This was one of the most amazing final tables I have ever seen in a Holdem Affair. Forty-two sat down and we had ten of the finest at the final table. The best of the best tonight was RipleyBP. His heads up foil was Glenso. The story of how they got there was amazing to watch. RipleyBP went into the final table in 8th place with only 3210 chips. At the second hour break we were down to nine players and RipleyBP trailed the pack with only 1660 chips. Glenso was the bookend of the list leading the way with 11255. But don’t make the mistake of thinking this story is only about Ripley. Glenso fell on hard times in the third hour and at one point was UTG with the antes 100 and the blinds 400/800 – he was down to 1775 chips. It was all-in with any two cards time. He pushed what amounted to a min-raise and all folded to him. That was the beginning of his rise back to power.
We paid five tonight. Doorie took the third place money. Jewelcard entered the final table dead last and climbed the ladder to finish in fourth place. He was short stacked most of the way but played masterfully to cash out tonight. Good to have you back Jewelcard. Annieboom completed the money table.
We had a strong field this week. Forty-two strong and we were still dealing to thirty-one when we got to the first hour break. Kryptic was leading the way and showing us how it was done. Here is your first hour leaderboard.
Kryptic = 6115
Verbalkint = 4355
Glenso = 3445
Doorie = 3415
Sunbob = 3365
Fatscotsman = 2940
Jewelcard = 2895
Guar64 = 2780
Jayzion = 2635
slotcrazy45 = 2525
As usual the second hour is when the tournament gets dicey. This week we battled hard for almost the whole hour before we set the final table. I took out Jennifear on the bubble when she pushed her pocket sixes into my pocket kings. That vaulted me to the top of the leaderboard and the final table was set one hour and 57 minutes into the match.
Sunbob = 11350
AAs up = 10960
Glenso = 10180
Doorie = 9200
annieboom = 5185
fatscotsman = 4250
the Tiburon = 3460
RipleyBP = 3210
slotcrazy45 = 2820
Jewelcard = 2385
I was on a roll going into the final table and feeling good about my chances. Little did I know that I had hit my peak for this evening and would never really be a contender at this table. This was another’s night to shine, not mine.
The very first hand of the final table, the Tiburon made a play to get a quick start. With just one limper showing any interest in the hand our favorite shark pushed from the big blind holding Ac 3h. Not a bad play at all but fatscotsman was the limper and he called the push holding Ad 9s. The board missed the dominated Tiburon and he left us in tenth place.
Just about ten minutes into the final table and we took our second hour break. I note this because the positions are significant. Glenso had climbed into first place with 11255 and RipleyBP was in 9th place with 1660. Watch these two it is getting interesting.
It was hand 30. I was back in the chip lead, Glenso had fallen back to second place and slotcrazy was the short stack. Four folds to Doorie and she raised to 1850 with her pocket sevens. Two more folds to slotcrazy holding As Qc so she made her play and pushed her last 1345 into the middle. Doorie made the call. The board fell low, nothing higher than an eight, and Slotcrazy45 was our ninth place finisher.
By hand 52 the antes were 100 and the blinds 400/800. Annieboom was now in the lead with Doorie close on her heels. Glenso and I were sliding. Two folds and AAs up limped to fatscotsman who was short with only 820 to push into the pot. Doorie, annieboom and AAs up made the call. They checked it down to see a final board show 9s 6h 9h Js Th. Doorie bet 800 and annieboom called. Annieboom showed 7d 8c for the low straight and Doorie held Kd Qh for the high straight. Fatscotsman held big slick and was gone in 8th place.
Just a couple of hands later Glenso took a big hit and found himself UTG with just 1750 left in his barrel. He pushed and said goodbye to everyone. It was folded around to me in the big blind and I looked down to see 52 off suit. The absolute worst hand possible heads up. I only needed to call 750 after posting the blind and I thought about it until my time was almost up. But I laid it down and gave Glenso the free ride. That may have been a mistake because this proved to be a significant hand for Glenso. He told me later he had pushed with 43 suited. If that is accurate then I was a 46:34 dog with a 20% chance of a split. I still don’t know if that was a good decision or not but it ended up being fatal for the whole table.
Hand 61 and now Doorie was the chip leader and Glenso had climbed back into 6th place. Jewelcard was tailing the pack with only 3470. I was in fifth place with 7000 chips posting the small blind. Told you I was sliding. Three folds to Doorie who raised to 2300. I was staring at pocket threes and decided to make my stand. I pushed my remaining 6900 hoping that Doorie would go away. She didn’t and made the call with her pocket jacks. I had gone into the final table on a roll and had managed to blow it with a seventh place finish. Yech.
Hand 73 and Doorie has a dominant chips stack of 23965. Glenso had climbed back into second with 13230. RipleyBP had 7770, AAs up 6975, Jewelcard 6740 and annieboom was down to 4320. Those are all short stacks folks and this is bubble time. We were paying five tonight. AAs up was UTG and pushed 6875 into the middle. Jewelcard had 6640 left and made the call. AAs up turned over Kc Jc and Jewelcard pocket tens. The race was on. The board fell low, 7d 5d 4c 2s 6h and the tens held up. Jewelcard had survived again. That left AAs up on life support and annieboom put him out of his misery on the next hand. Just out of the money but a very good showing for this newcomer.
Well, Jewelcard had managed to make the money. He had gone into the final table in a short position but this guy plays the short stack as well as anyone in the field and he showed it this night. He had actually climbed into second place by hand 85. In fact, lets set the scene because it is telling. Doorie held the lead with 23765. Jewelcard was second as I said. Glenso was third with 12030. RipleyBP was short with 9395 and annieboom was trailing with 5255. The antes were now 125 and the blinds 600/1200. Jewelcard raised UTG to 4000, and annieboom pushed her last 5130 into the middle. An easy call for Jewelcard, especially since he was holding As Kh. Annie turned over Ad 9h and knew she was in trouble. Two jacks on the flop and a second six on the turn gave Annie some hope for the split. But the Ks on the river sent her packing. What a tough way to go. This was the cruel hand of the night.
Those four battled for the next 30 hands. By hand 115 the blinds had increased to 800/1600 and RipleyBP had swapped places with Jewelcard. Two folds to Jewelcard in the small blind and he raised to 4100. Doorie re-raised to 12900. Hey, a battle of the blinds had broken out. Jewelcard held pocket sixes and decided that he needed to push back for all of his chips. Doorie made the call holding Kd Jc. Another classic race, two overs versus a mid-level pair. But it was over quickly when the flop brought the Ks. Jewelcard had to settle for fourth place and Doorie was increasing her chip lead.
Over the next 25 hands, Glenso kicked it into gear. By hand 137, Doorie was still in the chip lead with 27975 but Glenso had built his stack to 21810. RipleyBP was trailing with only 13215. On this hand Doorie called from the small blind and Glenso saw the flop with her. That flop came 4h 4s Td. Doorie bet 1600 and Glenso called. The turn added the Ad, Doorie bet another 1600 and Glenso pushed back for 7000. The river was the 6d. Doorie checked and Glenso bet 6000. Doorie called but mucked when Glenso turned over Jc 4d – he had flopped trip fours and had value bet himself into the chip lead.
Hand 145 and Glenso is on top with Doorie barely covering RipleyBP. Glenso folded and Ripley raised to 3200. Doorie held pocket tens and pushed for 13875. Remember now, Doorie has him covered. Do you make the call holding just Kc 8c? Well, RipleyBP made the call and he was paid off big when the Kh fell on the flop. RipleyBP doubled up and Doorie was in big trouble.
With only 510 chips left Doorie was all-in posting the small blind. Both called and checked down the board to reveal 7s 6c 9c 9h 4h. Doorie showed Jc 9d and doubled up. She wasn’t dead yet but she was not healthy either. All-in again on the next hand but this time Doorie held only 7c 3c. Both called and Glenso took the hand when his jack paired. Doorie was done in 3rd place.
Heads up and Glenso is dominant with 37140 against 25860 for RipleyBP. By hand 169, Glenso had a 51500 to 11400 lead and he looked like he was going to end this night on a quick note. But someone forgot to tell RipleyBP that he was done. A blind steal on 169 led into a big hand on 170. Ripley was all-in with Qd 8c and Glenso was happy to call with pocket kings. But the flop came 8d 4h 8s and RipleyBP doubled up.
Hand 170, and we are at it again. They saw the cheap flop come 6s 4d Td and Glenso called Ripley’s minimum 2000 bet. This was repeated on the turn when another ten fell and then the river brought another 6. Ripley slowed down and checked to Glenso who bet 8500. 17000 was the response from Ripley and Glenso laid it down. Ripley was now in the chip lead.
They battled to hand 176 when Glenso regained the chip lead. But two hands later Ripley took it back. They continued the battle but Ripley had the momentum now and gradually put some distance between them. Hand 191 of the final table and Ripley had 50140 chips to Glenso with 12860. The cheap flop fell all spades Js 9s 8s. Ripley fired 2400 and Glenso pushed all 10260 into the middle with Qs 2d. A flush draw and a gut-shot straight draw. Not a bad play heads up. But RipleyBP held 9c 7s. He had a made top pair with two shots at the straight. The pair of nines was enough and we had our winner.
RipleyBP had languished in the cellar for much of the final table and Glenso had been all over the board. I still have to wonder if I should have made the call back there when Glenso was down to his final bet but we will never know. What a wild final table. This was one for the archives.
Peace.
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