Tiburon Wins the Bash

It was the Second Annual Birthday Bash for the Holdem Affair this week. For two years of Saturdays we have gone into battle at the poker tables of UB. The longest running private tournament at Ultimate Bet. Our hostess Marti does a great job each week and we all love her for it. This week was something special. Eighty-six friends sat down in a rare re-buy format to celebrate two years of fun. This is really a social event for most of us but make no mistake about it – there is also some very good poker going on around these tables. Tonight was no exception. It was a war from the very first hand. Papoorboy was in top form and Jennifear was showing why she has become such a popular poker coach. Shootist was back to defend his title and there were former winners seated at every table. At my opening table alone there were at least 13 Holdem Affair trophy’s represented in those ten players.

Yes, folks, these tables were full of sharks. How fitting then, that the top shark himself went home with the honors this week.. The Tiburon, our favorite Spanish shark, swam through these waters and gorged himself on the final table. Angel 1221 was the heads up victim. Jillymae, Sorry4urloos and SuperrSam rounded out the top five. The rest of your final table consisted of BirdsinDirt, Papoorboy, Houn, Jennifear and Slotcrazy45.

It was a rebuy tournament this week. The first time we have used this format in the Holdem Affair. As a result we still had 83 of our 86 starters still in action at the first hour break. Here are your early leaders.
Stevob19 = 13430
Papoorboy = 13315
Guar64 = 11955
coachstove = 10430
ThePokerWolf = 10330
VictorDave = 9610
Red Hot Poker = 9240
SuperrSam = 9105
KOR = 8940
Dissident11 = 8915

The real knock out action started in the second hour. The stacks were large for the leaders and the action was fierce. We were down to 49 now. Here are your survivors as we went to the second hour break.
Slotcrazy45 = 27365
xgames4me = 24235
SdBe = 23085
KennyJ37 = 21275
coachstove = 20295
the Tiburon = 19440
Uncle Milty = 18980
BunaBoy1 = 18945
Jillymae = 18570
sorry4urloss = 17440

The blinds are catching up now in the third hour and the field is getting smaller. This is where the solid play started to pay off. We were down to just 15 by the third hour break. Jennifear had come out of the middle of the pack to take the lead. Sorry4urloss had climbed from 10th place to 2nd. The Tiburon was sitting comfortably in 6th place. By the time we eliminated the final 5, the Tiburon was in control. Here is your final table.

the Tiburon = 138915
Papoorboy = 119080
Jennifear = 75510
Jillymae = 56070
sorry4urloss = 44910
slotcrazy45 = 42790
Houn = 22190
Angel 1221 = 19130
SuperrSam = 16450
BirdsinDirt = 13955

From the very first hand of the final table the antes were 300 and the blinds 1500/3000. That meant that the blinds had caught up with our bottom three or four players. But it was Slotcrazy45 that made a play the very first hand. Pocket tens look very good in this situation and when all four fold ahead of you, a push is the play that comes to mind. It folded to Tiburon in the small blind who looked her up with As Jc. The board to the turn was low - 7h 3d 8c 3c – and it was looking good for slotcrazy. But Tiburon spiked the Ah on the river and our first casualty headed for the lounge. Slotcrazy45 finished in tenth place.

On hand 3, SuperrSam doubled up off Papoorboy and on hand 5 Angel 1221 doubled up off Jennifear. That was the beginning of the end for Jennifear. Just two hands later Papoorboy pushed from the small blind and Jennifear defended the big blind holding Ac Jd. Papoorboy turned over 8s 9d and Jennifear had made the right call. The flop came Qc 3h Td and the turn the 3d. Jennifear was looking good. Then the hammer fell on the river in the 8h. Papoorboy had knocked out Jennifear and was now threatening Tiburon for the chip lead.

It was hand 15 when SuperrSam raised and Houn pushed holding Ac Td. SuperrSam made the call, though, and turned over Ah Qh. No miracle ten for Houn and he had to settle for 8th place.

The very next hand we saw BirdsinDirt double up off Papoorboy when she trapped him with pocket aces. Then on hand 19, Papoorboy came over the top of a Jillymae raise holding pocket fives only to have her show pocket sevens. An unsuccessful steal from the cut-off on hand 26 and now Papoorboy was short stacked with only 36615 and the antes 400 and blinds 2000/4000. That set up hand 27. Papoorboy pushed his short stack holding pocket fours. The Tiburon called with pocket fives. That was the end for one of the most feared players at the table. Papoorboy had to settle for 7th place.

Hand 30 saw sorry4urloss double up off the Tiburon and then he turned around and did it again the very next hand. Those two hands put sorry4urloss in first place but amazingly only dropped the Tiburon into second place. Jillymae was in a solid third place and the three were pulling away from the pack.

Hand 34 saw two of the shorter stacks go to war when BirdsinDirt pushed UTG and was called by Angel 1221 in the big blind. BirdsinDirt held As 5s and Angel Ah Th. The board filled Angel’s flush and BirdsinDirt was our 6th place finisher.

Hand 40 and SuperrSam was our short stack. He pushed his 15090 into the middle holding As 2c. Jillymae reraised to isolate and went to the flop holding pocket sixes. The board ended up Jc 8h Kd 8s 5s and the sixes held up. SuperrSam was gone in fifth place.

No short stacks now, at least not until the next blind escalation. The Tiburon had regained the lead with Jillymae right behind. But the sparing would only last for 5 hands. Hand 46 and we have the Tiburon pushing from MP on a blind steal holding Kh 6c. Sorry4urloss made the call from the small blind, even though he was covered, showing his Ac 5h. The flop came 4c 7d 6d. The Tiburon had caught a pair but sorry had a very promising straight draw. The Tc on the turn didn’t help and the river Kc was even worse for sorry4urloss. Sorry was gone in 4th place. The Tiburon now had doubled the other two chip stacks.

Hand 50 and the Tiburon was pushing again. This time with Ah 5c. But Jillymae was happy to call when she looked down to see pocket kings. But the flop was decisive - Qh As 4s. Jillymae was gone in 3rd place.

Heads up and Angel 1221 had her work cut out for her. Only 65930 to go up against a mountain of chips (483070) in front of the Tiburon. Angel doubled up on hand 54 when her 4c 2s caught the wheel straight. They swapped blind to hand 61 when Angel doubled up again. This hand evened up the stacks. The Tiburon was still in the lead but only by about 46000 chips.

Sixty-five hands into the final table we had our decision. Angel raised to 16000 and the Tiburon pushed. Angel made the call holding Ac Tc. She had tried to warn that shark but he didn’t listen. The Tiburon turned over Kc Jh. The flop came Ts Qh 9s. At first glance this sleepy brain of mine only saw the pair of tens for Angel but then it registered that the Tiburon had flopped a straight. We had out winner. The Tiburon had won the Second Annual Birthday Bash. Congratulations Tiburon.

And to all of the final table – way to go. You all played excellently. It was a great night. Let’s hope we are all around to see the third year anniversary.

PEACE