Red's Ramblings, Event #11 — $50 Pot-Limit Texas Hold 'Em
by Mark "The Red" Harlan
RGP Open Event #11 was a $50 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em tournament with 3000 starting chips and 30 minute levels. Nine hopeful players signed up, but only three would carry away the prizes.
A key hand happened an hour into the match. With all nine players still in, GamesGrid long-timer ifoundnemo23 was mildly leading the table with 3700 chips, dealt As 6s under-the-gun, and flat-called a 40 big blind. From later position, dougman raised to 180, receiving calls from elg26 immediately following, FellKnight on the button, and nemo around the front. The flop was 3s 4s Ah, giving ifoundnemo23, top pair and an ace-high (but non-nut) flush draw. Nemo bet 400, dropping doug and elg, but eliciting a triple raise to 1200 from Fell. The turn of 5c brought an all-in semi-bluff from ifoundnemo23 and a quick call from FellKnight, all-too eager to show his flopped set of 4's. The river brought a freak 2d, giving ifoundnemo23 a topped straight, and FellKnight an early look at the door. Now sitting at 7500, the gimpy-flippered one prove to be the fish to contend with for the rest of the game.
After more weeding out of the table, the final four found RAD at 1200, ifoundnemo at 9800, LADYwithLUCK at 12000, and dougman with 4000.
Under-the-gun, RAD was dealt big slick and raised an 80 big blind by 200. Ifoundnemo23 called on the button, as did dougman from the big blind. A flop of 9h 9s 10s brought a pot-sized (and nearly all-in) bet of 880 from RAD and a hesitant call from ifoundnemo23, who was sensing a flop-miss from RAD. A turn of 7s put RAD's remaining 35 in the pot and drew a must-call from nemo, and exposing his Ah Jc. Nemo was left with five outs that wouldn't flush RAD, one of them being the 8c which showed up on the river; pushing RAD down to Davey Jones's locker, and elevating nemo to within 700 of the lead.
The always-dangerous (and far-too-aware) dougman hemmed, hawed and pushed, waiting for his moment to make a move in the final three. With pocket queens, he decided the time was right and doubled-through when LADYwithLUCK was unfortunate enough to hit top pair on a 4 4 9 flop. This chip exchange put dougman in a mild lead over LADYwithLUCK.
With blinds at 50/100, LADYwithLUCK opened under-the-gun for 200 with a Q K, only to get a family pot from the remaining two players. A flop of 3 J K gave dougman a set of crabs, which he then used to slowly pinch the rest of the LADY's purse — sending her home with $90, and her fourth money finish in the RGP Open.
Dougman continually rebuffed nemo's offers of chopping the prize money and over the next hour of play and managed to take the lead for several hands. In a game of cat-and-mouse, ifoundnemo took down a pot of 9400 on a set of board cards showing 2 2 4, 6, 10; with neither player having to expose a hand. This would give nemo a better than two-to-1 chip lead which proved to be insurmountable for dougman. On the final hand dougman pushed his A 7 on a board of A 4 6, 10, K; only to see nemo out-kick with A J.
This gave dougman $135 and an unheard-of fourth consecutive money win in the RGP Open. He has clearly become the golden Poker Idol of the RGP Open.
Ifoundnemo23, the GamesGrid home crowd favorite, pleased his fans with a $225 first place. And at least until next Tuesday, he is the biggest fish in the pond.
