Sunday, April 18, 2010

A well-seasoned fish

Ingram - Season 1 of the Fish 'N' Chips Poker Tour is in the books after Saturday night's captivating win by Anita G. Withstanding a late-season surge and constant pressure from Kevin An., Anita found redemption...where else? on the river.
After 11 regular season events filled the first 8 seats to the Championship and the Qualifier filled the 9th seat, the lineup was set for the first Fish 'N' Chips Poker Tour Championship.


Prior to the game getting underway, Mike T. was presented with his Player of the Year Trophy for an outstanding season that included five cashes (including a win in Event #2) and two bubbles en route to an amazing 66.76 points, a benchmark for future seasons. Congrats, Mike. (Shout out to Mike's wife and all her facebook friends who are reading this and making fun of Mike right now...)


Every player started with T100,000 in chips and T225,000 chips were awarded as a bonus, based on each players' cumulative season points. Seats were randomly drawn and before play started, the starting stacks looked like this:

Seat 1: Jeff R., 127,500
Seat 2: Jason Tr., 121,000

Seat 3: Mike T., 137,500
Seat 4: Anita G., 125,000
Seat 5: Eric Wej., 120,500
Seat 6:
Bill B., 125,000
Seat 7:
Nick G., 128,500

Seat 8: Kevin An., 118,500
Seat 9: Jim H., 121,500



The Championship followed the standard league T100,000 blind structure, but all blind levels were lengthened to 30 minutes. The players arrived and the cards flew! The pictures of the full table below had to be snapped quickly, because in the blink of an eye, the first elimination came.



Before the first break, Eric Wej. found K-Q offsuit UTG and made it 3xBB to go. Two smooth calls later, the flop came with a Q-J-7. Eric led out with a pot-sized bet and Bill thought briefly before making it 50,000 more. Bill correctly read Eric as committed to the hand; Eric pushed and Bill insta-called, rolling over pocket sevens. The turn was an ace, giving Eric a glimmer of hope, but the river brought a brick and we were down to 8-handed. At the first break, Bill and Anita were neck and neck at around 300k and Nick was nearly down to the felt with 30,000 chips.

The next elimination of the night came shortly after the break. Jim H., who was unable to get anything started all night pushed his last 16,000 into the pot preflop. Jim would have been satisfied with a fold-around, but instead got three callers. While Anita folded after the flop, Mike and Bill bet to the river. Bill's queens eventually took down the pot and Jim unceremoniously mucked his pocket deuces, settling for an 8th place finish.

Player of the Year Mike T. was out next while playing the BB. Nick limped preflop and the board showed A-Q-J with two hearts. Mike checked and Nick bet out 16,000. Mike tanked momentarily before pushing in for 79,000 more. Nick, holding Q-9 of hearts, analyzed the hand and could not put Mike on an ace; at the most, he put Mike on a queen and if he was out-kicked, he figured he at least had a re-draw to the flush. Nick made the call and when the cards were tabled, Mike showed only a pair of Jacks. Though he was ahead, the turn filled Nick's flush and sent Mike packing.

Another player who couldn't put much together all night was Jeff R. He managed to drag a few pots and took down blinds when his short-stacked all ins weren't called, but overall, he was card-dead. Jeff pushed all in preflop for 77,000 and got a caller in Anita. Jeff rolled over AQ while Anita showed 8-8. The eights held and Jeff headed for the door. Five players left, one spot until the bubble, two spots until the money.

Jason was also relatively card dead for most of the tournament. He got involved in some pots but was pushed out by bigger bets. On his final hand, he limped preflop and was called by Anita. The flop brought Jason an OESD. Determined to make a stand, Jason pushed the rest of his chips in the pot. Anita called and showed pocket kings. The turn and river did not fill Jason's draw, and he was out in fifth. Best thing for him really. His therapy was going nowhere.


From a severe short stack at the first break, Nick settled in and built a nice stack. It was all gone in a matter of two hands. Nick was crippled after calling Kevin's preflop all-in of 170,000 holding A-8 of clubs. Kevin's pocket 5's held up and Nick watched a substantial amount of his chips and hours worth of work shipped to Kevin. The very next hand, Bill raised to 43,000 before the action reached Nick. He peeked at A-Q and pushed in his last 53,000. Bill called the 10,000 and turned over AK. Nick's miracle comes on the flop making top two on a board of
A-Q-8. Nick barely had time to celebrate when a Jack hit the turn, giving Bill four more outs. The ten on the river drowned any chances of Nick taking home the top prize.

Starting three handed play was Anita, Bill and Kevin. Kevin has some Championship experience, winning the Wedgerock Poker Tourney in 2006 and 2008. Anita bubbled in the Old Rosedale Poker League in 2007/08 and 2008/09. Of course, Bill earned the title "Buffalo" by finishing second in the WPT (2008) and the ORPL (2007/08). Early on, Bill and Kevin traded punches while neither seemed to challenge Anita's occasional pot.

A preflop raise by Bill was not respected and Kevin re-raised. Bill pushed all in and Kevin called, tabling pocket kings. Bill rolled over pocket aces and doubled up through Kevin. Kevin took it right back from Bill, pushing all in after hitting top pair on the flop; Bill called with second pair.

A casual remark would become the death knell for Bill. When the button and SB folded, Kevin rolled over his cards to reveal a 9-10 and remarked that it was one of his favorites hands. A short while later, Bill got involved with Kevin. The flop gave Bill top pair and a gutshot and he led out. Kevin called. The turn paired the board, showing 6-7-8-8. Bill bet 150,000 and Kevin pushed all in. Bill called and Kevin rolled over "his favorite hand" for the nut straight. The river could not save Bill's night and we were down to two players.
After taking Bill's stack, Kevin started heads-up play as the chip leader. He offered Anita a chop of the prize money and they'd play it out for the trophy. Anita declined and set about to whittle away at Kevin's sizable chip lead.


Anita's first strike came holding pocket threes. When the flop showed a 3, Anita checked and Kevin checked behind. The turn brought a blank and Anita checked again. This time, Kevin bet out, and Anita check-raised all-in. Kevin called with middle pair and an ace and after a harmless river, Anita had doubled up.

The next blow came with Anita raising 70,000 preflop and Kevin re-raising 80,000 more. Both players checked the flop; Kevin bet the turn and Anita called. The river brought a fourth club and Anita led out with a value bet of 70,000. Kevin called and Anita showed 5-6 clubs for the winner. Anita now had more than half of the 1.125m chips in play. Kevin pulled some chips back with his characteristic aggressive betting, but Anita folded several hands, refusing to give Kevin action with marginal holdings.

Anita took charge by min raising preflop. Kevin min re-raised and Anita called. The flop comes Q-6-4 and Anita checked. Kevin led out and Anita check-raised all-in again. Kevin made a remarkably quick call, rolled over pocket tens, and said, "You don't have a queen, do you?" Anita indeed had the queen. The turn brought Kevin a spade draw but the river was a blank and Anita now held a commanding chip lead.

Kevin tried to steal some chips back by pushing all in preflop for his last 130,000 holding 4-7 offsuit. Anita called with K-8 offsuit. The river was A-5-10 rainbow and it looked like Anita's king might hold up. Kevin made his six-outer on the turn when the 7 of spades hit. One card to go and it looked like Kevin had a little life and a 5:1 chip deficit. But just as quickly as it came, it was gone as the river brought Anita's six-outer in the form of the 8 of spades, giving Anita a bigger pair, a bigger payday, and the first plaque on the FNCPT Championship trophy.



Congrats to Kevin on a strong finish to the season, finishing 2nd in Event #11 to squeak into the Qualifier, first in the Qualifier to secure a seat in the Championship and then second in the Championship, earning nearly $700 along the way. But top prize goes to Anita G. who quietly had a good season with two cashes and a top five overall finish, but who ultimately finished on top when it mattered the most.


Congratulations, Anita, on your 2009-2010 Fish 'N' Chips Poker Tour Championship victory!

No comments:

Post a Comment