01-20-2009 21:42 UTC+11

Fenech Bluffs Balaban

[user75032]

Professional boxer Jeff Fenech knows how to take a punch. He may have been trying to teach Tim Balaban that lesson in a recent hand. Balaban got things started preflop by raising to 1,900. Fenech, who had position, reraised to 3,500. Everyone else quickly folded their hands, allowing the two combatants to go mano-a-mano. Balaban re-reraised to 8,900 and was called by Fenech.

The flop came down {K-Clubs}

. Balaban bet roughly one-third of the pot, leading out for 5,000. Fenech instantly raised him to 20,000. Balaban, who had roughly 15,000 left in his stack, tanked for well over a minute before open-mucking pocket aces.

"Good fold," said Fenech as he tabled {8-Clubs}