Ingram - John M. defeated head's-up opponent Marc H. to claim the F&CPT's fifth annual Metallica themed PLO tournament in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 12th.
Three regulars who included Jim H, Bill B. and Keith K. couldn't make it and only one substitute was located. That sub was Drew M. who has won the last two league PLO events. The field remained at 18 players heading into the opening deals.
This season's Metallica theme was "...And Potbets for All". For the second consecutive season, a Metallica soundtrack returned tableside that spanned just over 7 hours. Each player received a satin sticky sticker which doubled as a name tag.
Everyone but Drew arrived and the opening deals went out just after 7PM.
The first blind level expired and Drew still had not arrived. A short time later, he phoned saying he'd overslept and he was not going to be able to make it. So I guess at least someone other than Drew would be winning the event this year. The field finally settled at 17 participants.
Kevin was the first player to rebuy and subsequently the first player eliminated from the tournament after blinds reached 2k/4k. No elimination information was recorded.
Sean followed Kevin in the same blind level after his K-J-J-7 failed to outdraw Eric's Q-Q-9-7 which eventually made quad queens.
Chris S. was punished all night by flopping the nuts only to have it turn into the second best hand by the river; it was well into the night before he pulled his first pot. The night was going so badly for Chris that he snapped a selfie to commemorate his first pot.
Chris would play his last hand on a flop of 8-9-J while he was holding A-Q-J-10 in a pot with four callers. He potted and Mike M. called. A four came on the turn. Chris potted again and Mike called. A river queen was dealt. All Chris' chips were in with a queen-high straight and Mike called revealing 8-9-K-10 for a higher straight to the king which sent Chris packing in 15th place.
Two full blind levels passed by with no eliminations. Then the "Level Where Champions are Made" arrived increasing the stakes to 5k/10k/1k. Anita was all-in short-stacked preflop with 9-7-3-2 and she was called by Fran's 5-5-?-?. A five appeared on the flop putting Fran in the lead however it also gave Anita an OESD. The turn was a blank. The notes on the hand then state "F&%king quads on the river" (for Fran). Anita then went to sleep on the blue chair.
Anti-omaha proponent Mike T. was the next player to hit the bricks (out in 13th place) when his A-K-10-8 went up against antagonist Jason Ta's 5-5-?-? which turned a five for a set. Apparently 5-5-?-? was the hand to have this tournament.
With blinds still at 5k/10k/1k, Jason Tr. took a stand all-in for 57k with A-J-Q-7 and got called by Mike M's A-A-8-7 who's aces went on to hold up.
Jim O. followed Jason to the rail in 11th place. No elimination information was recorded on the hand.
Tom W. was eliminated in 10th place by an unknown assailant thus forming the final table. No elimination information was recorded on this hand either.
Jason Ta. was the first player eliminated from the final table with blinds at 7k/15k/2k. Jason potted John's limp to 70k and John made the call. A flop of 8-5-? was dealt out. Jason was then all-in for his last 53k and John called tabling A-J-8-3. Jason showed A-A-8-5 for a commanding lead. A seven was dealt on the turn which changed nothing. But a jack on the river gave John the higher two-pair and the elimination. Notes on the hand ended with "John sucked out".
In the same level, Chris B. bet out 80k on a flop of Kh-3d-4d holding Ah-Ks-Qd-4s. Marc then potted to 346k and Chris called. Marc revealed Kd-Jd-2h-5s for the world. The 7d turn gave Marc a king-high flush. And the Ad river gave him an even bigger one. Chris quietly exited the premises in 8th place.
With blinds still at 7k/15k/2k, Lolly was all-in PF holding K-K-Q-2. John M. looked her up with 3-3-5-A. The 3-5-2 flop confirmed the night was definitely going John's way. This was further confirmed by a four on the turn and a five on the river giving John a full-house. Lolly was out in 7th place.
Still in the same blind level, Mike M. pushed holding A-K-J-10 and was called by an unknown player who held 8-8-?-?. The 8-K-9-8-? board gave the unknown player quad 8's which dispatched Mike in 6th place.
Blinds increased to 15k/30k/5k when Nick's Q-Q-?-? went up against Marc's K-K-?-? and lost. Notes on the hand included "Pot, Pot, Pot" and "Blanks".
Eric was able to nurse a short stack at the final table because 4 people were eliminated in the first orbit and Nick followed shortly thereafter. But at a critical spot when Eric barely had a big blind, he managed to quad-up his stack with second pair. The tide began to turn and he took down some unchallenged pots with a preflop raise. Looking down and A-A-K-7, he put the rest of his stack in the middle and hoped for another double up when Marc called and tabled 9-9-A-?. Being a 3:1 favorite didn't last long as a 9 hit the flop, giving Marc a set and leaving Eric drawing very thin. The turn and river brought no help and Eric was eliminated in 4th place.
Fran was eliminated in 3rd place soon after blinds increased to 20k/40k/6k. Fran all-in potted a flop of J-3-7 holding J-7-5-K. John called and showed A-A-2-2. As fate would have it, a two appeared on the turn giving John a set and the lead. A meaningless six on the river sent Fran away in 3rd place.
Head's-up play between Marc and John started with John having just a slight lead in chips over his opponent. However the lead was exchanged several times over the course of an hour of play.
On the final hand of the tournament with blinds at 25k/50k and with John just slightly ahead in chips, Marc potted to 100k holding Qc-Qs-6s-Ah and John called. The flop came out 8d-8s-9h. Another 100k bet was placed by Marc and John called. The turn was the 9s giving Marc two-pair (queens and nines) and a flush draw. Another 100k bet by Marc was again called by John. The river was the As filling Marc's flush. Marc bet another 100k and John raised all-in. Marc made the quick call but John turned over Ac-Ad-2c-6h for aces full of nines and S7E3 had it's winner!
This is John's first win this season and third consecutive cash. He finished 3rd in S7E1 and 2nd in S7E2.
Thanks to everyone who participated in S7E3 and congrats to John on his win!
~ Jason Tr.
