WSOP Champ John Cynn: Sometimes You Have to Bluff If You Want to Win
Like many in the poker world, 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event champion John Cynn is in Rozvadov, Czech Republic at present taking part in the WSOP Europe series playing out at the King's Casino.
While there Cynn took time out to talk with Sarah Herring about life at the tables as the reigning champ. "Either people are really gunning for you, or they're staying away from you," says Cynn of the new dynamic.
In the video below, Cynn also talks about his post-victory appearance on Poker After Dark on PokerGO for "Rise and Grind" week where the stakes of the cash game were $100/$200 with a $20,000 buy-in, as well as how he hopped into a $1/$2 cash game afterwards with one of his fellow PAD players.
One memorable hand Cynn played during that Poker After Dark appearance saw him successfully pulling off a triple-barrel bluff versus the always challenging Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi.
After raising from under the gun with K♥J♠ and getting three callers, Cynn flopped an open-ended straight draw when the board came 6♥10♥Q♠. It checked to Cynn who continued with a bet, and only Mizrachi in the big blind stuck around with Q♣4♣ for top pair.
The 5♣ came on the turn and Mizrachi checked, and Cynn bet again. After some thought Mizrachi called, pushing the pot up to $16,500. Then came the 7♦ river — a whiff for Cynn — and when Mizrachi checked Cynn pushed out a big bet of $14,700 and the bluff got through when the Grinder folded.
Bold triple-barrel bluff from @john_cynn gets through against @TheGrinder44 # . The 2018 Main Event # is # in the "… https://t.co/GJli6WJu8I
— PokerGO (@PokerGO)
As Cynn explains, after missing on the river bluffing was the only way he could win the hand — even if the leveling going on between himself and Mizrachi made doing so a challenge.
"I think he has a pair, but I also think that he thinks that I think he has pair," explains Cynn, adding that even if the bluff doesn't get through, it can help him get action later. Take a look:
