There are several poker tournaments it’s impossible to write too much about. The $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event is one. The main event, obviously, is another. You can add the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event to that list. Jeremiah Smith has been doing an excellent job keeping you abreast of the action at the final table, and yet I still feel compelled to add my two cents. That’s how important this tournament is.
Ask any of the top pros which bracelet they most want to win. The $10,000 PLO tournament will make everyone’s top three, and for some, the Europeans predominantly, it’s the one they desire the most. There’s a good reason these guys flew 5,000 miles to get here, and it’s not the $10,000 crapshoot that’s about to start up in three days. For them this is their Super Bowl.
If Rene Mouritsen goes on to win this thing, he will be able to point to one key hand that opened the door for him. With five players left, Robert Mizrachi raised to 200k with A
A
85
. This is a great Omaha hand: aces with the nut heart flush draw. There aren’t that many hands that are better, but Mouritsen had one of them: A
AKQ. At first glance Mouritsen’s hand seems nearly the same, aces with the nut diamond draw, but his king and queen gave his hand far more value than Mizrachi’s 8 and 5. As if to show us all just how important it is to have big cards in your hand in addition to aces, the poker gods served up a perfect flop for Mouritsen: J109. Mouritsen had flopped the nut flush although Mizrachi had nine outs to make his flush draw. When the board blanked off, Mouritsen was suddenly the chip leader with 2.69 million. In triumph, Mouritsen emitted a primal scream that is sure to make the highlight reels.
I didn’t think I would see a more exciting confrontation today, and then the following hand developed. With three players left Patrick Antonius raised from the button to 280k. Mizrachi called from the big blind and the flop came KJ10. Both players checked. The J fell on the turn, which paired the board. Mizrachi checked, and Antonius took his time deciding what to do. He is an incredibly deliberate player. He seems unwilling to make a move until he is sure that it’s the right one. And then he stares straight ahead blankly, giving absolutely nothing away about the strength, or weakness, of his hand. Mizrachi called. The river was the 9. Again, Mizrachi checked and Antonius resumed thinking. Finally, he pushed in the last of his chips, 660k. Mizrachi called with a pretty good hand. His pair of tens gave him a full house. Unfortunately for him, Antonius had flopped a royal straight flush with AQXX! You don’t see many of those, especially at a final table, and the crowd showed its appreciation, screaming wildly. If Antonius goes on to win this thing, he might credit this hand. At last glance he was third in chips, but with the blinds at 60k/120k a single hand can wipe out any of these players at any time. Stay tuned…
