Middendorf Continues to Befuddle His Table

MrCleverFox

Level 7 : 250/500, 125 ante

Pot-Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw

Jerome Middendorf doesn't have a World Series of Poker cash to his name. He has no bracelets, no known live tournament cashes, no circuit rings. But he's holding his own at a table full of sharks today, despite having to ask the rules a few times.

In a recent hand he took on five-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Jason Mercier.

Middendorf limped in from the cutoff before being raised to 1,400 by Mercier. Randy Ohel folded his big blind and with a dead button it was back on Middendorf, who called.

Both players took two cards and Middendorf checked. Mercier bet 2,000 and Middendorf called.

On the second draw Middendorf took two again and Mercier took one. Middendorf checked then Mercier made it 6,300. Middendorf then plopped in a stack of T1,000 chips for a raise.

"He has to make it 12,600," Mercier said, noticing the raise was a little short of a full raise. So Middendorf put in the chips to make it 12,600 total.

Mercier then went into the tank. He counted his chips, looked at his hand, then eventually decided it was time to release. Mercier folded and Middendorf took down the pot.

With his performance today, Middendorf is proving the cliché-old adage that anyone can win.