Tao of Poker

Alexe55 Wins Saturdays with Dr. Pauly

By Pauly
New York City

The day of reckoning was upon us. The last installment of Saturdays with Dr. Pauly for 2008. We had 26 runners. Special guests this week included Homer from Blonde Poker fame. Top three places paid.

My starting table included: CheckRaise70, AlCantHang, CherriebombV,Family Ice, Foaming_H, and abendigo. My stack took a hit early. I flopped a straight but Cherrie won with a Royal.

Spaceman was Gigli after Change100 crippled him and went out shortly after.

I slipped into the short stack with 26 to go. Homer busted and that was one Eurodonk down and a few more to go. I was on the verge of annihilation until I sucked out against FamilyIce when J-J beat his A-A. Thank you, RiverStars for the timely Jack.

I had another double up courtesy of a sweet river when got it all in on the turn with top set. Alexe55 turned a straight but I rivered a boat to win the hand.

I flopped a set and busted shortstacked AlCantHang. He said the cute bartender was playing his stack while he took a leak. Likely story. I improved to 4th in chips with 4.1K.

At the break, I was 3rd in chips with 18 to go. AGSweep was the Chipleader with 5K.

I took over the chiplead when I busted AcerbicOne. He took a big hit from PokerShrink and was on tilt. On the next hand, he raised from the button and I called from the big blind with As-Qd-8h-6h The flop was Qh-10h-6c. I checked. He bet 600. I check raised him all in. He called. My two pair held up and he was out in 18th place. I jumped into the chiplead.

Cherrie and AgSweep were both on my tail in hot pursuit. Cherrie went on a rush, busted a few players, and took the chiplead. Alas, Change100 seized with a brutal river suckout against Family Ice, who ended up the final table bubble boy.

The Final Table:
Seat 1: AgSweep (5000)
Seat 2: dredful (2840)
Seat 3: mooninjune (2100)
Seat 4: change1OO (6220)
Seat 5: DrPauly (6519)
Seat 6: ZClub (3940)
Seat 7: Alexe55 (4505)
Seat 8: staind1791 (2046)
Seat 9: CherriebombV (7330)

The players at the final table were solid which meant that there was a lot of play before someone busted. I took the lead for one hand before I coughed it up to Change100. She'd eventually surge past 11K. Alas, I slipped to 6th in chips and dipped under 4K.

Staind1791 was the first player to bust from the final table. His Queens ran into Alexe55's Kings. I busted Shamus in 8th place. I flopped a set of tens against Shamus' monster draw. I turned a boat and he was toast. I increased my stack to 6.6K and jumped into third place.

Change100 knocked out Cherrie out in 7th place. With six to go, Change100 had 17K and cruising. Alexe55 slowed her down and doubled up to take the lead. Then, it was my turn to re-take the lead. I flopped a set against Alexe55's top two. We got it all in. My set held up and I doubled up to over 15K.

I busted Dredful in 6th. My Aces held up and I retained the lead, but then I doubled up AGSweep and lost the lead to Change100 who had a shade over 13K. I had 12K at the second break and 2nd in chips with five to go.

After the break, Shrink doubled through Change100 and I took the lead. Then I lost a big hand and lost the lead to Alexe55. I raised from the big blind with As-Ks-Qd-5d. He called with Ad-Js-10h-3s and flopped two pair. He check-raised me all in. I was commited and flailed. He doubled up and I slipped to third in chips.

Sadly, I spewed more chips. I had As-Ks-Jh-10d and ran into AGSweep's Aces. I was crippled. I went out in fifth place on the next hand. My 5-5-x-x was beaten by Change100's 4-4-x-x. SHe turned a set and I was doomed.

Alexe55 was the chipleader when action reached the bubble. AGSweep was the Bubble Boy/Girl. She lost a big pot to Change100 and then the PokerShrink took her out in 4th.

With three to go Change100 was back in the lead with 17K... until Alexe55 took it back.

The Poker Shrink held on with a short stack and doubled up just at the right moment to stay alive. Change100 regained the lead, but the Shrink was still way behind and needed more help.

The Shrink busted out in third. His Kings ran into Alexe55's Aces and that was it. The Shrink was nevermore.

Head up chipcounts:
Seat 4: change1OO (14954)
Seat 7: Alexe55 (25546)

It was heads up between Change100 and Alexe55, who had never won the tournament before but had a second and third place finish earlier this year.

On the second hand, of heads up play, Change100 lost one-third of her stack as she slipped to under 10K.

On the sixth hand of heads up play, it was all over. Alexe55 had more than a 4 to 1 chiplead going into the final hand. Change100 raised to 2,400 and Alexe55 called. The flop was Qd-8h-7h. Alexe55 fired out 4,800. Change100 moved all in for 554 more. He called.

Alexe55: Qh-9h-4d-2h
change1OO: Kd-8d-7c-2d

Change100 was ahead with two pair, but Alexe55 picked up a flush draw. The turn was the 4s, which gave Alexe55 the lead with a bigger two pair. The river was the Ah. Alexe55 won with a flush and Change100 was eliminated in second place.

Week 48 Money Winners:
1.Alexe55 - $135
2. Change100 - $81
3. PokerShrink - $54

Congrats to Alexe55 for winning the last installment of Saturdays with Dr. Pauly this year. Thanks to everyone who participated this year especially those folks who plugged and pimped the event.

We shall be back sometime in 2009. Until then, thanks again for your support.


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