PLAYING
IN THE IVEY LEAGUE
The
world's best and brightest challenge their
brains by matriculating in the IVY League.
Poker's best and brightest are getting
their brains beat out for playing in the
IVEY League. As in golf, Phillip "Tiger"
Ivey has upped the ante in poker for all
tournament players. The analogy between
Phillip and Tiger shouldn't be belabored,
but it is too obvious to ignore. Elevate
your game to a higher level than ever
before, or just give the 1st place money
to "Tiger" Ivey.
There
were 126 entrants in the $2,500 Buy-In,
Stud Hi-Lo for a total prize pool of $296,100.
Two tables were paid, a total of 16 players.
"I
was trying to win the tournament," David
Levi said (as most do, who finish one
out of the money) when he went all-in
with three babies. David could see that
Jun Sin was running on fumes at another
table. But Levi had already saved $1,000
with another player so the damage was
lessened. David made an 8 with an up and
down straight draw. But John Juanda got
lower, and Levi's straight card didn't
arrive. With about a hundred outs, David
couldn't beat another guy's pair of deuces
for high or get any lower. In poker, as
in life, Sin got paid.
The
Final Table was setup Friday night when
(who else?) Phil Ivey made 3's and 2's
with an 8 5 low. Jack Rosenfeldt was all-in
with 7's and a 7 low draw. As has become
the norm this WSOP, none of the many cards
that Jack needed to beat Phil Ivey in
the hand appeared.
THE
FINAL TABLE:
53 mins left of 75
The ante is $300 bring-in $600
playing $2,000/$4,000
Player
Hometown Chip
Count
Seat
1 Robert Turner Downey CA $56,900
Seat 2 John Juanda Alhambra CA $41,700
Seat 3 Tom McCormick Fargo ND $37,600
Seat 4 Sirous Baghchehsaraie Marina del
Rey CA $44,600
Seat 5 Nick Hanna Yuma AZ $19,200
Seat 6 Rich Nguyen Corona CA $25,600
Seat 7 Brian Nadell Las Vegas NV $32,300
Seat 8 Phil Ivey Atlantic City NJ $57,200
One
player who always tries to win the tournament
is John Juanda. He could have waited a
few hands for those stacks on life support
to expire. It would have guaranteed him
a few thousand extra bucks. But John isn't
like that. He would tell you that when
you pick up a big hand in a tournament
you have to go for it. You never know
when the big hands are coming back. This
time, Juanda was up against a guy who
gets more big hands more often than anyone
in poker. On one of the first hands of
the day, John Juanda got all of his $40,000
into the pot with a 7-6-5-4-3. Normally
that hand would have been good enough
for at least a split if not a scoop. Instead
John's chances of winning this event were
destroyed by playing in the IVEY league.
Phil turned over 7-6-5-4-3-2 for 3/4th
of the pot in one of the most unbelievable
hands you'll ever see in Stud Hi-Lo. Soon
thereafter, a still stunned Juanda bet
all-in again with his last $3k and a no
good 8 7 low with 5's. The legendary Robert
"Chip Burner" Turner beat John both ways
on the river with a made 7 low and an
8 for 8's.
It
wasn't a cartoon, Nick Hanna really got
the extra $2,980 for 7th that John Juanda
might have had. Hanna needed a partner
to bring this hand to life. Nick's starting
hand all-in wasn't too bad, you might
say�A 2 4. But he couldn't draw anything
funny after that. Nick could only make
Jacks. Meanwhile back at Toonville, Brian
Nadell was piling on the goodies in his
hand like a Dagwood sandwich. Brian sent
Nick to the funny farm with 9's full of
Kings.
Showing
that there was more than one player at
the table who could catch miracle cards,
Sirous (don't call him "virus") Baghchehsarie
caught 4 4 4 on his last three cards for
4's full of 5's. Yet another Nguyen, Rich
this time, was neither made Rich nor did
he Nguyen in 6th with his trip Kings.
In defense of Sirous B, he put Rich all-in
with the only low and the best draw with
8 7 5 5 4. (All these players that change
their poker names and Baghchehsaraie doesn't!)
So Sirous was on a pretty good freeroll.
Tom
McCormick looked like he was actually
being driven crazy by the cards he was
seeing river against him. As well he might
be. Grabbing his head in anguish then
pounding his fist in the table, the usually
quiet McCormick was incredulous at the
river card Phil Ivey caught. Tom was all-in
with both the best high and the best low
draw on 6th St. It seemed impossible that
he would be shut out by only one card.
This was his chance to make a move for
the title in a $50,000 pot. Instead McCormick
finished in obvious pain when Phil Ivey
rivered yet more magic in what is becoming
the eerie replay of this year's WSOP.
Tom had A J 10 7 5 2 for the better 7
low draw with the best high, A J. McCormick
caught an 8 on the river for an 8 7 low.
Phil Ivey had K 10 7 6 5 3 for a higher
7 low draw and K 10 high. Welcome to the
IVEY league, boys. Phil caught an Ace
on the river for a 7 low and A K high
to scoop McCormick out in 5th.
Brenda,
the beautiful, young wife of Brian Nadell
was sitting behind him in misery. "I'll
never do this again, Brian," she said
(meaning she would never sweat him again
in a tournament). "I'm so nervous." Actually
there wasn't that much to be nervous about.
Nadell's finish seemed preordained. He
never had enough chips to threaten the
top three players, but he had just enough
to last until 4th place money was disbursed.
Since Brian started 6th in chips, $17,770
isn't too bad for a couple day's work.
Brenda should be pleased with hubby's
performance. Nadell's ending came quietly.
He was drawing dead for high with no low
by 6th St on his all-in hand against Phil
Ivey. Brian couldn't cut it in the IVEY
league, either, as Phil had a flush.
What
should have been a heavyweight struggle
between the three chip leaders became
just another IVEY league wipeout. The
guy's on the heater of all-time. Compare
Phil Ivey with another truly great player,
Robert Turner. The 'Chip Burner' has been
cashing in the WSOP since 1982. He has
22 money finishes in 21 years. He has
no bracelet. Phil Ivey, on the other hand,
has four Final Tables in the last two
weeks and he won his second bracelet in
that time, today. Ivey now has three gold
WSOP bracelets in just three years. Phil
Ivey is 25 years old.
Charity,
the beautiful, young and very pregnant
wife of Robert Turner has been through
this too many times before to be nervous.
She watched Robert's chips slowly sink
into the sunset with every hand because
Robert couldn't win any. Turner made his
last stand against Sirous B. In Stud High,
the dreaded 'Aces and Spaces' can still
win the hand. But in Stud Hi-Lo 'Aces
and Spaces' means you missed your low
draw and have a weak high with only one
pair. It's usually a disaster. Such was
the case for the ill-fated Robert Turner.
His quest for a bracelet after more than
twenty years of trying would have to wait
for another day. Sirous B made Kings and
Eights to burn Turner in 3rd.
Heads
up, the chip count was only about 2-1
in Phil Ivey's favor over Sirous B, but
few would have given the talented Persian
a chance. You see, there is only one player
in the IVEY league. That player is Phil
Ivey. Sirous was crushed early when his
low draw bricked and he was left with
a pair of 4's. Phil made 8's and 6's.
Sirous made one comeback with a Queen
high straight, but then gave back the
advantage when he lost to Ivey's A's and
10's.
It
was a typical IVEY league ending. Sirous
had the best of it early. He had the lower
seven draw and a pair of 6's. Phil had
a pair of 5's and a gut shot 7 hi straight.
With a 5 for trips for Phil on 6th St,
now Sirous had to improve. As we've seen
for the two weeks of this year's WSOP,
few can make a hand on Phil Ivey. Sirous
caught a 4 on the river for two pair and
no low. The "Tiger" of poker is in his
domain, the IVEY league.
Having
a Phil Ivey-type year in the $10,000 Super
Satellites for the Championship event
is Jan Sjavik with EIGHT wins. That means
he's won a seat in the Big One and a whopping
$70,000 in tournament chips. And the super
satellites are only about half over. Other
recent winners are: Kathy Liebert, Quoe
Vinh (2nd), Fred Berger (3rd), Surinder
Sunar (2nd), Eskimo Clark, Howard Mann,
Capt. Tom Franklin, Travis Jonas (3rd),
Samuel Whitt, Michael John, David Colclough
(3rd), Tony Cousineau, Tim Lyons, Nick
Salamer (2nd).
Mike Paulle
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