I have been spending some time at Bellagio this week during the Festa al Lago Classic poker tournament. Here are some observations and some signs of the poker times.
-while I was dropping my car off at the Bellagio Valet, Phil Ivey and David Benyamine were leaving in Phil's big, shiny, black Cadillac or Mercedes; well it wasn't a Hummer. I guess the big game in Bobby's Room didn't have enough warm bodies to get going at noon-thirty on a Wednesday.
-the big plasma screens that show the tournament clock and ESPN, now also have CNBC with a stock ticker; by player request I am told. And here you thought they gambled all those winnings on craps.
-I arrived in the poker room just in time to see Erik Seidel standing up to leave and Mike Matusow raking in a nice stack of Erik's chips, but this is a big ($15K buy-in; 45K starting chips) Bellagio tournament and walking around the tournament area, I recognized on average 7 players at every table.
-Politics was a big topic of discussion among the players. It seems that long time democrats and ever longer time republicans were voting "For Poker" this time around and not for a political party.
-Some of the prop bets being offered on the U.S. election were just about as strange any I have heard before. One key discussion was on what constitutes a "Swing State" versus a "Battleground State" and, of course, how to handicap them for a prop bet.
-Oh, and there is a poker tournament going on, $1.4 million for first place.
Poker Shrink might find this interesting ... apparently there was some Jimmy Sommerfield-esque reseating going on in the main event of Festa al Lago earlier this month. In a nutshell, once they got down to like 99 players, Jack McClelland (whom Jimmy Sommerfield credits with teaching him all he knows about tourney direction) had the players redraw for seats every time they lost nine players. It seemed odd and there was a bit of grumbling ... and eventually Mike Matusow "went ballistic" and received a penalty. This led to the field chanting "Let Mike play! Let Mike play!" -- though they wouldn't join him in his commands for no one to play another hand.
In the end, Matusow was allowed back in the tourney before his penalty was up, and McClelland explained that the extra reseating was an effort to address some apparent collusion going on in this big-money tourney.
I learned about this from poker pro Tom Schneider (who cashed). Click here to hear his retelling of the incident on "Beyond the Table" (starting at 8:14).
The feature table on Day Two of the Festa al Lago at Bellagio was simply that table up on the little stage. There were no cameras yet, no microphones; it’s just another table in the room. But on this day perhaps it is just a bit more special. After a couple of players are knocked out and their seats are filled; here is the line-up:
Seat #1: Mike Matusow
Seat #2: Erik Seidel
Seat #3: Erik Friberg (8th place 2006 WSOP Main Event)
Seat #4: Carl McKelvey (4th 1983 WSOP Main Event, 7 WSOP Final Tables)
Seat #5: Richard Tatalovich (six 2006 WSOP cashes)
Seat #6: Paul Magriel (quack, quack)
Seat #7: Scott Fischman
Seat #8: Chip Jett
Seat #9: Hasan Habib
Nine seats, nine professionals in a deep money (20,000 starting chips) event with big stacks and low blinds (400/800). I decided to settle in for a few hours to see and hear what this table might produce pokerwise and otherwise.
Earlier this week I was writing on the Bellagio balcony off the Festa al Lago main room and a new tournament reporter asked me if I knew: "Who everyone was covering at that far table." Unclear what she was referring to, I looked up and saw several photographers grouped around one end of a far table. I could not see the players for the media frenzy, so I joked:
"It must be a new young female player with a tight top, those boys are all too eager with those cameras. Either that or Doyle is telling one of his famous stories."
Well I was right but little did I know How Right! The player was Brandi Hawbaker, chipleader after Day Two at Bellagion and the newest superior ventral surface on the poker tour. Yes, you do want to click on that link before you look up its meaning.
Let's finish up what we started yesterday and play another round of: As the Big Stack Turns. Will Joe Pelton's big lead hold up? Will Andreas Walnum make it all the way back from dead last yesterday? Can Can Kim Hua make the same move today? Will Lassie find Timmy in the well in time?
[5 PM PDT + TV rehearsal time]
Joe Pelton ................... 2,923,000 ... 7:45 3rd place
David Baker ................ 1,652,000 ... 7:10 5th place
Andreas Walnum ........ 1,374,000 ... 8:05 1st place
Christopher Loveland . 1,059,000 ... 7:40 4th place
Steve Wong .................. 886,000 ... 8:05 2nd place
Can Kim Hua ................. 765,000 ... 5:50 6th place
From 18th to 1st, nicely done Mr. Walnum
We all talk a lot about the big name professional players but there are a lot of players making a living on the various circuits who are not so easily recognized but still full time professional poker players. Take a look at today's Final Table at the Festa al Lago @ Bellagio and then take a closer look at how these Final Six describe themselves.
1 .. Can Hua .................. 765,000
2 .. Andreas Walnum .. 1,374,000
3 .. Steve Wong ............. 886,000
4 .. Joseph Pelton ....... 2,923,000
5 .. Chris Loveland ...... 1,059,000
6 .. David Baker ........... 1,652,000
Seat 1: Can Kim is a professional poker player from Rose Mead, California. He's 48 years old and this is his third WPT final table.
Seat 2: Andreas Walnum is a 23-year-old poker professional from Bodo, Norway. He started yesterday's play dead last in 18th place with a severe short-stack. This is his first WPT final table.
Seat 3: Steve Wong is a 33-year-old poker professional. He lives in Hoofddorp, Netherlands. This is his first WPT final table.
Seat 4: Joe Pelton is a 29-year-old business analyst. He calls Newport Beach, California home. He won the WPT Legends of Poker this season, making this is his second WPT final table. He does not yet consider himself a poker professional.
Seat 5: Chris Loveland is a poker professional, he lives in Portsmith, New Hampshire, is 31 years old and this is his first WPT final table.
Seat 6: David Bakeris a 34-year-old professional poker player from Katy, Texas. This is his first WPT final table.
One of the stats I like to keep on a tournament is just how much stack size matters when we get down near the final table. Below is the list of the 18 remaining playes in the Festa al Lago Main Event at Bellagio. I am going to follow these players today and see how the big stacks and the short stacks do. In theory, Joseph Pelton with nearly 15% of the chips in play should be a lock for the Final Table tomorrow and Andreas Walnum with less than 4 rounds of blinds and antes should be moving very soon. Let's see how it plays out during the day.
Joseph Pelton…….…1,288,000 ... FINAL TABLE
Chris Loveland…..…1,122,000 ... FINAL TABLE
Loi Phan……....…..…….799,000 ... 4:10 out in 8th to Pelton
Brandon Cantu….….…770,000 ... 12:15 out in 18th to Pelton
Can Hua……….….....….695,000 ... FINAL TABLE
Steve Wong……....……621,000 ... FINAL TABLE
Stan Wasserkrug…....525,000 ... 1:10 out in 16th to Loveland
Michael Mizrachi....…..378,000 ... 1:15 out in 13th to Hua
David Baker….…....…..367,000 ... FINAL TABLE
Tom Franklin…......……336,000 ... 2:35 out in 11th to Walum
George Mamacas…....291,000 ... 3:05 out in 10th to Baker
Michael Eckes…..….....268,000 ... 2:20 out in 12th to Smith
Joseph Tehan….....…..264,000 ... 12:30 out in 17th to Wong
Danny Smith….….....….227,000 ... 5:30 out in 7th to Baker
Chris Cellery…......….…217,000 ... 3:30 out in 9th to Wong
Carlos Mortensen...….203,000 ... 2:05 out in 14th to Hua
Ted McNeely...............190,000 ... 1:50 out in 15th to Cellery
Andreas Walnum….....103,000 ... FINAL TABLE
LAS VEGAS--Down to just two tables in the Main Event at Festa al Lago @ Bellagio.
Today the field will play down to the final TV six for the WPT televised final table tomorrow. Here are the survivors including The Grinder, Carlos Mortensen, Captain Tom Franklin and Brandon Cantu. After the page break find the other cash finishers.
53-5 Joseph Pelton Newport Beach , CA 1,288,000
53-1 Chris Loveland Hollis , NH 1,122,000
55-8 Loi Phan Seattle , WA 799,000
53-3 Brandon Cantu Vancouver , WA 770,000
53-7 Can Hua Rosemead , CA 695,000
55-6 Steve Wong Hoofddorp , Netherlands 621,000
53-4 Stan Wasserkrug Henderson , NV 525,000
53-8 Michael Mizrachi Hollywood , FL 378,000
55-5 David Baker Katy , TX 367,000
55-3 Tom Franklin Gulfport , MS 336,000
55-2 George Mamacas Tasmania , Australia 291,000
53-9 Michael Eckes Oak Creek , WI 268,000
55-1 Joseph Tehan Utica , NY 264,000
55-9 Danny Smith Folsom, CA 227,000
55-7 Chris Cellery Gardena , CA 217,000
53-6 Carlos Mortensen Las Vegas , NV 203,000
55-4 Ted McNeely Myrtle Point , OR 190,000
53-2 Andreas Walnum Bodo , Norway 103,000
Ah! The Bellagio.
After all the complaining at the Rio this summer:
"The events are so big, it's all about luck now."
"There is no way to read a field of 3,000."
"All-in is the only move these guys have."
How nice it is to come back to the Bellagio. Even with 400+ entries, this is a quality field.
While the other media ran about getting names, seat assignments and hat sizes; I strolled the two rooms just counting the players I knew. No list of names just the quality of the field. Once my number hit 100, I was going to stop but then the late arrivals started to trickle in (15 to 20 minutes late is the new "fashionable" arrival time for stars wishing to avoid the public).
"Sorry I am late for the tournament."
Nearly half of the final field were professionals. Nary a donkey in the house, no matter what Phil says. All is right in the world of poker...as long as you don't listen to the table talk about you know what.....
 LAS VEGAS--It isn't long since Joe Sebok had to parade around the Rio in a variety of costumes. That was his forfeit for only cashing $14k at the WSOP. I was pleased not to see Gavin Smith in those outfits.
With stepfather and close friend Barry Greenstein on " High Stakes Poker" duty, 3 miles away at the South Coast, Joe coached himself back from the shortstack position at 5pm. He had only 12% of the chips when play was four handed. That was half of the average.
The chip leader was amateur Chuck Keeley. He was unlucky losing one hand with AK, with an ace on the flop, to trip sixes of John Huong. Then Joe Sebok called with 2-4 v Chuck's AQ. Chuck caught a queen on the flop and pushed all in. Joe had paired his deuce and called. A deuce on the river,not the title of BarryG's book, eliminated Chuck.
Heads-up began with Joe having 930k to Huong's 480k.
Joe came from behind on the final hand to river a straight.
Vanessa Rousso left with Chad Brown who finished fifth.
1) Joe Sebok Ca $267k
2) John Huong Ca $143K
3)Chuck Kelley Va $71k
4)Gene Todd NY $39k
5)Chad Brown NY $29k
 LAS VEGAS--The most astonishing thing at todays final table was Gavin Griffin's new hairstyle. No wonder I didn't recognise Jennicide's ex yesterday.
Not only did I miss my photo opportunity for this but bottled out of asking New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez for a photo. A-Rod was playing 10-20 NLHE in the cash room and despite being "spoiled rotten" by the Bellagio poker room directors. I wasn't sure how HE would react especially on the day one of his fellow poker-playing teammates died.
Everyone knew where the final table for todays $3k was. Vijay Nagarajan + JC Tran have been there three times this Festa. Brian Rast + Sam Cohen twice. David Plastik had won $200k here in December.
The overnight chip leader Andrew Cimpau came prepared for a marathon and found everyone else in for a sprint. So much so that he had only entered two pots before his two hour heads-up with eventual winner Jess Newman started.
 LAS VEGAS--I have always thought the toughest home games must be in N.Carolina. Michael Gracz, the Polish Pin-Up, hogs the limelight but Chris Bell, John Harris, Mark Cole and Justin Young are all tough opponents. They appear nice enough to let you sleep on their couch though after beating you out of your bus fare home.
Justin made a final table at Mandalay Bay where he faced Brian Haveson and John Phan. Today, his opponents included recent Commerce ME winner Lance Allred, Matt Dean seventh in the 2004 WSOP ME and Mikael Thuritz who won $247k in the ME this year.
A tough line-up especially when you start play 72k behind Thuritz and 44k behind Allred.
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