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November 24th 2006
Phil Gordon wins $600,000 in Full Tilt Poker Championship
Phil Gordon, one of the most popular and possibly underrated players in the professional arena, recently won the Full Tilt Championship, pocketing $600,000 for his efforts, and massively raising his profile as a player.
Seven players sat down in the Red Rock Casino on Thanksgiving Day hoping to net their share of a $1 million prize pool. Alongside five professional players in Phil Gordon, Roland De Wolfe, Allen Cunningham, John Juanda, Toto Leonidas sat an internet qualifier, one Stefan Rehn from Sweden.
First to go was the most decorated player at the table. Four time WSOP bracelet and 2006 main-event fourth place finisher Allen Cunnigham, who has made more money from tournament play than anyone except Jamie Gold, ran his A-K headfirst into John Juanda’s pocket aces, and there was no miracle for Cunnigham.
There was to be no fairy tale for amateur Stefan Rehn either, the Swede gambling with A-Q against Phil Gordon’s K-K and bowing out when no ace hit the board. Fortunately he did not leave empty handed, picking up $25,000 for his efforts. Soon afterwards Toto Leonidas was forced into the action as his stack dwindled, but he managed to survive his all-in against Roland De Wolfe. With A-J against De Wolfe’s pocket eights the T-8-7 flop was far from encouraging, but a nine on the turn gave Leonidas a straight and doubled him up.
The freshly stacked Leonidas then sent John Juanda to the rail as he began to take control of the table. The problem for Leonidas was that the blinds were escalating at an alarming rate, and so his opponents would be forced to stand firm at some point in the face of his constant aggression. In the end it was Phil Gordon who was the first to say “enough”, and he called with just K-2. It was a tight race, with Leonidas holding T-9, and the K-J-8 flop gave both players a piece of the action. Ultimately however, Leonidas missed his eight outs, and was out in third.
Heads-up play say Gordon start with a small chip lead over De Wolfe, but the chip lead changed hands a couple of times in the early running. But with the blinds now prohibitively high (the event was being televised live on GSN so it was imperative it didn’t go on for ever!) it was only a matter of time before the two players got all their chips in the middle.
It was no great surprise either that when they did get it all-in neither player had a particularly good hand. Nevertheless Gordon was significantly ahead with his A-7 versus De Wolfe’s 6-9, and when the board blanked out the title was his. De Wolfe picked up $250,000 for second place.
Gordon, already extremely popular for his internet blog and his many appearances as a commentator on televised poker shows such as Celebrity Poker Showdown, had failed to win a poker tournament since his success in the 2004 WPT Shooting Star tournament, and this win should prove to any doubters that he has the poker ability to match his commentary skills.
Submitted: 24/11/2006 10:35:00
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