Bellagio highlights

[TimTimSalabim]

Here are some highlights from yesterday:

(All these details may not be 100% correct, I didn't get there until it was heads up, but a guy next to me filled in details from earlier):

The first guy knocked out(whose name escapes me right now) took his JJ against someone's KK (again, details are sketchy and heard second-hand by me).

Then later, apparently after Doyle had been doing several all-in moves, this hand transpired: Ted Forrest raised with AJ, Doyle again raised all-in trying to buy it with Q8o, but this time Goehring, with a huge chip lead, came in behind him with JJ. Forrest called, nobody was helped by the board, thus knocking out Forrest and Doyle.

This one is sketchy, but I believe Phil Ivey was knocked out when his AQ went up against AK. And so, a mere couple of hours into the day, we were heads-up.

Kiril dominated the headsup play for awhile, taking over the chip lead and leading T3.8M to T1.7M when this hand occurred: On a board of Q545 (or something like that), Goehring made a T100k bet, and Kiril raised him all-in. Goehring called and turned over QQ for a full house, Kiril turned over a bluff. Goehring thus doubled up to T3.5M to Kiril's T2M, and I don't think Kiril ever recovered psychologically from it, because Goehring seemed in control then on.

The final hand was perhaps the most exciting of all. On a flop of 854, after some raising and reraising the boys were all-in (with Kiril the much smaller stack and at risk of ending his day). The crowd rose to its feet as Goehring turned over 85 for top two. Kiril showed 86 for top pair and gutshot draw. It was looking like it was all over until the turn card came a 7, giving Kiril the straight. The crowd started to sit back down only to see the river come the case 8, giving Goehring the full house and the championship.

[rkiray]

Sounds like it should make for great television (I really wish I could get the travel channel). I think having Doyle and Phil at the finals table should make for a good show. An old two-time champ from Texas representing the roots of poker against a young black stud who is really making a name for himself with his excellent play. A Russian national starting with a huge chip lead losing it to an American will probably warm the hearts of the right wing religious nuts that form King George's (or maybe I should call him Boy George) political base. The last hand sounds exteremely dramatic. The only thing that could make better television would have been if there was an Asian at the finals table to help the demographics. Still sounds like it was about as good as any poker fan could hope for.

[TimTimSalabim]

I think it will be some of the best poker on TV yet. BTW, it airs June 25.

[TimTimSalabim]

At one of the breaks, Linda Johnson explained that there's only one person sitting in a room who gets to view the hole cards. This person is not allowed to communicate anything about them, except to tell the producer that so-and-so needs to place their hole cards so they can be viewed. There's a whitish colored area on the table that indicates where the camera can see them. She added that Mike and Vince's commentary concerning the hole cards is edited in later.

At the post-game interview, Goehring was as excited and animated as any poker player I've seen. The interviewer pointed out that this was his first major tournament win after 3 second-place finishes. He said yes, and the second place that he always thought of was the 99 WSOP that he lost to Noel Furlong, then he playfully pointed out Noel sitting in the audience.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

This is perhaps the most sickeningly PC, racial stereotype cliche filled ("young black stud", "right-wing religious nut") post I've read on this board. Please take this dreck where it belongs : to a college campus, and let the head-in-the-sand pseudo intellectuals cheer you. Or at least go have a mutual admiration party with Michael Moore.

The best thing about poker is it is apolitical.

"The only thing that could make better television would have been if there was an Asian at the finals table to help the demographics. Still sounds like it was about as good as any poker fan could hope for."

Why does race even come into it? If the poker is great, who cares if they're all white, black, arab or even Romulan? (well, maybe not Romulan /forums/images/icons/smile.gif )

Liberal petaq!