| DOYLE'S CHILDREN
The host of the WPT Championship Final in the Festa al Lago III, Doyle Brunson, showed up in person today. It would be difficult to name anyone more responsible for the enormous growth poker has experienced than 'Texas Dolly.' In the game of 'Who's Your Daddy?' all the others at the table can point to Doyle. How do you beat up on your father?
FINAL TABLE
Seat/Player/Hometown/Chip Count
Seat 1 Jason Sagle Sudbury, Canada 145,000
Seat 2 Parker Tarvin Atlanta GA 67,200
Seat 3 Richard Tatalovich Scottsdale AZ 116,200
Seat 4 Allen Kessler Huntingdon Valley PA 39,900
Seat 5 John Juanda Marina del Rey CA 82,600
Seat 6 James Van Alstyne Las Vegas NV 65,500
Seat 7 John Hoang Alhambra CA 53,600
Seat 8 Cecilia Reyes Madrid, Spain 13,400
Seat 9 Doyle Brunson Las Vegas NV 120,700
Ante 300 Blinds 1,000/2,000 14 minutes left in this level.
This was a 'repeater' table. Three of the nine had been here before. That's pretty amazing in only six events. Parker Tarvin, Richard Tatalovich and John Juanda were going to take another run at the title that escaped them the first time.
But first they're going to make the table a boy's club.
The simply lovely wife of former champion Carlos Mortensen, Cecilia Reyes, starts so low in chips that she can't get through the first orbit. On hand six Cecilia is in the big blind with her last 9k. She makes a value raise all-in against Doyle Brunson. Doyle has A K offsuit. Reyes has 6 5 offsuit. The board comes high and Cecilia is low down in 9th. If I say it gets ugly after her departure, you'll know what I mean.
One of the amazing coincidences we've seen all this tournament long is back-to-back eliminations. Repeatedly, if one player is knocked out another will be sent packing on the very next hand.
James Van Alstyne is that next player. He is stunned to leave in 8th when his pocket 6's are overmatched by John Juanda's pocket 10's. John bets out 9k and James raises 32k all-in. Why is James stunned to lose to an overpair? Because Van Alstyne has been one of the hottest players on the circuit this year. I fully expect he thought he couldn't lose this early. The look on his face, when he gets up, tells the story of incredulity.
We now get it out the muck with antes of 500 and blinds of 1,500/3,000.
Everyone has plenty of chips except Allen Kessler. When they leave, everyone has to go over and shake Brunson's hand. It is such an honor to play with Doyle, they feel obliged to pay their respects even if he's the one who knocks them out. Doyle is ever gracious in these moments. He truly is the 'Godfather of Poker.' Is Allen the next to say goodbye to Doyle? It takes a while to find out.
The loss of two players in seven hands gives a false impression of this group. These are rocks. This would be the longest lasting of all the tables so far. Typically we go 10-15 hands without seeing a flop. Several times when there is a flop it's checked to the river. It's going to be hard to trap someone who doesn't bet.
The answer is yes, it is Allen Kessler who is next to shake Doyle's hand. On hand 39 after a couple of uncalled all-ins, Kessler gets a call he turns out not to want. Chip leader Jason Sagle bets out 8k in middle position. Allen has the misfortune of picking up the dreaded big slick in the big blind. Not surprisingly, Kessler reraises all-in for his ultimate 45k. Without a second's hesitation, Sagle calls and flips over Huey and Dewey and couple of Ducks. Well, we know that Deuces never loses. Big slick catches big air to send Allen out in 7th.
Now everyone REALLY has a lot of chips, in relation to the tiny blinds that is.
It's an occupational hazard that poker writers must sound as it they are criticizing plays that are made. In truth it takes tremendous courage to make some of the all-in bets and calls players make routinely. It's easy to dismiss that courage sitting on the sidelines. Sometimes, on the other hand, it's easy to see how hard a call is. Even for a brain dead poker writer. I'll tell you, Richard Tatalovich makes one of the gutsiest calls in this tournament so far.
First a little background is needed. A few days ago Tatalovich was at this Final Table starting second in chips. Richard had a nightmare day and finished an embarrassing 7th. Today Richard starts third in chips. The last thing he wants to do is go out early. Yet, you have to try to win if you think you have the best hand. Richard has the button and makes it 12k to go. John Hoang goes all-in from the big blind for another 45k. If Richard calls and loses he'll have only 25k left. The flop of J 4 4 with two hearts doesn't make Richard's call any easier. "I put him on 9's or A K of Hearts," Richards says later. Tatalovich has pocket 10's. After several minutes of obvious agony, a mensch acts. Richard calls the all-in knowing that he'll probably be humiliated again if he's wrong. John Hoang has pocket 9's and is out in 6th. A weak-kneed poker writer on the sidelines can't make that call and certainly couldn't criticize either player for how the hand was played.
The ante is 1k now and the blinds are 2k/4k. John Juanda has taken a slight chip lead over Jason Sagle. Doyle is fourth out of five with 120,000.
Jason Sagle retakes the chip lead on hand 51 when he dispatches Parker Tarvin to the dustbin of history in 5th. The betting moves all the way around to Jason on the button. He has K 10 offsuit. Sagle makes it 14k for the blinds to contemplate. Parker doesn't have to think too long. He goes all-in from the small blind with his case 38k and the A 8 of Diamonds. It looks good on the flop for Tarvin when an 8 high comes. But the day is over for Parker when a King turns and a 10 rivers. Surely Tarvin is disappointed but he needn't be. He never had any chips. Two Final Tables against this field is extraordinary.
Someone who can be disappointed, and undoubtedly is, would be Richard Tatalovich. Twice now he's come in with over 100k. A phenomenal feat in itself. But twice he's fallen below his starting point. Worse he suffers a horrible beat when he plays perfectly. It's the old story in poker: No good play will go unpunished. Richard makes it 13k under the gun with pocket Kings. He gets exactly what he hopes for. Jason Sagle reraises 50k with pocket Queens. Tatalovich goes all-in and he is called instantly by Sagle. Horrors! When a Queen flops, all the air suddenly comes out of Richard's victory balloons in 4th.
Three handed each player takes a turn as chip leader. Mostly it's John Juanda, but Jason Sagle has the hammer for a while. And even Doyle has the chip leader for one hand when he doubles up against Juanda all-in.
When the blinds go to 4k/8k, Juanda starts to take over the table. Slowly he grinds out the pots. Meanwhile Jason Sagle's cards have gone completely dead. He can't even call the big blind on most hands. We are seeing a flop infrequently and showdowns almost never during this period. Doyle is showing signs of getting tired. John Juanda sees this as he sees everything at a poker table. He starts to pressure the 'Godfather.'
On hand 146 John leaves Doyle with only 70k when Juanda's pocket 2's crush Doyle's A 3 off. But the next hand Brunson doubles up with Q J over Juanda's Q 7. The reverse happens on hands 155 and 156. Doyle has A Q against pocket 6's and a Queen flops. Now it's Juanda with only 93k left. Next hand, Doyle has A Q off again. Juanda's all-in with the 10 8 of Spades. Bingo! When a 10 hits the turn, John is back on his way to the title.
An ante of 2k and blinds of 5k/10k do what they are designed to do, get the players busted.
John Juanda starts to scoop every pot. He's up to two thirds of the chips and it's a race for second.
Doyle survives a couple of all-ins to give the unwanted third place money to Canadian Jason Sagle. When Jason gives his all-in 'presto,' pocket 5's on hand 186, presto fails him. Jason moves all-in for 98k. John Juanda may have seen something in Jason's movement. Anyway John calls in a nanosecond with the A 6 of Clubs. Don't worry about it, eh? With a six on the flop, we are heads up.
Three hands later a respectful son does in our poker father. John has a 5-2 chip lead, but with pocket Queens he's going all-in. Doyle needs chips and big slick looks good heads up. The Queens walk and a very relieved John Juanda can finally put the "can't finish" tag to rest. Daniel Negreanu will have to shut up for a while.
Doyle's children were honored to play with him and one of his kids got a monkey off his back by beating Dad.
Mike Paulle
| 
