Hellmuth takes game 1

[jcmack13]

Date / Time: 2005-03-07 01:09:00
Title: Phil Hellmuth Takes Game 1
Log: Phil Hellmuth limps in from the small blind, and Chris Ferguson pushes all in. Phil Hellmuth nearly jumps out of his socks he calls so fast. Phil reveals his trademark hand: pocket nines. Ferguson is clearly behind with J-5 suited. Phil was clearly excited that his pocket nines could help him win another major tournament (that was the hand that he won the World Series with back in 1989). And the poker gods cooperated with a board of 10-8-4-8-6, awarding Game 1 of the Final Table to Phil Hellmuth. The TV crew will reset, and we'll begin playing Game 2 shortly. Phil Hellmuth just needs to win one of the next two games to win the title, while Chris Ferguson needs to win two straight.


Doesn't Hellmuth know you don't f--k with the Jesus?

[willie]

go phil.

[willie]

Title: It Took Five Minutes For All the Chips to Enter the Pot ...
Log: With the board showing 9-5-2-4 with the three hearts on the turn, Chris Ferguson checks, Phil Hellmuth bets $40,000, and Ferguson reraises $80,000 more. Phil Hellmuth pushes all in, and Ferguson stops dead in his tracks to think things over. He ponders the situation for about five long minutes before calling, inducing a loud cheer from the crowd. Ferguson turns over 9-2 for two pair, but Phil has a fantastic hand -- A-3, with the ace of hearts. That gives Phil the nuts on the turn, with the nut flush draw. Ferguson needs a 9 or a 2 on the river to stay alive. The crowd explodes as Ferguson spikes a 9, giving him a full house, and well over $1 million in chips.


UGHHHH BOY

i bet phil took this one well. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Michael Davis]

Wow that is brutal.

-Michael

[The T.A.]

Definitely brutal.

Let's hope this bad beat doesn't cause him to tilt off into the third match.

[willie]

it says he left the room, conducted an interview in the hallway and then went up to his hotel room, returned within 20 minutes of the end of the first game and game 3 is about to start


i can't imagine how irrate i'd be to lose that hand there....

jesus completely walks on water, how TERRIBLE a beat.

[jcmack13]

I tried to tell him.

You don't f--k with the Jesus.

[willie]

honestly, what did jesus think he could beat when he made that call. He went into the tank for 5 minutes and came out completely on the ass end of the decision.

there are 3 to the flush out there, and a possibly straight. it goes bet/ reraise/all in on the turn

does he really think that phil is just making a move with a lone heart or something? SEVERELY overplaying top pair deep stack headsup?

i'm not that good of a player and i still don't call on the turn there...

[jcmack13]

[ QUOTE ]
With the board showing 9-5-2-4 with the three hearts on the turn...Phil has a fantastic hand -- A-3, with the ace of hearts. That gives Phil the nuts on the turn, with the nut flush draw.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know they're doing these updates on the fly, but come on. There've been a lot of errors in the hand analysis, e.g. a 3-6 here is a higher straight, not to mention there are already three hearts on the board. Earlier they identified a gutshot as an open-ended straight draw, etc. etc....come on CardPlayer. You can do better.

[Michael Davis]

I don't know if the call was worth it, but I am sure there are some hands that Phil would play this way that Jesus can beat. At least there should be.

Look at the 5-minute tank. He obviously gave serious consideration to folding two pair. Since I gather the pot was already reasonable big (a couple hundred thousand, I think, and they start with a million?), taking this pot is a big deal.

-Michael

[willie]

i think they start with 640 apiece

i feel that jesus knew that if he folded here, it was basically over

and that he was about 40/60 behind/ahead....

i can't picture himself being really comfortable with the call at all........

oh well it's headsup, just not highly impressed with the call.

[The T.A.]

Date / Time: 2005-03-07 03:08:00
Title: Phil Completes His Comeback
Log: Both players are all in before the flop with A-Q for Phil Hellmuth and A-J for Chris Ferguson. The board comes 10-2-2-3-5, and Phil doubles up, taking a substantial chip lead.

[willie]

yessir

5-1 outchipped, he's gotta lean on him about 3 hands and he should close it out

go phil.

[willie]

now i'm getting pissed

i've been up all night doin homework, i want to know who won this thing and it hasn't been updated in an hour...


COME ON DAMNIT

[yellowjack]

Yeah they tend to do this a hell of a lot and it gets somewhat irritating.

[BlackAces]

Phil wins:

[ QUOTE ]
Phil Hellmuth still has the chip lead, but Chris Ferguson is quickly catching back up. Phil limps in from the small blind, and Chris raises all in. Phil leaps out of his seat as he calls immediately, throwing down pocket queens. Ferguson picked the wrong time to bluff, because he held K-6 suited. Once again, Phil is a big favorite to not only win the hand, but to claim the championship. But he's already been a big favorite twice and lost -- perhaps he should try getting his money in with the worst of it?
The flop comes J-10-6 , improving Chris Ferguson to a pair, and that leaves him with five outs (three kings and two sixes) to avoid elimination. He's already hit a 4-outer and a 2-outer against Phil, so having five outs to root for must seem like a luxury to Ferguson.

The turn card is a 10, so it all comes down to the last card -- again. And the river card is a ... wait ... could it be ... it looks like a ... but it isn't ... it's ... a ... 4.

Phil jumps up triumphantly and raises his fists straight up over his head. He turns to the crowd, and turns around in a complete circle, as if he wants to share the victory with everyone in the room. It doesn't take him long to remember Chris Ferguson, who had a fantastic tournament that involved far more than some lucky river cards. He went over and shook Chris's hand and accepted his congratulations, but then returned to his personal celebration.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Aceshigh7]

Congratulations to Phil. Hope this shuts up some of the naysayers & jealous railbirds that have been dogging him for so long. Haven't seen the footage yet of course but from reading the reports it sounds like he played great.

[BlackGoat]

go Helmuth! How much $$$ did first place pay?

[Aceshigh7]

[ QUOTE ]
go Helmuth! How much $$$ did first place pay?

[/ QUOTE ]

$500,000

[zaxx19]

"Phil will never win anything in the way of a meaningful tourney again"

This is pretty much what all the longtime Phil bashers on this board have said for about 6 months now as far as I can tell. Time for some big apologies....is Paul Phillips anywhere to be found?

[CrazyEvan]

totally, as much as I like Chris Ferguson, I was rooting for Phil to win, so many people criticize him so much. Phil is an amazing player.

[Paul Phillips]

[ QUOTE ]
"Phil will never win anything in the way of a meaningful tourney again"

This is pretty much what all the longtime Phil bashers on this board have said for about 6 months now as far as I can tell.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, that's it word for word: everyone has said many times that phil will never win anything again. It is good that you can tell so far.

[ QUOTE ]
Time for some big apologies....is Paul Phillips anywhere to be found?

[/ QUOTE ]

I apologize for my affiliation with the communist party and for still beating my wife.

[cwsiggy]

Paul - what's up with the Unabomber/Grizzly Adams look? You seem so much more metro than that.

[nolanfan34]

Nice post.

Apparently people have confused your love of Hellmuthian memoriabilia for a burning hate of the man.

[FrankLu99]

what is the structure of game play of the final 4?
is it single elimination best 2/3 or 3/5 or 5/7?

[freekobe]

the final was best of 3; everything else was single elimination.

[nyc999]

I've read this whole thread, and have one question -- which tournament did he win?

[cwsiggy]

National Heads Up Championship to be broadcast on NBC in May on I believe 4 Sundays in a row. $500,000 to him

[riffraff]

[ QUOTE ]
The crowd explodes as Ferguson spikes a 9, giving him a full house, and well over $1 million in chips.

[/ QUOTE ]

Chris spiking a 9 on the river? That's never happened before... heh.

Sounds like a great match.. can't wait to see it.

Congrats Phil!