100k Bluff is Key to Phan Win
Two big hands (a straight and flush) in the late stages propelled Tim Phan into the lead in today's $1,500 no-limit event. But the key to his win might have been a 100,000-chip bluff against his final opponent, Tony Abesamis, because it left Abesamis short-chiped and likely a little on tilt. Phan, a talented young pro who picked up $103,200 for his victory, also had two six-figure cashes at Legends and the WSOP last year.
This was a two-day event, and the 18 players in the money returned at noon. At that point, Phan led with 95,200. Two hours later, the final table assembled. Blinds were 600-1,200, with 500 antes and 46:50 left. Tommy San was now in front with 130,600.
On the third hand, Peter Lee raised from the small blind for his last 11,000. He had A-Q and departed when John Freeland flopped a set of kings. Kevin 'The Snake' Blakey arrived lowest chipped with 6,300. A few hands later he called a raise all in from the big blind with 8-7 and stayed alive when two 8s flopped. Martin Matranca, a young Florida pro, questioned his call. 'I was getting 4-1 odds, don't you understand the game?' the Snake chastised him.
Blinds changed to 800-1,600 with 200 antes. Blakey survived a second time, then moved in again on the next hand with pocket 10s, Lan had pocket queens, made a set, and stepped on the Snake.
Next to go, on hand 45, was mortgage banker Mark Bryan. He moved in with A-Q suited and couldn't do anything against San's pocket kings. Two hands later, Jeff Wilson, a mortgage broker, was all in with 10-8. A flop of A-10-9 gave him some hope, but he couldn't overtake pocket jacks, and finished seventh.
Four more hands went by, and another player dropped. With a flop of 10-5-2, John Freeland, holding pocket 7s, pushed in for 21,000. Rod Dingler flipped up pocket deuces for a set, and Freeland, an investor, cashed out sixth.
Returning from the next break, San still led with roughly 205,000. Behind him were Dingler, about 110,000; Abesamis, 100,000; Phan, 75,000; and Matranca, 20,000. We were now playing 1,000-2,000 blinds and 200 antes.
Numerous hands went by without any showdowns. Finally, an all-in Phan took 44,000 from Abesamis, Q-Q versus 8-8, and then an all-in Abesamis got it back, plus 900 more, from Dingler, A-5 versus K-Q.
On hand 83, blinds increased to 1,500-3,000 with 500 antes. Dingler, a home-builder, went all in two hands in a row. The second time, pushing in 55,000 with A-6, he was called by Matranca, who had pocket 10s. The pair held up and Dingler cashed fifth.
Two big hands now got Phan into the lead. On hand 90, holding 6-5, he had a nut straight on a flop of 8-7-4. He flat called when San bet 30,000, checked the turn, then bet 40,000 and got a call on the river. He now had about 170,000. On hand 105, the flop came Qs-8c-6s. Holding Qd-10s, San moved in for 52,000 with his paired queen. Phan called with Ks-8s. The river brought a 9s, giving Phan his flush and leaving San fourth, as Phan moved into the lead with more than 200,000.
On hand 109 Matranca had 10-7 in the big blind, and was delighted when the flop came A-10-7. He quickly called with his two pair when Abesamis moved in for 117,000, then was shocked when Abesamis turned over A-10 for top two. Down to less than 50,000, Matranca recklessly threw it all in on the next hand with only Q-5. Phan called with A-5, the board came K-8-6-A-3, and we were now heads-up.
At the next break six minutes later, Phan led, 283,000-233,000. With blinds at 2,000-4,000 now, chips moved back and forth for nearly 20 hands. Then, on hand 133, with about 95,000 in the pot and a board of Ad-Q-10d-3d, Phan bet 100k. Abesamis folded unhappily. 'Show me a 5-7,' he said. 'Close,' Phan replied, turning up a 5-8 offsuit. Phan now had about a 3-1 lead, and the match lasted another nine hands. At the end, with a board of Q-6-3-5, Abesamis moved in with Q-8. Phan turned over pocket aces, and this tournament was over. - Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
Tim Phan has been playing poker for some 13 years and full time for six. However, for family reasons, he doesn't play as much as he used to. He plays side games more than tournaments, preferring $400-$800 mixed games. He had a great year in 2005, collecting $304,000 for finishing 24th in the WSOP main event, and $291,000 for coming in fourth in the Legends/WPT championship event. The year before, he picked up$148,000 for winning the Hustler Casino's Grand Slam of Poker championship. (The key hand in that event was a sensational one where he made quad nines to beat Young Phan's kings-full, with most of the chips in play in the pot.)
Phan, who describes himself as a 'passive/aggressive' player, said he was confident that his 100,000 chip bluff would succeed because there was an ace and three diamonds on board when he bet, and he knew that Abesamis would need at least two pair to call.
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