History repeats itself

Most avid poker players have heard the story of Jennifer Harman winning a WSOP bracelet in deuce-to-seven (no-limit), having never played the game before, after just a few minutes of strategy coaching from Howard Lederer.

What I didn't know until yesterday is that Daniel Alaei did precisely the same thing, in the same event, in 2006. He tells the story in an interview with Card Player magazine's "The Scoop," video available here, and excerpted on page 90 of the September 8 issue (vol. 23, #18). Billy Baxter coached him (and if you're going to get coached in lowball games, who better to turn to?):

"I told him that I had never played before. I hadn't even played triple-draw. I had played no deuce. So, I asked Billy to give me some pointers, and he gave me a five-or 10-minute lesson."

And that, combined, obviously, with his excellent general poker knowledge and instincts, was enough to propel him to the win.

Impressive.