A Test of Character:
Robert Goldfarb Takes Bad Beat in Stride, then Stages Dramatic Comeback Win -
Good for $35,691 and Gold Ring
If you want to determine true poker talent, don't look at stack sizes or loudmouths
raking in pot after pot. Anyone can look like a 'great' poker player when they
are catching cards and running good. In fact, if you want to see a real measure
of someone's poker ability, watch closely how they react to the hard times.
Crack their Aces. Bust their straights. Anyone can crow when the chips are raining
down, when things are going good. But deal a poker player a few bad beats and
see how he reacts - and that's when true character shows.
Robert Goldfarb is a man of character. He took a horrible beat at the final
table of the $500 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em event, on a hand that would have put
99 percent of all other players on massive tilt. Instead, Goldfarb reacted in
a calm, cool, collected manner and continued to play his "A-Game."
That discipline eventually paid off as Goldfarb was able to slowly regain some
of those lost chips, draw back close to even with his opponent, and eventually
bust the player who caught the miracle hand. There are not many who can say
they staged dramatic comebacks and did it with style and class every step of
the way. Goldfarb is such a man.
Event #3 attracted 223 entries. Day One lasted 11 hours, during which 214 players
were eliminated. Nine of those players, places 10 through 18 received prize
money. The nine finalists returned for Day Two and players were eliminated as
follows:
9th Place - Ten minutes into play, short-stacked Kyong Ton Kim moved
'all in' and lost to Tod Reichert's full house. The South Korean-born poker
pro, who mostly plays $20-40 limit and No-Limit Hold'em, collected $2,163 for
9th place.
8th Place - Coloradoan James 'Stormy' Greer hoped to double-up quickly
at final table, but was unable to pose much of a threat to the chip leaders.
He was short-stacked and committed his final chips with 4-4 against Dan Bartlett's
A-7. The final board showed Q:3:2:A:A giving Bartlett trip Aces. Stormy blew
away from the final table in 8th place, good for $3,245.
7th Place - Mike Heintschel made things interesting at one point when
he was dealt a K-3 and stood up from the table prepared to depart when the turn
showed a nearly hopeless A:10:5:2. Unfortunately, Richard Kirchnavy had 2-2
and had hit a set of deuces. Amazingly, a life-saving Four fell on the river,
giving Heintschel a runner-runner straight. His joy was sweet but short. Moments
later, Heintschel moved 'all in' with A-10 and was called by chip-leader Dan
Bartlett, holding a real dog - 9-2. When Bartlett spiked a Two on the turn,
Heintschel was eliminated. The 42-year-old contractor from nearby Escondido
received $4,326 for 7th place.
6th Place - Richard Kirchnavy, a real estate agent from Upland, CA looked
to be serious threat and might have made a move at the chip lead, but for a
disastrous final hand. He picked up 9-3 in the blind and made two pair but lost
to Tod Reichert's club flush. Kirchnavy picked up $5,408 for 6th place.
5th Place - On his final hand, Russ Floyd, a poker player and owner
of the website BetItUp.com made an 'all in' move on a semi-bluff flush draw.
Then, two bad things happened: He was called, and then missed the flush. Floyd
had the Ace of clubs and watched three clubs flop - 9:7:6. Dan Bartlett wasn't
going anywhere with top set, trip Nines, except to his stack. He couldn't call
Floyd fast enough. Two red blanks fell and Floyd was gone. Floyd, who now lives
in the Houston area, has a number of tournament wins -- including two first-place
finishes at the 2000 World Poker Challenge. 5th place paid $6,489.
4th Place - Matt Letourneau made it into the money on the previous day,
and was looking to parlay his poker winnings with a high finish in this event.
Unfortunately, Letourneau (holding 9-7) took a horrible beat when Dan Bartlett
was dealt J-8. The flop showed 9:7:3, giving Letourneau two pair. But the turn
brought Bartlett a Ten, good for an inside straight. Letourneau was drawing
to four outs, but missed. That meant the financial analyst from Kansas City
ended up in 4th place, with $8,652.
When play became three-handed, Dan Bartlett had 75 percent of the chips in
play. Indeed, one might have thought that the two short-stacked players, Robert
Goldfarb and Tod Reichert, might subconsciously play for second-place. No one
could be blamed for making a pragmatic financial decision - hoping the big chip
leader might bust the opponent to move up nine grand in prize money.
But poker tournaments are unpredictable. One must expect the unexpected. Before
Bartlett had a chance to get comfortable with his mountain of chips, Goldfarb
doubled up with A-K versus Bartlett's 4-4 (and Ace flopped) - and the race was
on. A few minutes later, Reichert doubled up on Bartlett, and after a few more
key pots it was anyone's tournament to win.
Which now brings us to the final table's most exciting hand: It was a hand
that defined Robert Goldfarb. Goldfarb was dealt A-A. Reichert was dealt K-J.
Reichert got caught overplaying his hand and was 'all in' before the flop, all
but resigned to the fact he would end up going out as the 3rd place finisher.
When an Ace flopped, giving Goldfarb trip Aces, it seemed like massive overkill.
Then, the unbelievable happened. A Queen fell on the river, and the board showed
A:8:3:Q. Now, Reichert was alive with four outs on a straight draw. When a Ten
fell on the river, stunning everyone who was watching, the crowd cheered. Reichert
slapped the table and pumped his fist into the air, and no one could blame him.
Goldfarb didn't even flinch. He calmly posted his blind on the next hand and
played on.
"I think that's my biggest attribute," Goldfarb explained later.
"I don't steam….There are 44 cards left in the deck at that point,
and every once in a while something like that will happen, so why get upset
about it?"
3rd Place - The 3rd place finish had to be a tremendous disappointment for
Dan Bartlett. After all, he arrived as the chip leader and seemed to be a huge
favorite when play became three-handed. After a disastrous final half hour,
Bartlett was dealt A-K and made top pair, top kicker. He was 'all in' against
Tod Reichert's flush draw. The flush was completed, which meant the financial
analyst from Laguna Niguel, CA was out, Bartlett, the winner of events at the
Super Bowl of Poker, La Poker Classic, Winnin' O' the Green, Peppermill Classic,
and other major tournaments, received $10,816.
Heads up play lasted 90 minutes. Both players had the chip led at various points,
and Reichert was in control much of the way. But the longer the two rivals played
on, the more it became obvious that Goldfarb wasn't going anywhere without a
fight. He slowly regained the lead by winning several small pots, and won several
marginal hands, usually milking out an extra bet or two when he was convinced
his hand was best. When most poker players would have 'checked' with third or
fourth pair (to overcards), Goldfarb was willing to push a little harder and
get extra chips.
On the final hand of the night, Reichert was low on chips and tried to pick
up the pot on a bluff. He picked the worst time to make a stand, as Goldfarb
had A-J and an Ace flopped. By the turn, Reichert was drawing dead. The tournament
was over and Goldfarb had extracted his revenge for the earlier bad beat.
The runner up was Tod Reichert, a 65-year-old sawmill owner from Onalaska,
WA. He finished in the money at the 2003 WSOP. Reichert played magnificently
and ended up with 2nd-place prize money -- $19,684.
The winner, Robert Goldfarb is a 36-year-old real estate investor from Scottsdale,
AZ. He plays regularly at Casino Arizona, near Phoenix. He mostly plays $40-80
and $60-120 stud and hold'em. Up to this point, Goldfarb's biggest tournament
cash had been a 6th-place finish in the $1500 buy in event at last year's World
Series of Poker.
As Goldfarb was presented with $35, 691 in cash and the specially-designed
gold ring awarded to each WSOP circuit winner, he added: "I had no idea
we were playing for a gold ring. When they brought that out and set it on the
table, I said 'I want to win that ring!' It completely motivated me. It's a
symbol of the win. The money comes and goes, but this is something I will always
have."
Yes indeed, Goldfarb will always have the gold ring - and the character to
have made the victory possible.
Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm PST
Final Table Ended at: 8:50 pm PST
Report by Nolan Dalla - World Series of Poker Media Director
World Series of Poker Tournament Director - John Grooms
World Series of Poker Circuit Director - Ken Lambert
Harrah's Rincon Poker Room Manager - Bob Corona |
