn't as impressed with that manuever, because of the king on board and the fact the opponent was representing it. I don't mind a call in that spot, hoping to strike gold, but I think the push was out of line. No question he's a good player, but there's nothing more to his game than mine, other than better luck in this event.

Once he got some chips, he used them to bully the small stacks while feasting on their blinds. He tightened up a bit post-flop and went on to win the event and pocket $12,000. Good day's work.

Last night, I saw that Carl was playing the $5000 World Poker Challenge in Reno against the big guys. He was in the final 27 and already assured a $17,000 payday, and maybe a million. Checking out the updates today, I see that he doubled up with this same gimmick against none other than Barry Greenstein.

Barry Greenstein raises to $25,000 preflop and both Jason Stern and Carl Olson call.  The flop comes Kh-10d-4s and Olson checks.  Greenstein bets $50,000 and Stern folds.  Olson moves all in and Greenstein calls.  Greenstein shows Ks-9s and Olson has Ad-Jd.  Olson catches his gutshot straight on the turn in the form of the Qh.  The river is the 8d and Carl "colson10" Olson doubles up.

If you are going to marry this flop, then why wait for Barry to get pot committed? It doesn't say what Olson's stack was, but currently he is the short stack, even after this double up, so it figures that Barry would have called even if he only had middle or bottom pair. Lucky for Carl, the gutshot magic came through. There are 14 players remaining and the final six will make it onto the Travel Channel. Greenstein is way out in front, and Olson is presently the short stack, guaranteed over $22k.