Auto Salesman Mark Ketteringham
Wins First Tourney in Wild Finish
With four players left in tonight’s tournament, and four hands to go, auto salesman Mark Ketteringham had the third-lowest chip count. One hand later he took down a huge pot with a set of deuces and became the leader. Three hands later, another player was knocked out in fourth place, the remaining three made a deal and Kettingham had his first tournament win ever, in event 13 of Hustler Casino’s Grand Slam of Poker Tournament III.
Ketteringham, who plays $20-$40 to $30-$60 hold’em cash games, has been playing poker for seven years, tourments for just eight months. He describes his play as ABC, “with a little bit of craziness.” His previous best cash-out was a three-way chop in a $1,000 event at the Bellagio.
This $300 no-limit hold’em event, the final one before the $3,000 buy-in championship, had a $100,000 guarantee. The guarantee was exceeded by nearly 50 percent, with first place paying $55,850. The chip lead in this tournament moved all around the table, starting with Mark Seif, who arrived with a huge lead of $156,000, but quickly lost it. Kenna James, who finished third, also lost something in this tournament: a chance to win it. In one of the key pots of the night, he laid down pocket jacks in three-way action when a player moved all in. Had James called he would have flopped a set, would have ended up with virtually all the chips on the table, and he’s probably still kicking himself right now.
Only nine players made it to the final table after Seif broke two players. He had Q-J and hit a queen to beat Mike Carson, who had pocket 6s, and Charlie Shoten who had K-7.
Action got under way with $400 antes, blinds of $1,200-$2,400 and 11 minutes left at that level. On the fourth hand, Seif gave up a $20,000 investment in the pot after Ketteringham moved in. Two hands later, after James bet $12,000 into a J-7-2 flop, Seif raised $20,000, then faced an all-in re-raise by James. After long and painful deliberation, he finally shook his head and gave up the $90,000 pot. “A tough way to make a living,” said James, who now had the lead. Seif later accused James of stealing the pot, but Kenna wasn’t saying.
Soon after blinds went to $1,500-$3,000 with $500 antes, a short-chipped Paul Javier went all in with K-7. Louis Laxineta gave him “protection” by moving in. Some “protection.” He had pocket 8s, flopped a set and eight were left.
On the next hand, Tony Ma tried to pick up the blinds by moving in with his last few chips with A-6, and James Grimes picked him off with pocket 7s. Then, when Grimes himself moved in, Laxiter decided he didn’t have that good a hand and made a good call with A-3. Grimes had only Jd-5d, but flopped a 5 to stay alive. It would not be the only time that a 5 did Laxiter in.
Seif, who couldn’t do anything at the final table, finished seventh on hand 20. Aftter Ketteringham opened for $9,000, Seif raised $50,000 and then Joseph Cordi moved in. Seif, who has a whole clutch of tournament titles, called with A-J and lost to lost to Cordi’s A-K. Cordi, a businessman who played online for the first time last year and won the World Championship of Online Poker, now had the lead with about $185,000.
After blinds went to $2,000-$4,000 with $500 antes, James took a big pot from Laxineta when he check-raised on a flop of A-10-6, then moved in when another ace turned, and Laxineta folded. Laxineta, a builder and semi-pro, went out on the next hand. He moved in from the small blind for $40,000 with A-Q and got called from the big blind by Ketteringham, who had A-5. Once again a 5, this time on the river, was the jinx card for Laxineta, who finished sixth.
A rough count at this point showed Cordi still leading with about $160,000, followed by James, $130,000; Ketteringham, $90,000; Grimes, $65,000; and David Lambad, a contractor, $45,000.
With blinds of $3,000-$6,000 and $1,000 antes, the pot that might have been for James came down. Grimes opened for $14,000, James raised $30,000 with his pocket jacks and Cordi moved in. Grimes called. Putting Cordi on queens, James folded. As it turned out Cordi had A-K and Grimes had aces. The aces won and now Grimes had the lead with about $170,000, but a jack that came on the flop would have won it for James.
On hand 58, Cordi opened for $20,000 with Q-Q. Lambard moved in for $36,000 and finished fifth when Cordi flopped a set.
Everything turned around on hand 66. Kettering moved in for $102,000 with pocket deuces. Chip-leader Grimes called with Ac4c. A board of A-7-2-6-10 crippled Grimes and gave the lead to Kettering with about $210,000, followed by roughly $130,000 for Cordi and $100,000 for James, while Grimes was down to just $50,000.
Three hands later, with blinds of $4,000-$8,000 and $1,0000 antes, it was over. Cordi moved in with A-9 and Grimes called with pocket 7s. A board of J-8-2-9-8 gave Cordi a bigger pair and Grimes finished fourth.
The chip count now was: Ketteringham, $209,000; Cordi,$181,500; James, $98,000. The deal was made and the books were closed.
—Max Shapiro
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