We got the chance to do a quick photo shoot of the Pocket Queens Meetup at The Venetian tonight and what a treat it was. The lighting in this room is great, and the ladies were having so much fun! Maybe the easiest photo shoot we will ever do!
We have a winner! After finishing in 3rd place on season 2 of the Squid Game television show, and 2nd place in the 2023 WSOP Main Event, Steven Jones was able to finish this one off and take down the Big Deal For One Drop event for AMOUNT. With $7,297,443 in lifetime winnings, Jones is no stranger to playing for serious money.
Jones bested a final table that included tournament crusher Jesse Lonis and 3 Coin founder Randy Sadler among others, beating Shaun Deeb heads up after starting with a chip deficit against one of the best players on the planet. Jones earns $73,900 for his victory while Deeb goes home with $45,500.
Jones lost a heads match in the main event in 2023 to winner Daniel Weinman and busted out 3rd of 456 players in the Squid Game to end up with nothing because of the game’s winner-take-all format where the victor won $4,560,000. Still, it’s been a good few years for Jones, with the $6,500,000 for his runner up finish in the main event and a number of other tournament cashes since.
The event was a huge success, raising thousands for charity and ending up profitable for the charity in only it’s second year, not an easy feat for a charity poker tournament. $1,000 for every entry, including rebuys, went to the charity and Resorts World was generous in their support, offering the 66th floor lounge which is a stunning place to run an event like this. Players, staff, and media all had a great time, and for a great cause.
This lavish event gave us so many opportunities for great photography! From the balcony view of the strip to the stunning interior of the Alle’ Lounge on the 66th floor, the event was first class all the way with meticulous attention to even the most minor details. An impressive event that already has us looking forward to next year!
Blinds are 1000 and 1500 with a 1500 ante as action folds to Shaun Deeb on the button. Sitting on a big stack, Deeb opens to 3000. In the small blind Adedapo Ajayi responds by moving all in for 20000 total. The big blind releases and Deeb calls instantly, creating a pot of 23000 before the flop with both players now committed for Ajayi’s tournament life.
Deeb reveals 8♥7♠ while Ajayi tables A♠4♥. Ajayi holds the superior ace high hand preflop as the dealer spreads the flop 8♣6♣2♣. Deeb pairs his eight and moves into the lead while the monotone texture offers back door straight potential but no made draw for Ajayi.
The turn comes 6♥ which pairs the board and strengthens Deeb’s position as his two pair now plays against Ajayi’s ace high. With no further chips to wager the river card is delivered cleanly. The 3♠ completes the runout and offers no improvement to Ajayi.
Deeb’s pair of eights holds to eliminate Ajayi and the pot pushes his stack upward to 250000 as the next hand is prepared.
Four players move all in before the flop with a massive pot at stake. Jesse Lonis tables A♣Q♦. Guy Laliberte reveals 9♣2♣. Luis Rizental shows K♥T♥. Jennifer Tilly turns over A♠8♦. The pot is already towering as the dealer fans the flop. It comes Q♥7♠4♦, giving Lonis top pair top kicker and pushing him firmly into the lead. The board texture offers no flush draws and only back door straight possibilities for the others.
Action is frozen with all players already committed as the turn card falls J♣. It brings a gutshot possibility for Rizental but no made hand improves. Lonis remains ahead with his pair of queens. Tilly holds ace high with a weaker kicker while Laliberte’s suited connectors have fully missed.
The river brings the final card 3♥. No player improves and Lonis’s A♣Q♦ stands strong. His pair of queens with top kicker secures the entire multiway pot. Chips are pushed his way as he surges into the lead. Tilly, failing to connect with the board, remarks that this will be her last rebuy before the next hand is dealt.
Blinds are 100 /200 when Mr. 3 coin himself, Randy Sadler, opens to 400 from early position. Derek Adamian in the cutoff calls, James Rice completes from the small blind, and Jon Orlando defends the big blind. Four players take a flop of 4♠ A♣ 6♥. Rice checks and Orlando leads for 600. Sadler folds and Adamian makes the only call, sending the hand heads up to the turn.
The turn is the 8♦. Orlando slows down with a check. Adamian takes over the betting lead and fires 1000. Orlando thinks briefly and calls. The river is the J♣ and once again Orlando checks. Adamian places a final wager of 3000 into the middle. Orlando considers the situation only briefly before making the call.
Adamian tables 5♦5♠ for a small pocket pair that remained unimproved. Orlando reveals J♠7♠ for top pair on the river and wins the pot.
Monday, November 17 — $300 “Miami John” commemorative Omaha 8/Stud 8 (O/E)
In the final hand of the Omaha Eight or Better tournament, Kento Watanabe began on the button with 320,000 in chips and the blinds at 5000 and 10000. Joseph Hallock, crippled after a run of bad rivers, defended the big blind when Watanabe opened the action with a raise, calling all in for his last 10,000.
The cards were tabled immediately. Hallock revealed 3♦ K♦ 9♠ J♣, giving him a high-only hand with a suited king. Watanabe showed 5♦ J♦ Q♦ 7♥. Even against strong high-only hands, a hand with low possibilities is in good shape. Hallock’s hand would not be considered strong. Watanabe had to feel confident.
The flop was 4♠ 2♣ K♣ giving Hallock top pair with his K♦, but also gave Watanabe a low draw that would give a split if it hit. The turn came with a 7♣ that paired Watanabe’s seven and gave him some outs for high to go with his low draw. The river delivered the decisive Q♠, giving Watanabe two pair queens and sevens and the tournament victory.
Watanabe earned $1,862 for his win, Hallock collected $1,150, and Awad Hani finished in third place for $988.
Though he played strongly throughout the tournament and entered heads-up play with the chip lead, Joseph Hallock is in trouble in his heads up battle against Kento Watanabe. He had just stacked up a little after three-betting Watanabe off of an O8 flop. But then he took several O8 hands to the river where he was forced to fold, probably because there was no low possible. Watanabe now outstacks him by nearly 10-1 and the end might be in sight.
With blinds at 1500 and 2500 on the final table bubble of the Omaha8/Stud8 event, we saw a blind on blind confrontation. Fumihiro Yasishima was extremely short, holding only 1500 behind after posting his big blind. Joseph Santagata, in the small blind with a healthier stack, chose to limp. Yasishima checked his option, and the two saw the flop heads up.
The dealer spread 4♥ 2♠ J♣, and Santagata led out. Yasishima called all in for his remaining 1500, putting his tournament life at risk. The cards were revealed: Yasishima showed 2♥ 4♣ 8♠ 9♦ for bottom two pair and some backdoor low potential, while Santagata tabled K♠ Q♠ J♥ 6♥, pairing his jack on the flop.
The turn brought the 3♦, failing to improve Santagata while giving Yasishima a draw at the low. There were a lot of cards that could fall to allow him to remain in the tournament, but the river came the J♠, pairing the board and giving Santagata trips. With no qualifying low and only two low pair for the high, Yasishima was eliminated and the remaining players advanced to the final table.
With ten players left and a nine-handed final table, we are one player away from the final table. Unfortunately for those who make the final table, with this small field only the top three get paid. Even at the final table, there is a lot of work yet to be done.
The players are playing five-handed at two tables, meaning the blinds are coming around fast in the O8 rounds. And with less people, even in the stud rounds the likelihood of getting the bring-in a few times in a row goes up. With stacks dwindling fast, it won’t be long till someone is forced to make a stand — possibly their last of the day.
We’re watching the two tables closely to make sure we get the final table bubble hand on video. We will post it when it happens.
16 players remain at the close of registration in this event and it’s still anyone’s game. It will be hours before we know who takes down the Miami John Cernuto Memorial event.
We’re 10 minutes from the second break and 20 minutes from the end of registration! That means when the players come back, things are going to get serious. Well, as serious as they get at this joyous event. Something about the cash games rife with games like Drawmaha and Razzdugi seems to keep everyone in a good mood. But we’ll see if that lasts after the possibility of rebuying disappears…
In the Omaha/8 portion of the tournament, playing 400/800, Hani Awad raised from early position. Dereje Assefa called on the button, Joseph Hallock came along from the small blind, and Daniel Sprung defended his big blind to send four players to the flop.
The dealer spread 8♠ 7♥ 2♣, a great action board for O/8. The blinds checked and Awad continued with a bet. All three opponents called, keeping the pot multiway and full of possibilities as they moved to the turn.
The turn brought the 3♦. This time the entire table checked, taking the river for free. The river paired the board with the 8♥, and Hallock seized the moment from the small blind with a lead. All three of his opponents called.
At showdown, Hallock revealed A♠ 4♠ 7♦ 9♣, for the nut low. Sprung and Awad threw their hands away, leaving only Assefa to show his cards. He tabled A♥ A♣ T♥ X, his two pair good for the high side.
Hallock and Assefa chopped the pot, each taking their share after a lively four way contest to the river.