21-Year-Old Tyler Smith First Live Poker Tournament
Will 'the Monkey' Smith Finishes as Runner-Up for Second Time in this Year's Bayou Series
New Orleans, LA - The thirteenth event on the 2008 Bayou Poker Challenge schedule was completed today as Tyler Smith won the $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em competition. The tournament was hosted by the Harrahs New Orleans Casino and Resort. First place paid $88,154. Smith was also presented with a gold ring, presented to all World Series of Poker Circuit winners here in New Orleans.
This was the first live tournament victory ever for 21-year-old Smith, who lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He just turned legal age to play poker in January. Previously, Smith had cashed twice at tournaments in Mississippi.
The tournament attracted 284 entries. After 274 players were eliminated on day one, the ten survivors took seats at the final table on day two, with Tyler Smith holding onto a decisive chip lead with 151,200. Souther was second with 110,000 in chips. The remaining eight players each had 80,000 or less. Fittingly, it was the two big stacks who would square off in heads-up play. The exact starting chip counts were as follows:
Seat 1: Russell 'Melon' Bozeman 80,400
Seat 2: Skip Gill 50,000
Seat 3: Johnathan Westra 23,200
Seat 4: Will 'the Monkey' Souther 110,000
Seat 5: Jason 'J.J.' Brice 32,800
Seat 6: Tyler Smith 151,200
Seat 7: Dusti Smith 79,900
Seat 8: Jay Lee 66,000
Seat 9: Steve Fernandes 36,800
Seat 10:Nick Ceci 78,900
Opening blinds were 1,500-3,000 with 400 antes.
NO SECOND RING FOR WESTRA
10th Place - Johnathan Westra's bid to be the first two-event winner at this year's Bayou Poker Challenge came up short. Last week, Westra won $29,000 and first-place in Event #3. But he arrived at this final table with the shortest stack, making the quest to repeat much more difficult. Just three hands into play, Johnathan Westra busted out with 9-8 against a pair of aces. Westra made a pair, but it was not enough. The Gainesville, Florida poker player collected $3,306 for tenth place. Note: Westra now has 17 cashes at major poker tournaments, and over $425,000 in career winnings.
TYLER REBOUNDS WHILE FERNANDES BUSTS
9th Place -- Moments later, a big hand took place when Will 'the Monkey' Souther doubled up against Tyler Smith and seized the chip lead. The Monkey made a set of aces over Smith's set of sevens. That gave him about 240,000 in chips. Worse things were to come for Tyler. On just the 12th hand of play, Tyler took another hit when Nick Ceci doubled up with A-K against Smith's Q-Q. After the carnage, the former chip leader was down to about 50,000.
But Smith rebounded with a nice hand a bit later when he busted Steve Fernandes. Tyler called the all-in raise with A-Q. Fernandes tabled 3-3. Tyle caught and ace and improved to make two pair, which eliminated Fernandes. The graphics designer from Austin, Texas was paid $5,510. Note: This was Fernandes' first time to cash in a major poker tournament.
TYLER CONTINUES TO REBOUND, WHILE CECI GETS WHACKED
8th Place - Nick Ceci got whacked when he moved all-in with 7-7. Tyler Smith called with A-5. Bam! Bam. Two aces flopped, giving Smith trip aces and leaving Ceci on life support. He failed to improve and was forced to accept an eighth-place payout. The Peachtree, Georgia businessman received a payout totaling $8,264. Note: This was Ceci's first tournament cash.
TYLER CONTINUES TO DOMINATE, AS LEE SURRENDERS
7th Place - Jay Lee went out in seventh place when his A-Q failed to make a pair against Tyler Smith's pocket jacks. Yet another big hand during the first half-hour of play meant Smith was dealt J-J, 7-7 (hitting a set), A-Q, Q-Q and 7-7 (hitting another set). Yet, he was essentially back to his starting chip count, with about 150,000. Jay Lee was not so fortunate. The 43-year-old buyer from Huntsville, Alabama ended up with $11,019 in prize money. Note: Lee won $24,000 for first place in a tournament held two years ago at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
SKIP SKIPS AWAY
6th Place - Another hour passed before Skip Gill busted out. The general contractor from Baton Rouge, Louisiana was dealt pocket aces on his final hand. But he ran into Monkey's 4-4, which flopped a set. The trap caught Gill and snapped shut. The trip-fours held up, which meant Gill was out. Gill was paid $13,774 for sixth place.
JJ CHECKS OUT
5th Place - Jason 'J.J.' Brice went out next when his A-9 was dominated by Russell Bozeman's A-K. Bozeman flopped a king, which essentially put Brice out on the rail. Brice, who is a motel manager in Houston, checked out for $16 529. Note: This was Brice's fifth time to cash in a major event and second in-the-money finish on the WSOP Circuit. His best win was back in 2002 where he won the Europa Invitational held in Costa Rica. He now has over $100,000 in tournament earnings.
ATTORNEY LOSES APPEAL
4th Place - Next, Russell Bozeman, a.k.a. 'Melon' was eliminated when his K-9 lost to Dusti Smith's A-3. 'Melon' was low on chips, and moved all-in hoping to steal a round of blinds and antes. But Smith called and caught an ace on the flop, which scooped the pot. Bozeman, an attorney from Camden, Alabama was awarded a settlement totaling $19,284. Note: Bozeman just recently began playing tournament poker. He already has two seventh-place finishes as major events. Now, he has three final tables - all within the past two months.
DUSTI BITES THE DUST
3rd Place - This was Dusti Smith's first time to cash in a major poker tournament, and first final table. The stock trader from New York was getting low on chips and moved all-in with K-Q on her final hand. Monkey called the raise with A-9. The final board showed 8-7-6-9-2, giving Monkey the pot. Ms. Smith ended up in third place, good for $24,793. Note: Dusti Smith was the sixth female to make a final table appearance at this year's Bayou Poker Challenge. Other than Daphne's Turner's win three days ago, this was the highest finish by a female player.
MONKEY BUSINESS
2nd Place - When heads-up play began, Will 'the Monkey' Souther enjoyed a slight chip advantage over Tyler Smith - 403,000 to 307,000. Blinds were 3,000-6,000 with a 500 ante. The two players dueled back and forth for nearly two hours before the final hand came when Monkey was dealt pocket jacks and was all-in. Smith had an ace and spiked an ace on the final card of the tournament to win the top prize. As the runner up, Will 'the Monkey' Souther collected $48,484 in prize money. Note: This was Souther's 27th time to cash in a major tournament, and ninth WSOP Circuit in-the-money finish. He was the runner up in Event #4 at this year's Bayou series.
AND THE WINNER IS…
1st Place - It's tough to imagine Tyler Smith doing much better than his first-place showing in this tournament, which paid nearly 90 grand. He took seventh place two times in a few tournaments played in Mississippi. But then again, it's a whole new poker game. Times have changed. As Tyler Smith shows, even a young player with relatively little live-play experience can come to a WSOP Circuit and win big money.
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