VegasSno in an Avalanche

VegasSno survived the final table brawl and posted his first Holdem Affair victory. This was one of the best played Holdem Affair final tables I have ever seen. Newcomer Agro was the heads up victim. Papoorboy, playing as Kate Starbird tonight, was third. Itsonlyus6, another relative newcomer, was fourth and Takechances made another money table taking fifth.

Thirty-three players sat down this week and amazingly we were down to only 15 by the first hour break. This is very much out of the ordinary for this event. But I think it does attest to the aggression level being shown lately. Itsonlyus6 was dominant in the first hour and probably the reason so many were on the rail. Here is your first hour leader board.
Itsonlyus6 = 11030
VegasSno = 7490
Agro = 5105
Laeshalady = 4555
Takechances = 4135
the Tiburon = 3245
Maronie47 = 2440
ThreesRWild = 2100
smartin = 1965
Boat Flop = 1730

The second hour saw the battle continue. Itsonlyus6 and VegasSno held serve and continued to dominate their respective tables. There was some shuffling of the positions and only 1 hour and 30 minutes in the Holdem Affair we were sitting down to our final table. This has to be a new record for a field this size.
Itsonlyus6 = 11205
VegasSno = 7190
Takechances = 7060
the Tiburon = 6245
ThreesRWild = 5715
Agro = 5305
Laeshalady = 3305
Kate Starbird = 2310
Maronie47 = 1090
Boat Flop = 75

The newcomer Boat Flop was hopelessly short going into the final table and an early exit was the result. Welcome to the Holdem Affair , Boat Flop. It is always an honor to even make the final table of this event. Very well done.

Maronie was the next to go when she was all-in posting the big blind on hand 27. Laeshalady did the honors when her pocket sixes held up.

With the antes just now kicking in at 25 and the blinds still a modest 150/300, there was a lot of room for this group to play. As a result you almost got the feel that the tournament was just starting. Now the real action has begun. And play they did. Hand 33 and the Tiburon with 9c Qs is all-in against Laeshalady showing Ts Qh. The board missed them both and the Tiburon was down to just 190 chips. All-in, of course, on the very next hand was the only play even when you hold a lowly Jh 8d. Three players called and checked it down to see the final board come out Kd Td Th 8h 2s. That lowly 8h was the deciding card and the Tiburon quadrupled up to stay alive. But the very next hand saw the Tiburon with Qh Jh. You can’t fault the shark with pushing in that situation it would take a very good hand to make the call. Well, folks, VegasSno woke up in the big blind with Ah Kd and rose to the occasion. A Qs on the flop gave the Tiburon some hope but the Ac on the river sent the shark swimming off to the lounge in 8th place.

The battle lines were drawn and the war was now on. And a war it was, for the next 60 hands. Finally on hand 92, nearly 1 hour later, our next victim was identified. In this hour the leads had changed, the pots were stolen and good beats/bad beats given and taken. The antes were now 100 and the blinds 400/800. VegasSno was in the chip lead with 10945 and ThreesRWild in fifth place with 5780. All fold to VegasSno in the small blind and he raised to 3100. It was an easy push for TRW in the big blind but VegasSno held Ks Js and rose to the challenge. The flop hit VegasSno square between the eyes with Qh 8c Kh. That king was all he needed to send ThreesRWild off in 7th place.

The blinds are high enough now that people are getting short. The very next hand Laeshalady opened for 3400 holding Kh Jd. Kate Starbird was next to act and pushed all 8270 into the middle to isolate. Everyone else dove for cover to these pushes and the cards were turned over. Yep, Kate had the goods showing Ac Qs. The board came low with no paint at all and just a pair of sixes to make a hand. The ace kicker for Kate was the card of power and Laeshalady was gone in 6th place. We were finally down to the money table.

Hand 96 and Agro limps then calls the all-in from Takechances. Agro has Ah Tc and Takechances, true to his name, had pushed with Td 8d. The board missed them both and Takechances settled for fifth place money.

We were down to four with the antes 125 and the blinds 600/1200. Hand 103 and Itsonlyus6 entered the hand with 2510 chips when she posted the big blind. Qd 3c will have to be good enough. We shall see. Kate Starbird raised to 3600 UTG to isolate the big blind, and Itsonlyus6 made the call. Kate turned over Qc Js and any hope for live cards was gone for Itsonlyus6. The Jd on the flop sealed the deal and Itsonlyus6 was sent packing in 4th place. Excellent game for the relative newcomer. We are glad to have you in our little family.

We were down to three with Kate Starbird in the chip lead, VegasSno in second and Agro a distant third. That only lasted two hands though. On hand 105 Agro was all-in with pocket sixes and Kate made the call with Ac 4h. The 4d on the flop gave Kate some hope but not enough to keep Agro from doubling up and getting back in the game. We have a race now folks.

Kate Starbird was still in the chip lead and in control. Anyone who has played against Kate Starbird (aka Papoorboy) knows that when he has chips this means trouble. He was dominating the table when disaster struck. Hand 112 and he lost a 9000 chip pot to VegasSno. That actually gave Sno a slim chip lead but Kate took it back on the very next hand. Hand 114, Kate opened for 3975 and VegasSno pushed for 20945. Kate had started the hand with exactly 300 chips more than Vegas and made the call. Oh my, what have we here. Both of these players are good enough to not take on the other big stack without a hand. And hands they were. Kate had opened with Ad Qs and VegasSno was fighting back with Ac Ks. Amazing stuff. The poker gods must have been laughing as they sent the As to the party on the flop. But no miracle queen for Kate Starbird. Kate was down to 300 chips and Vegas Sno had 42265. That hand decided the tournament.

Kate was, of course, forced to push the next hand and 6d 9s went up against Agro with Kh Ts. The king high was good and Kate Starbird, many time winner of the Holdem Affair, was gone in third place this week.

Even with that pot, Agro was a 7960 to 41540 underdog to VegasSno. Agro battled for 14 hands but just couldn’t catch a big break. VegasSno was our Holdem Affair victor tonight. Excellent play Agro. I think this was your first Holdem Affair. I hope you will join us for many more.

And Congratulations to VegasSno. You have seen many final tables and several money tables. It is good to see you finally break through for the win.

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Peace.

Sunbob