Norborne - Fran and Marc slugged it out head's-up in the FNCPT's first-ever Crazy Pineapple tournament. Having already agreed to chop first and second place prize money, the pair agreed to play 10 hands and see who was on top. Ten hands later, the house forced the players to play it out, and in the end, Fran held all the chips.
Play started shortly after 7:00 p.m. with all 20 seats filled. The new format did not slow the action as five players busted and rebought before the first break.
The night's first two eliminations came from the blue table. When Marc's rivered flush topped Jim H's straight, Jim became the first casualty of the evening. John followed quickly behind as the night's 19th finisher.
John's elimination caused Jason Tr. to be re-seated at the blue table. Shortly after the move, he found himself in a three-way pot on the draw for all of his chips. Jason held an open-ended straight draw but was up against a set and two-pair. Jim's set held and the evening continued with only 17 players.
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Next out, also at the blue table, was Angie. Her elimination caused Bill to change tables and shortly after that, Bill was eliminated in 16th place. As the blue table claimed its fifth victim, action was heating up on the red table. Fran bumped it preflop. Kevin called and Eric went "small in" for less holding "Route 66". Eric's sixes didn't improve and he subsequently became the evening's first elimination at the red table.
The poker grim reaper returned to the blue table for its next victim. Nick put it all-in the middle preflop with A-A and got called by Keith's K-K. But the board was dry for Keith and he was eliminated in 14th place.
Chris B. hit the rail next holding A-K-5 preflop and going up against 8-8-5. The Q-Q-J flop missed Chris, but the overpair on the board gave Chris' A-K more possibilities. A deuce and trey on the turn and river were both bricks for Chris and he was eliminated in 13th place.
Marc kept active at the blue table, putting Anita at risk with a bet of 100k PF. Anita called with A-K-6, but Marc's J-J was dyno-mite! as he sent Anita to the rail in 12th place.
Not wanting to let Marc build too big of a chipstack, Nick kept active at the blue table as well; he raised the action holding A-A-x and Jim called, putting himself at risk holding T-T-x. Nick hit an ace on the river, but the T on the turn gave Jim a 1-outer. Instead of drama, Nick improved to quad-aces with an Ace on the River. Jim was out 11th and play progressed to the final table bubble.
Tom found himself short-stacked with only about 9,500. When he woke up with A-8-x, he shoved and found someone willing to double him up. And although Kevin's Q-T-x was mathematically behind, Tom was "drawing thin" against Kevin. Sure enough, Kevin hit a queen on the flop and sent Tom home on the bubble in 10th place.
The table consolidated and play resumed 9-handed and it didn't take Kevin long to give away Tom's chips and the rest of his own; he was the first player dispatched in 9th place. Lolly hit the rail next when her 8-8 didn't improve against Marc's Q-Q.
Mike M. and Nick tangled in a pot, Mike holding A-Q-4 and Nick holding A-Q-6. When a 6 hit the flop, Nick discarded the queen and his sixes held, eliminating Mike in 7th place.
Next up for Marc was Chris S., holding 7-7-3. Marc was behind temporarily holding A-K-J, but when a jack hit the flop, Marc seized the lead. Air on the turn and river brought no help to Chris and he went out in 6th place.
With five players left, the money bubble was about to burst. Jason Ta. shoved holding K-Q on a K-6-7 flop. He got a caller in Marc holding K-K. At that point, the turn and the river didn't matter because Jason was drawing dead. Marc's chip stack swelled and Jason's night ended on the bubble.
Four-handed play didn't last too long as Nick put himself at risk and then found the bad news: K-T against A-K. Nick earned $110 for his 4th place finish whilst his wife was killing the Omaha-Eight cash table.
Three handed play began with Mike T, Fran and Marc. Fran got out of the way when Mike and Marc shoved with Mike being at risk. Both players held an ace (A-4 vs. A-Q), but Marc held the Ace of Spades and used it to make a river flush and send Mike home $150 richer.
Before head's-up play began between Fran and Marc, they agree to chop the first and second place price money, $330 each. They also agreed to play 10 hands and at the end of those 10 hands, whoever had the most chips would be declared the winner. At the end of ten hands, as their deal was revealed, they were informed that they had to play the cards out until one person held all the chips. They did so, and the final hand was dealt.
After an 8-8-3 rainbow flop, both players discarded and Fran revealed an under-pair (6-6) while Marc held on to two overs (K-T). Neither the jack on the turn nor the deuce on the river improved Marc as Fran took home first place points along with $330. Because Fran had rebought earlier in the night (and Marc did not), Fran only earned 0.57 points more than Marc, despite the first place finish.
Thanks again to everyone who played in S5E5 and congrats again to Fran!
~Eric
