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 The
Reno Hilton event was one of the best episodes this season on the World Poker Tour. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that
Phil Ivey made another appearance. Actually, I am
certain that is the reason. The other five players were Russ Carlson, Michael Yoshino, Blair Rodman, Arnold Spee, and Mark Chapic.
Phil started the show with a great
semi-bluff. Michael raised to $36,000 with A5 and Phil called from the
big blind with AT. The flop was 987. Phil checked, Michael bet $50,000,
and Phil called. The turn was a queen. Phil checked, Michael bet $140,000, Phil moved all-in and Michael folded. Some of the episodes this year have been
a little less than spectacular with ho hum poker playing ability and it was refreshing to see a master at work.
One of the largest hands that played out was when Phil raised to $36,000 with KT. Russ moved all-in for $733,000 with
AK of clubs, Blair folded pocket tens,
Michael called all-in for $491,000 with pocket queens and Phil folded. The flop was J32. The turn was a queen of clubs
giving Michael a set and Russ the straight
draw and the flush draw. The river did not improve Russ' hand and he was left with approximately $250,000.
The next hand shown, all of the
players folded to Phil and he raised on the
button with
pocket Aces. The
blinds folded to him and he only picked up
the blinds. How is Phil supposed to ever win one of these WPT events if the players don't give him
action? I guess he is going to have to resort
to playing AQ. Maybe one of these days, he will win with that hand.
After that hand, we saw two players eliminated. Mark moved
all-in for $164,000 with AJ, Russ moved
all-in for $236,000 with pocket sevens, and Blair called with AK. The flop was Q96 and the turn was a king. Blair had the
best hand on the turn, but both all-in players were
drawing live. Unfortunately for them, the river
was another queen. Russ had more money that Mark when the hand started, so Mark finished in sixth place and Russ finished in fifth.
Arnold gave Phil a taste of his own medicine on the next hand shown. Phil raised with A4 and Arnold called from the big
blind with KQ. The flop was 964. Arnold bet $70,000, Phil raised to $190,000, Arnold moved all-in and Phil folded.
Michael was the next person to be eliminated after he took a
bad beat. Michael raised to $90,000
with pocket kings, Blair moved all-in for $740,000 with AQ of hearts and Michael called. The flop came ten high, but the
turn and the river were both queens giving Blair three of a kind. He didn't lose all of his chips on that hand, but couldn't
survive the next one. Blair raised to $100,000 with K8, Arnold
reraised to $400,000 with AK, Michael
called the last of his chips (74,000) with 54 of spades from the big blind and Blair folded. The flop was A63 giving Michael
the straight draw. The turn gave him more outs when it brought the five, but the river was a six and he was sent home in fourth place.
One of the most dramatic hands was a hand where there normally wouldn't have been any drama. Arnold raised to $120,000 with pocket
aces and Phil called with 76 of spades. The flop was T64 and both players checked. The turn was an eight giving Phil a pair and
gutshot straight draw. Arnold
bet $150,000 and Phil called. The river was a queen. Arnold moved all-in and Phil thought about it for awhile. It didn't
seem like there was anything to think about, but I guess that what separates the great players from the rest. One of my best
friends, Mark Seif said that it is equally important to make a great call as it is to make a great
laydown. Phil thought he might have the
best hand. While thinking about it, he said, "This could be the sickest thing I have ever done." After Arnold chatted
with him (big mistake on his part), Phil folded.
Phil went home a few hands after that when he got all of his chips into the pot preflop with a pair and was hugely
dominated. Blair raised to
$150,000 with pocket queens, Phil moved all-in with pocket sixes and Blair called. Phil didn't get lucky and he was left
with a little more than $700,000. On the next hand, Arnold raised to $120,000 with pocket kings, Phil moved all-in for
$715,000 with pocket nines and Arnold called. The flop was J84 and the turn was a ten giving Phil the straight draw, but the
river didn't help. He finished in third place.
Arnold won all three hands that were shown of the
heads up play. On the first hand he
picked up a decent pot with pocket eights. The second hand, he picked up the pot on the river when he bet and Blair folded
the best hand. On the last hand with the blinds at $40,000-80,000, Arnold called with 43 of spades and Blair checked K7. The
flop was 973 with two spades. Blair checked, Arnold bet $200,000, Blair moved all-in and Arnold called. The turn was a two
of diamonds and the river was a four giving Arnold two pair. Arnold won the Reno World Poker Tour event.
See also Reno Hilton World Poker Challenge Season One and
Two |
