Life With... David Oppenheim

[steve7stud 0]

David and I both grew up in the same suburb of LA. I was pretty good friends with his sister, and had met Dave once or twice. This actually goes back about 15-20 years. Several years ago I was at Commerce and saw him outside. We began talking and realized that we knew each other from way back when.He started playing poker seriously when he was in High School. Playing in casinos around the LA area. His game of choice was limit hold em, and eventually switched to A-5 single draw as well.He was always considered to be one of the top 5 limit hold em players in the world.These days he plays in the highest cash games available. Including any high stakes games in Bobby's Room as well as the Larry Game.I honestly don't think that Dave has had a normal job in his entire life. His wealth is almost entirely built around his poker winnings.He is truly talented, and fiercely competitive.When he was younger, he was known for not only being a great player, but for also having a ferocious temper. He is still a world class player, but his temper is not as bad as it once was. Not to say that he is a "mellow" guy. But it's better.Eventually Dave moved on from just playing limit hold em, and began to dominate mix games. He has phenomonal poker sense, and is able to learn and consistantly win in all games that he plays.So now the question is...........why don't most people know who he is. Tournaments. In order for the public to learn about a player, they have to win tournaments, appear on TV, etc. For whatever reason, David has not truly excelled in tournaments. Perhaps it's because he doesn't play a ton of them. Perhaps it's because he has a hard time adjusting to mediocre talent. Perhaps it's because most tournaments are no limit, which is not a game that he plays all the time. Whatever the reason is, he has yet to win a major tournament.A few years back when Daniel was hosting at the Wynn, Daniel had a challenge to all poker players. Any game, any limit, freezeout. So I arranged Daniel's first match to be with David Oppenheim. They played a 200k lhe match and Dave won. David is truly a guy who plays with the best of it. I have never seen him in a situation where he didn't believe that he was honestly a favorite. Except some tournaments, lol. But I'm sure if you ask him, he believed that he was a favorite.I frequently tell Dave that he is often wrong, but never in doubt.Some funny stories.Many years ago I was sweating Dave in a 300-600 2-7/A-5 triple draw game. He got a phone call and told me to hold the fort down while he was gone. He happened to be crossbooking with two other people in the game for roughly 200%. I figured this would be a good chance for me to test my skills. He came back an hour later and was shocked, disgusted, happy, and taken aback that I decided to play. Fortunately I won, or else all hell would've broken loose. Literally.I've never won a prop bet with Dave. We've had several of them, but he always manages to have the best of it. Finally he offered to let me settle for 10k, and I gladly accepted. I knew that he would never make a bet that he couldn't win.Dave the poker teacher.I've had the great privelage of learning from Dave over the last 4 years or so. He is truly a difficult man. His words are biting, and his praise is few and far between. He taught me how to be tough and brutally honest with myself. Almost everything he said to me, and every piece of advice he gave me was spot on. At the time or times, I often disagreed. But he was always right. Cool fact.Because I have my own poker students, Dave has had the chance to meet quite a few of them. If needed he will give advice and take time to give people direction. Sometimes I will call him with situations that I don't know how to deal with and he usually is willing to help.The Family Man.He has a beautiful wife. 3 great kids. And 4 super cool dogs. He lives in one of the most amazing houses I have seen that was almost built from scratch, and personally designed.I often tell him that he takes things for granted. But like any ridiculously successful person, that is fairly common.I'm proud to say that Dave has been an amazing friend and gifted mentor.Hope you enjoyed learning about him.*I'm sure that I left plenty of things out and will either answer them in question format or insert along the way. Like Ted, he too will read this and add things as well.

[Dirtydutch 9]

Here's a question: I have no life, and thus vaguely recall he did an episode of Highstakes Living for Cardplayer. Either he or his wife had a black eye; I can't remember who. Is there a story there?

[steve7stud 0]

Here's a question: I have no life, and thus vaguely recall he did an episode of Highstakes Living for Cardplayer. Either he or his wife had a black eye; I can't remember who. Is there a story there?

I don't think he had a black eye. It just looked that way.

[bigcoled 1]

Great write, Steve!

[steve7stud 0]

Great write, Steve!

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed. It's nice to write about someone like Dave because he isn't in the spotlight like a lot of tournament players are.

[aucu 3]

Thanks for these, quality as always.

[troyomac 0]

Steve, did you pay David to mentor you, or did he do it because you were friends? Also can I play your stack for you for an hour next time you're in a 300-600 mixed game?

[silkyjonson 1]

Can you hook me up with his daughter in a few years?Also can you make sure that he does'nt look up my IP and kill me?

[zander24 0]

I was pretty good friends with his sister

uh huh

[owise1 0]

Thanks for the good read Steve, keep them coming.

[JaNnN 0]

Haha I love your read-ups Steve. Really don't know anything (now I do a bit) about David and have nothing to add but it's awesome he makes time for this!!Jan

[antistuff 0]

what kind of prop bets has he gotten you to make with him where it was obvious to him that he was always going to win but you would still make them?

[Whatever 1]

Thanks for the quality stories Steve!

Many years ago I was sweating Dave in a 300-600 2-7/A-5 triple draw game. He got a phone call and told me to hold the fort down while he was gone. He happened to be crossbooking with two other people in the game for roughly 200%. I figured this would be a good chance for me to test my skills. He came back an hour later and was shocked, disgusted, happy, and taken aback that I decided to play. Fortunately I won, or else all hell would've broken loose. Literally.

I'm most interested in this. A.) approximately how many months/years had you been sweating him before you decided you could take over for him?B.) when you did it - how sure were you that David would be ok with it?

[steve7stud 0]

what kind of prop bets has he gotten you to make with him where it was obvious to him that he was always going to win but you would still make them?

We played horse (basketball), how to set a chinese poker hand, lots of things really.

Thanks for the quality stories Steve!I'm most interested in this. A.) approximately how many months/years had you been sweating him before you decided you could take over for him?B.) when you did it - how sure were you that David would be ok with it?

Maybe a year.Umm, I'm not sure if I actually thought he would be ok with it. But I was ready to play........at least in my mind I was.

[Whatever 1]

Haha thx.

[No_Neck 0]

Davids CribsHe looks like he has a shiner to me!

[Suited_Up 2]

Davids CribsHe looks like he has a shiner to me!

I think he just never sleeps.I didn't watch the clip though, but going off memory.

[Suited_Up 2]

David dominated me in a couple hands when he was directly on my left in the WPT Championship a few years back. It's amazing to think back and realize that I played that tournament when I had no idea what I was doing. I think he raised me on the flop with nothing.... I had 99 and felt it was good. The board was rags with 2 hearts, and one diamond. So I felt like if anything, he had a couple hearts or I was crushed by a set or something. Turn was another diamond and I check/called. River was a 3rd diamond, to go running diamonds, which I wasn't worried about in the least. I felt sick when he bet like 10k on the river but it felt to me like, either I was ahead the whole time, or I was crushed, but why call the turn and not the river. So I end up calling and he shows me something like 8d4d or something along those lines. (Actual hand is on this forum somewhere.) Keep in mind I raised preflop too, such a sick player. He also owned me with KK > AQ in a hand. Not as big of a pot though, because he actually played it well, and I donked off chips with TOP TOP. So yeah, that's my Oppenheim story.

[nutzbuster 7]

David dominated me in a couple hands when he was directly on my left in the WPT Championship a few years back. It's amazing to think back and realize that I played that tournament when I had no idea what I was doing. I think he raised me on the flop with nothing.... I had 99 and felt it was good. The board was rags with 2 hearts, and one diamond. So I felt like if anything, he had a couple hearts or I was crushed by a set or something. Turn was another diamond and I check/called. River was a 3rd diamond, to go running diamonds, which I wasn't worried about in the least. I felt sick when he bet like 10k on the river but it felt to me like, either I was ahead the whole time, or I was crushed, but why call the turn and not the river. So I end up calling and he shows me something like 8d4d or something along those lines. (Actual hand is on this forum somewhere.) Keep in mind I raised preflop too, such a sick player. He also owned me with KK > AQ in a hand. Not as big of a pot though, because he actually played it well, and I donked off chips with TOP TOP. So yeah, that's my Oppenheim story.

BBFIDTSOppy (I call him Oppy...we go way back) wished me Happy Birthday a few years ago at Bellagio.I was drinking with AAsnake and Checky and someone taps me on the shoulder.I turn around and this guy thrusts out his hand and says "Happy birthday Scott!" I'm like...huh? I didn't know David from the man in the moon on a personal level but totally knew who he was from a poker perspective. The guy scares the shit outta me. I say thanks, shake his hand, start gushing like a little girl, fall to my knees and start kissing his feet....then dissolved into tears. OK, I lied about the gushing.Anyway, Steve had been in Bobby's room with David and when they took a smoke break he set the whole thing up. He thought it would be funny because back then I still thought it was cool to see a top pro, let alone meet one. Hardly the case today as over the years I have gotten to meet quite a few of them and many are complete A-holes. David is not one of them. He seemed like a very cool guy. Intimidating as hell, but super nice.

[Suited_Up 2]

Intimidating as hell, but super nice.

I can agree with your read here.

[mtdesmoines 2]

Davids CribsHe looks like he has a shiner to me!

Judging from that house, he must have made a shit ton of money playing poker. Wow, it's a NICE home, but it needs to be furnished.His wife is quite attractive but looks ... hard to please.His kids run and scream a lot. And, yes, I have kids too. He has a lot of ... random people hanging around his place.Some people just have those bags under their eyes. Did I mentioned that's a nice place?

[wsox8 10]

Thanks for doing this, Steve. It's very interesting. My question: When I see David and Gus playing on FT, Gus is always needling David. Is there some history between them or is that just Gus?

[Gallo 1]

David dominated me in a couple hands when he was directly on my left in the WPT Championship a few years back. It's amazing to think back and realize that I played that tournament when I had no idea what I was doing. I think he raised me on the flop with nothing.... I had 99 and felt it was good. The board was rags with 2 hearts, and one diamond. So I felt like if anything, he had a couple hearts or I was crushed by a set or something. Turn was another diamond and I check/called. River was a 3rd diamond, to go running diamonds, which I wasn't worried about in the least. I felt sick when he bet like 10k on the river but it felt to me like, either I was ahead the whole time, or I was crushed, but why call the turn and not the river. So I end up calling and he shows me something like 8d4d or something along those lines. (Actual hand is on this forum somewhere.) Keep in mind I raised preflop too, such a sick player. He also owned me with KK > AQ in a hand. Not as big of a pot though, because he actually played it well, and I donked off chips with TOP TOP. So yeah, that's my Oppenheim story.

Not to take anything away from David, but it's not that difficult. How did you get in that tourney and what was buyin?Anyway, back to David, great read.What is the best advice that David has given you?

[Gallo 1]

Judging from that house, he must have made a shit ton of money playing poker. Wow, it's a NICE home, but it needs to be furnished.His wife is quite attractive but looks ... hard to please.His kids run and scream a lot. And, yes, I have kids too. He has a lot of ... random people hanging around his place.Some people just have those bags under their eyes. Did I mentioned that's a nice place?

He's only been there 4 months. He said they're still working on it.Also I think that's some mark under his eye that is just more pronounced because of the cameras and lights. I thought it was a bump or something, but if you look at other DO pics it looks more like some kind of mark that maybe he was born with or something.

[MJINK3 0]

Not to take anything away from David, but it's not that difficult. How did you get in that tourney and what was buyin?Anyway, back to David, great read.What is the best advice that David has given you?

Ever hear the phrase bj's for buy ins?