The Totally Fabricated Wicked Chops Poker Interview with Rhett Butler

Some performances are so epic, so one of a kind, they are remembered for the ages.

And the 2006 WSOP ME final table had one such performance. Those of you who watched live at the Rio or on PPV knew what you saw would likely not be repeated for some time. Yes, one person from the 2006 WSOP ME final table will be talked about for years and years.

Rhett Butler.

Rhett's final table strategy was utterly captivating, the stuff legends are made of, easily worthy of its own Super/Sytem III no limit hold'em tournament strategy chapter.

With that in mind, Wicked Chops Poker is pleased to bring you this totally fabricated interview with Rhett Butler (at right, image from Poker Pages). And on a side note, look for our totally unfabricated interview with 2006 WSOP ME champion Jamie Gold later in the week.

WCP: So Rhett, you had an interesting strategy going into the final table. Tell us about it...

RB: Well, my goal was to play as few hands as I possibly could. In fact, if I could've gotten away with playing no hands, I would've.

WCP: Well you practically did.

RB: I know! My execution was nearly flawless.

WCP: Who taught you how to play poker?

RB: I've been lucky to have many great teachers. But perhaps most instrumental to me was baseball great, Derek Bell.

WCP: You mean, Mr. Operation Shutdown?

RB: Yep. He showed me that you can still get paid by not doing anything.

WCP: How many hands do you think you played prior to the Main Event final table?

RB: For the whole tournament?

WCP: Yeah.

RB: I'd say about 20. I had pocket Aces 12 times. Pocket Kings eight time. I played those, except I folded the Kings once cause someone raised before me like three times the blind and it just SMELT like Aces. And twice I was in the big blind and got to check my option and was fortunate enough to double up on those hands. I folded every other hand I had. For the entire tournament. Why risk it?

WCP: Wow, you make Leif Force look like Gus Hansen!

RB: It's funny cause it's true. But who can really "judge" me? I mean, I'm sitting as the fifth place finisher of the biggest tournament in the world. Have you ever even cashed in a WSOP event before?

WCP: Moving on...you play online a lot?

RB: Some. You can usually find me on most sites under the handle "inertia."

WCP: Speaking of names, a lot of people were curious about your real name...

RB: I know. I get questions about it all of the time.

It's funny cause with a name like Rhett Butler you'd expect me to be some carousing, wife-beater-wearing Joe Cool. My parents were originally gonna name me "Hawley Griffin" but went with Rhett Butler instead.

Let's not forget though, Rhett Butler did play some poker in Gone with the Wind, so maybe they were onto something. Do you believe in a little thing called "destiny?"

WCP: What do you do in your free time?

RB: Mostly just sit around. I do have a website I've been working on, but otherwise, not much.

WCP: What do you plan to do with your the 3.2M+ you won for finishing fifth?

RB: I'm going to let it sit in a savings account and earn interest.

WCP: Finally, give us your dream six-person table...

RB: Well, I like surrounding myself with like-minded individuals. So, hmm. I'd probably have to say I'd fill out my table with welfare recipients. I think we'd have a lot of great ideas to share.

Comments

[Stump]

Hey guys. Great story, except for one thing. Operation Shutdown was Derek BELL, not Derek Lee. I would know, that a-hole played for my Astros.

BTW, I never got that T-shirt from you guys in Vegas. Drop me an email & I'll send information if you want. Thanks!

Stump

[Fuel55]

True genius.