In fact, it's an essential weapon

in every player's arsenal.

Oh, my god.

[INAUDIBLE]

Um--

Here's the top five who've transformed the skill

of bluffing into an art form.

Is this real life?

At number five, it's Vanessa Selbst.

No one folds lightly to Vanessa, because everyone

knows the Vanessa is aggressor.

On the big game, she tangled with Antonio Esfandiari.

In this hand, she's bet the flop and the turn,

and Antonio isn't a believer.

Can Vanessa sell her story on the river?

Vanessa could have been semi-bluffing

a five on the turn just as easily as she semi-bluffed

her diamonds.

She's met adequate resistance from Antonio the whole way,

so I'm fairly certain she knows she

can't win this pot by checking.

So the question is, surrender, or fire one last bullet?

She's loading up.

And Vanessa fires $59,700 on a stone bluff.

There it is, the over-bet.

We've been here before.

This bet is supposed to polarize Vanessa's hand, nuts or air.

And Antonio can pretty much only beat air.

This will be an absolutely sick call.

Vanessa could very easily have played a huge hand

the same way.

$59,700.

$59,700.

By overbetting, she's given him really

tough odds to make the call, not even getting 2 to 1.

Is a pair of 6's going to win enough to justify those odds?

Not likely.

Antonio with $119,000 behind.

He's probably still thinking about that check

raise on the turn.

If she had a big hand, would she really

have given him the chance to check behind?

Finally-- and people discount this more than they should--

Vanessa has the stupidity factor in her favor.

If Antonio calls these wrong, he feels stupid.

I think--

What's happening?

I think Antonio turned a straight with a 5 or 7, suited.

Yeah?

What does she have?

And I think she has a flush.

I think she has it.

Worst read ever.

Well, that's what [INAUDIBLE] the couch cannon thinks,

but it's Antonio's read that counts here.

And Antonio folds.

What is going on?

Antonio folds.

Little bit dirty on the pump fake by Antonio, but Vanessa--

wow, what a sick bluff.

Bye, [INAUDIBLE].

Antonio may not have thought that one through,

but at number four, we find Johnny Lodden thinking

long and hard about a very difficult decision

at the final table of the EPT 11 grand final.

Unless he snaps off a 5, he's going to have to check.

Well, he went full way to the flop, heads up to the turn,

which is a 4.

That gives him extra outs.

Now he can catch a deuce for a straight.

The question is, he's got to say,

what is this guy calling with?

Did he really just have a 7 suited, and not 3 bet?

Well, now Mateos has to bet.

By betting now, now Johnny's got to say, OK, if I call this one,

I've got to call from the rest on the river.

So, it's not just like, hm, we'll see what he's got.

Now Johnny's got to think about, well, the bet is only $650,000.

There's $3 million in the pot.

I have 6 outs.

Sure, I'm not the favorite, but it's close.

He's not getting the right price,

but it's not that far off.

If Johnny's right-- that he's up against the bluff-- his fives

are good.

Johnny calls.

Great call.

Great call from Johnny.

He's getting slightly the worst price to draw,

but he's also got the possibility

of having the best hand.

So, the bet sizing for Mateos allowed him to play this hand.

OK, another ace on the river.

That's a good card for Johnny Lodden.

It wouldn't seem like it, but it's one less ace

that Mateos could have.

Actually, it's been checked to the Spaniard.

This is a really exciting hand.

This is going to get replayed over and over.

Oh, my goodness.

He does it.

He goes for it.

Wow.

This is gutsy.

Johnny wants to play so bad.

His read is right.

The question is, sometimes-- you can tell,

Johnny's first instinct-- call.

I got this guy beat.

He's messing with me.

A lot to learn about some high-level poker here,

where it's like, you just go with your gut,

and you trust your read.

And both of these guys have virtually nothing,

but are playing a massive pot here.

What he may end up doing is talking himself out

of his read.

Oh, man.

I hope Johnny makes this call.

It would be epic.

One of the greatest-- if he makes

this call, one of the best reads we've ever

seen in a final table.

One of the greatest played hands we've ever seen.

I mean, this instantly goes on many lists

as just one of the all-time greatest calls.

This is one of the greatest hands I've ever seen--

if he makes the call.

If he makes the fold, it still is a great hand,

but it's so much more epic if Johnny makes this call.

There goes the fold.

And he shows the bluff.

And Lodden's playing so good.

When she calls, he doesn't call.

Get showed the bluff.

[INAUDIBLE]

Put in so much money in that hand, with the right

read, and then changed his mind.

[NON-ENGLISH]

Vaya con Dios.

Back in the day, before Adrian Mateos was born,

a three bet mean business, a four bet was always aces,

and a five bet didn't exist.

Then along came the internet, and button clicking

became a thing.

At number three, a German [INAUDIBLE]

with an interesting haircut takes pre-flop leveling

to a new level.

Contrary to what Benny might think,

this isn't a mandatory three bet, or even a mandatory call

to an early position raiser.

Did you really think he'd fold?

Benny Spindler three bets.

Story checks out.

Now $20,000 to play, and hello, Paul Fulton

is going to fall back with A6 off.

OK, so I know I would be an advocate of re-raising Benny

Spindler if you have any sort of hand, but-- a--

Benny's not the only player in the hand, b--

cold four betting with A6 is not a winning play overall, and c--

no--

just no.

Action back on Benny, with Bergstrom giving up

his pair of fours.

Boy, Fulton doesn't look very comfortable, does he?

Oh wait, that could just be because he's British.

Now, now.

Those are not calling chips.

Benny Spindler is going to five bet to $90,000.

I guess either King Jack is too weak to call with

and Benny wants to turn into a bluff,

or we're just seeing a good old fashioned stack swinging

contest, which-- by the way-- doesn't necessarily

equate to good poker, though it is awesome to watch.

Fulton has an auto marked.

He does have the best hand, got to wonder if he knows it,

though.

Oh, my word.

It's a six bet.

There is some serious button clicking going on here.

I'm not even going to pretend like I

know what these guys should or are going to do anymore.

I'm out.

All right, now I know a lot of you kids

out there are spitting up your energy drinks and fist pumping

in your hoodies like mad, but to me, this is more

like a game of chicken than poker.

Who will blink first?

Not Benny Spindler.

It's a seven bet jam.

Fulton has now invested half his chips on this hand.

Got to wonder if he's regretting it now.

Oh, my word.

This is the sickest hand ever.

Benny Spindler shows the king jack at the end

as he rakes in that pot.

Benny Spindler went on to win the EPT 8 London title.

The year before that, Daniel Negreanu

stunned the table with one of his favorite party tricks.

Daniel is determined.

Angel small river bet is a value hand that kid poker can't beat.

Although it's hard for him to rep a hand, he's bumping it up.

Figure you got aces or kings.

Can I say that, or is that illegal?

[INAUDIBLE]

I can say what he has, but not what I have?

Yep.

OK.

I'm thinking aces or kings.

You think right.

Daniel really pulled the trigger correctly on that one.

And Shlome is now thinking, if you read me for aces or kings,

surely you can beat aces or kings.

I have to fold.

If I show one, do I have to show all?

No.

OK.

I can show one?

Yep.

I can show one if I want to?

I don't feel like it.

I don't have a good one the show.

Aces or kings are good, right?

Of course.

Just saying, that's what I thought he had.

Not that I can beat it.

Daniel knows how to entertain the table,

but for max entertainment, you have to show the bluff.

At number one, from [INAUDIBLE], Miss Finland, Sara Chafak,

pulls off the best block of all time--

on the very first hand.

Hi.

Hi.

Ronnie, if you bust her on the first hand--

He bets.

$30,000.

And Sara raises with a straight draw.

You have something?

Yes, I do.

I believe you.

I believe you. $30,000?

Yeah.

That's the way all my relationships start--

with lies.

So, Ronnie has called the raise and improves

to trips on the turn.

Oh, boy.

Why are you checking?

You raised me on the flop.

Um-- num, num.

She bets just over half the pot.

Ronnie, do not bust her before the swimsuit portion.

Ronnie's clock is running.

Remember, every player has 30 seconds per decision.

If he thinks she's bluffing, he'll call.

If not, he could raise.

The shot clock.

Oh, yeah. i forgot that.

Raise.

$155,000.

$155,000.

She really should not be calling this.

$255,000.

She re-raises.

What?

Just [INAUDIBLE].

Oh, OK.

I'm not used to those yet.