Alaska HS Coach Brandon Blake Doubles
Up Twice and Wins 1st Caesars Circuit
Las Vegas, NV-- For most of the final table, Anthony "Big Boy" Romanelli, a retired brick mason and now a pro player, was on a rampage. He arrived with the chip lead, knocked out players left and right, and had close to 1.2 million of the 1.52 million chips in play when he got heads-up with Brandon Blake, a high school teacher and coach from Palmer, Alaska. But then, in only four hands, Blake took two big pots, the lead and the win in the opening event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Caesars Palace, $500 no-limit hold'em. The victory was worth $71,454.
Both times Blake went in with an ace-high. "I knew he was playing a little loose, so I had to call with an ace every time," he explained later. Blake teaches physical education and coaches basketball in Palmer, 45 miles north of Anchorage. His prior highlight was a 22nd place finish in a $1,000 re-buy WSOP event.
He doesn't get a chance to play much poker in Alaska, except in home games and in the Alaska Poker Assn., which runs legal fund-raising games. But with this win, he plans to play a lot more and has his eyes on the WSOP. Blake, who describes his play as tight/aggressive, was never in real trouble tonight, though he was a little short when 10-handed hand-for-hand play was in progress. His other hobbies are hunting, fishing and sports.
But the heads-up excitement was almost eclipsed by a dramatic and unusual hand played out between "Big Boy" and "Little Man" (bracelet-holder Mike "Little Man" Sica). With three players left, the flop came J-2-4. Little Man bet 40,000 and Big Boy called. When a 6 turned, Little Man bet 90,000. Thinking he was just calling, Big Boy pushed in 155,000. A floor person was called in and ruled that since Big Boy put in more than half a raise (even accidentally), he had to raise the full amount, to 180,000. Sica called and then, holding K-8, bet his remaining 65,000 when a 6 rivered. Romanelli called with 8-2, and his paired deuce knocked out Sica, who was upset that an accident had caused him to lose to an 8-2.
As this Circuit series began, several tournament enhancements were announced by poker room manager Jim Pedullla. First, gold and diamond trophy rings will be awarded to winners of all open events, with a pendant for the ladies event. Second, Caesars Palace will be the exclusive World Series satellite headquarters from May 1 until May 27, just before the start of the WSOP. Winners of mega and single-table satellites will be paid in $500 chips, and cash. The chips can then be turned in here (and only at Caesars Palace) for seat-card registration to any event at the Rio. Also, anyone with 60 hours of live play during May will qualify for a free-roll tournament on June 22.
On day two of this event, 19 players returned, with Richard Smith the chip leader with 162,000. It took over an hour, after countless all-in survivals, to lose player 10. Finally, it was Smith who was all in with 10-6 against Tim Frederickson's Ks-Js. Smith flopped a six, but Frederickson turned a straight, and at 5 p.m. the final table was set. Romanelli.led with 325,000 chips.
Here were the starting chip counts:
Seat 1. Mike "Little Man" Sica 120,000
Seat 2. James Cox 280,000
Seat 3. Cristian Avendano-Barrera 48,000
Seat 4. Tim Frederickson 215,000
Seat 5. Michael Best 72,000
Seat 6. John Stanfield 198,000
Seat 7. Anthony Romanelli 325,000
Seat 8. Brandon Blake 96,000
Seat 9. Lorie Bodfield 132,000
Play began with 8,000-16,000 blinds and 2,000 antes, 41:45 left. Lowest-chipped was Cristian Avendano-Barrera, and on the sixth deal, after James Cox raised, he called all in with J-10. He made two pair when the flop came A-10-J, but nevertheless he was drawing close to dead because Cox had a set of aces. No miracle cards saved him, and he cashed ninth for $4,928. Avendano-Barrera, 38, originally from Ecuador, now lives in Vegas and is a company manager.
Three hands later, the flop came 10-5-2. Everybody checked to John Stanfield, who was one off the cut-off seat. He risked an all in bet with just A-J and got called by Romanelli, who had A-Q. An 8-7 came, Stanfield got $7,391 for eighth, and Romanelli had increased his lead to close to 500,000, almost a third of the chips in play. Stanfield is a 38-year-old attorney from Overland Park, Kansas, and an Army veteran of the Iraq war.
He began playing in high school home games and has entered five Circuits. His other hobbies are running and raising twins.
Then, seven hands later, the flop came 9-2-A. Frederickson, holding A-10, bet 65,000, and Romanelli, with A-J, put him all in. Frederickson looked like he'd escape when a 10 turned, but a three-outer river jack knocked him out in seventh place, worth $9,855. Frederickson is 36 and a teacher from Long Beach, California. He learned poker two years ago, this his his first Circuit, and he also coaches water polo.
And then, five hands later, Romanelli continued his assault by knocking out yet another player. His victim this time was Lorie Bodfield, short-chipped in the big blind. When Romanelli raised, she made a desperation call with 6-3 against his A-J. The board came 5-K-9-7-A, and Romanelli's paired ace crushed her. Sixth place paid $12,319. Bodfield, 45, is from Laughlin, Nevada. She had been in real estate, now is a poker player. She learned her craft at WPT Boot Camp and the Central Ohio Card Club. Her prior cashes include an 11th in a Circuit event at Caesars Indiana, and a 9th and 12th in ladies events. She's played five Circuits altogether.
Blinds now were 10,000-20,000 with 3,000 antes. Michael Best had started second-lowest in chips and had managed to hang on all this time. Finally, in the big blind with 10d-3d, he called all in after Sica raised from the button with Ah-10h. The A-J held up when the board came 5-9-K-7-4, and Best went out fifth, paying $14,783. Best, 43, is a school administrator from Lone Tree Colorado. He learned poker from his father 25 years ago, his poker highlight was having Phil Gordon run a charity poker tourney for his school, and his hobbies are camping, hiking and snowshoeing.
A hand later, James Cox lost a lot of chips when Blake, with pocket 5s, bet 160,000 all in and doubled through after Cox called and lost with Jd-7d. Soon after, Cox was all in from the small blind with A-8, losing to Sica's pocket 10s when the board came 4-4-6-Q-3. For fourth, Cox took home $17,247.
Hand 37 brought the accidental raise by Romanelli ending in Sica finishing third, which paid $19,710. Sica, 64 is a retired school teacher from North New Brunswick, New Jersey. His father taught him poker when he was 7. His numerous cashes include a WSOP win in $3,000 no-limit in 1004, along with over 100 tournament cashes, a dozen wins and nearly $1 million in earnings. His hobby is pool shooting, he has two children and a a grandfather of one with another on the way.
Heads-up, Blake had about 340,000 to over a million for Romanelli. After one hand, blinds went to 15,000-30,000 with 4,000 antes. On the first hand of the new level, Romanelli raised 70,000 with Kd-Qs, Blake came over the top for 140,000 more with A-2, and Romanelli moved in. The board came 2-10-7-J-10, Romanelli missed his straight draw, and now they were close to even. Blake won the next pot with a raise, and now had a slight lead. On the next and final hand, Blake raised 150,000 with Ad-10s and Romanelli called with Ah-9d. The flop came Jc-10d-8h, making Blake a huge favorite with paired 10s. He moved in for 590,000. Romanelli called and lost when a 4 turned and a 5 rivered. It was a bad loss for Romanelli, but a second-place payout of $37,696 helped.
Romanelli, 56, from Valley Stream, New York, began playing 40 years ago with family and friends. This is his first Circuit, and his highlights include winning the Borgata Ultra Satellite last year, and playing in a Bellagio $25,000 event and the WSOP main event. He also likes to hunt and fish.
Max Shapiro
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