Joe D. Enters His 4th Live Tournament…Finishes on Top
Event #10 $500 + $50 Limit Hold´em got underway promptly at 4:15pm, with
187 entries and a prize pool of $93,500. The "Road to Millions" event
which started at noon was down to 4 tables while some of the players were jumping
from one event to the other as they got knocked out of the "Millions".
The final table did not start until close to 2am with nine players due to a
double bustout during the final table bubble play.
The final table was re-drawn, with the average chip stack at $41,500, and
an ante of $100 and blinds of $1,000/$2,000. The first elimination came on hand
#16 where Freddy Legaspi, a local pro, raised from UTG and was re-raised all-in
from Joe Saccone, of Venice, CA. Freddy quickly called and showed his A-10.
Joe held pocket Kings and the flop was K-Q-4. Joe takes a commanding lead with
his top set but Freddy has a gutshot straight draw to the Jack. The turn is
a Jack, and Freddy pulled ahead with his made straight. The river does not pair
the board, and Freddy takes the pot with the straight. Joe Saccone, of Venice,
CA, finishes in 9th place earning $1,635 and was feeling the sting of getting
Kings cracked even though he successfully avoided the Ace on the board.
The next knockout punch occurred a lengthy thirty hands later when Vic O.
open raised on the button and was 3-bet by Joe D. in the big blind. Vic called
and the flop was K-6-8. The postflop betting put Vic all-in, and he showed Jh-10h.
Joe D. gave the bad news to Vic and showed his pocket Aces. Vic needed runner-runner,
and the turn is a brick deuce-- Vic is drawing dead. The river King completes
the hand, and Vic O. was eliminated in 8th place earning $1,870.
Four hands later, on hand #51, Eric Arreca raised from the cutoff, and the
button, Geoff Wright, playing his 3rd final table of the Legends, 3-bet and
Eric called. The board was 2-8-10-3-9 and Eric check-called on each street.
Eric was all-in on the river, and Geoff showed his AA and Eric mucked his hand
without showing. Eric Arreca ended his tournament in 7th place earning $2,335.
On hand #60, Adam Kagin, from Henderson, NV, got in a raising war with Joe
D. resulting in Adam being all-in before the flop. Adam showed 10-10 and Joe
D. showed his suited connector Qc-Jc. The flop was Ac-Jh-3c. The turn was another
Ace and Joe D.´s hand improves to the flush on the river with the 9c. Adam
Kagin finished in 6th place and took $3,270 of the prize pool.
On the very next hand, Alan Steinberg, the short stack, raises all-in on the
button for his last chips. The small blind, Geoff Wright, called and the big
blind folded. Alan showed Ah-3s, and Geoff revealed his pocket pair of 4´s.
The board was 10-8-3-6-Q. Alan paired up but it was bottom pair. Alan was eliminated
in 5th place and earned $4,205.
Hand #62 would be the third hand in-a-row that resulted in a player´s
elimination. Freddy Legaspi raised all-in from the small blind. The big blind,
Van Nguyen, called and Freddy showed his AKo. Van Nguyen showed 8-10 and the
flop was 5-Q-J. The turn was another Queen, and the river 9 completed Van´s
gutshot straight which sent Freddy to the rail in disbelief. Freddy finished
in 4th place and pocketed $5,610 plus the coveted Legends of Poker gold ring.
At 4:30am, the final three players discussed a chip count deal. The numbers
were calculated and all players agreed. Joe D. had the substantial chip lead
and was declared the winner. Each player discussed the feasibility of playing
in the No Limit event which will start in about 12 hours. We´ll see if
they make it-- they definitely have the buy-in money, but will they be awake
at 4:15pm?
-Jay "Bugsy" Siegel
BIOGRAPHY
Joe D. has only been playing poker for three years, and this is only his 4th
tournament he has entered. He is self taught and started playing $2/4Limit Hold´em.
He scraped up his buy-in with four of his friends each buying 20%. I think they´ll
like the return on this investment. Joe D. would like to dedicate his win to
the two most important girls in his life, Natalie and Elaina. |
