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July 19th 2006
WSOP Update: “The Dragon” wins $2000 NL Hold’em Shootout
The $2000 NL Hold’em Shoot-out event is unlike all other events at the World Series of Poker. Instead of playing to accumulate chips over a number of days, players are playing to win their table, in a series of sit-n-go style single table tournaments. Like a world cup, or a tennis tournament, the winners of each table then advance to the next round.
This year 600 players entered. The event started with 100 six-handed tables, meaning 100 players would survive to the next stage. The event then moved to a ten-handed format meaning there were ten ten-handed tables. The winners of each table would move to the final table.
The unique format means that every player starts the final table with the same number of chips, making for a truly level playing field. This year the ten finalists were:
Jeffery Heidberg, Roland De Wolfe, David Bach, Chad Layne, Dustin Woolf, Jerald Williamson, Adam Kagin, David Pham, Charles Sewell and Jason Dewitt.
Each player started with $200,000 in chips and blinds were $2000-$4000.
The first major movement came when David Pham clashed with Jeffrey Heiberg. Heiberg was the chip leader at the point, having won a large pot from Jason Dewitt early on, while David Pham had added about $60,000 to his starting stack. Pham, on the big blind, called a raise from Heiberg, and then checked the flop of Kh-8c-3h. Heiberg then bet $36k only to be check raised by Pham to $101k. Heiberg then moved all-in for an additional $211k putting Pham on a decision for all his chips. Pham thought for a bit, before making the call (costing him an additional $148k). Pham showed 8h-6h for a flush draw, while Heiberg turned over Kc-Th for top pair. The 9d on the turn was no good to anyone, but the 4h on the river gave Pham the flush, doubling him up to over $500k and crippling Heiberg. To rub salt into the wound Pham then delivered the knock out blow a few minutes later.
Next out was Adam Kelgin, who was quickly followed by Dustin “Neverwin” Woolf, living up to his nickname. At this stage David Pham, Roland De Wolfe and Charlie Sewell were way out in front, and De Wolfe moved further ahead when his pocket kings busted David Bach’s pocket queens, knocking Bach out in 7th.
David Pham then eliminated Jason Dewitt in 6th and the gap between 3rd and 4th was then up to $325,000. Chad Layne was in big trouble, with just $95,000 (Charlie Sewell in 3rd place had $575,000) and he was also knocked out by David Pham. Pham called Layne’s all-in with pocket jacks, and Layne needed to hit the board with A-T. A ten on the river was not enough, and he exited in 5th.
Very quickly afterwards Jerald Williamson also fell victim to Pham, and his elimination left the three big stacks with no-one to pick on but each other.
There was no waiting around for that to happen. After just two hands De Wolfe won a big pot off Pham when Pham raised to $140,000 preflop and then raised a further $190,000 on the flop only for De Wolfe to move all-in over the top. Pham folded after much deliberation, and De Wolfe took over the chip lead.
However, that pot seemed to do something to David Pham, and he suddenly went on a rush, winning a series of huge pots after re-raising all-in. De Wolfe was the principal loser, but Sewell also lost a massive and pivotal pot to Pham when he bluffed $200,000 on the turn and river with just Q-3 for queen high. Pham made a superb call with just A-Q for ace high to take a huge chip lead.
De Wolfe, lying third at this point, then doubled through Sewell to put himself in a position to challenge Pham, leaving Sewell with a fragile short-stack. It was De Wolfe however, who was eliminated next. He had the misfortune of flopping a pair of aces when holding A-6 in the pocket. Pham moved all-in after a $250,000 bet by De Wolfe, and the Brit called, only to see Pham turn over A-8 for a better kicker.
With a chip lead of $1,757,000 to $243,000 it was no surprise that Pham won the heads-up in double quick time. Just three hands in Sewell moved all-in from the button with A-8 and Pham called with J-J. There was no help on the board and the victory was secured. Pham took down $240,222 for first place, and Sewell got $124,488 for second.
Submitted: 19/07/2006 16:48:48
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