RGP Open

RGP Open
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20 great events in 50 days.

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Who won? Plus Red's Ramblings.

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Red's Ramblings, Event #12 — $30 Limit 7-Card Stud

by Mark "The Red" Harlan

RGP Open Event #12 was a $30 7-Card Stud Tournament. As with all RGP Open events, this was custom-made to specification: 2000 starting chips and 20 minute levels.

15 players squared off, with only three getting a taste of the money. After four-and-a-half hours of spirited play only Petoria (13300), pokerchimp (2200), Chewbot (6500), and Omaholic (8000) were left.

With antes at 80 and betting levels at 400/800, the chimp was dealt (As 4h) 5h and raised Omaholic's (Kc Qs) 7h bet to 800, dropping the other two players. The pokerchimp was dealt a 10h, and Omaholic an Ac. The Omaholic bet 400 and was immediately raised on a continued feign by the chimp. Fifth street brought a Js for the simian, and a deadly pairing queen for the omahol drinker. Pokerchimp went all-in, getting an easy call from Omaholic. The last two cards couldn't elevate the chimp and he was left banana-less.

Petoria then went on a long string of corrosive hands, mostly handing chips to the always-gnawing Chewbot, including a decisive hand where the 'bot caught a second-pair on sixth street and immediately relieved nearly 4k from Petoria. The relentless damage was too great and an ultra-short stacked Pet was put gently, gently to sleep by the Omaholic, with $90 for a pillow.

This left the Chewbot at 19k versus Omaholic's 11k, and resulted in what was probably the best head's-up battle to date in the RGP Open. For nearly an hour the two slugged it out, with the lead changing hands ten times — in four of these switches, the leader dominatedg the trailer by greater than 3-to-1 chip-gaps.

Both players clearly were capable of taking down the Big Prize, and the deciding hand came about five-and-a-half hours in. The Chewbot was sitting at 12000 and dealt (6h 3h) 5s; Omaholic had 18000 and (3d Qc) 8h. Flat calls were made all the way (with the notable exception of Chewy trying to shake Om off with a raise on his paired sixth street) against the following string of cards:

Omaholic: (3d Qc) 8h 2s Qh Th (Jh)
Chewbot: (6h 3h) 5s 9d Ks 9s (10c)

This series of cards generated a 16k pot and sat the Omaholic over Chewy with an insurmountable 26k to 4k lead. Two hands later, the 'bot was chewed up and left $135 for repairs. He claimed to have registered, but not shown up, for two previous tournaments; if true, he showed definitively that he's better off playing after he's registered than not.

Omaholic, clinched what he claimed was his first 7-Card Stud tournament in five years, and given $225 for first place. This is his third RGP Open money finish, and the first true-and-clear win (he split first in RGP Open #4).