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1:59 pm Sat Nov 23

To:	Paul McGuire <email address not displayed>
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Message:	Paul McGuire wrote on the message board: > Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship (WPT): Minh Ly wins > > After four grueling days of poker at the Las Vegas Bellagio Resort's > Casino in Las Vegas, the World Poker Tour crowned it's newest champion > when Minh Ly beat Dan Harrington heads up to win $1 million in the > Doyle Brunson North American Classic for the main and final event of > the Festa al Lago IV poker tournament. > > The final table was held in the prestigious Fontana Room overlooking > the lake in front of the Bellagio where the spectacular water show > could be seen every fifteen minutes. 420 players entered the $10,000 > event with hopes of winning one million dollars and a free seat in the > $25K WPT Championships at the Bellagio to be held in April 2006. Some > of the top names in poker bought into the event and it was great to > see some familiar faces at the tables like Howard Lederer, Jennifer > Harman, Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Chirs "Jesus" > Ferguson, Erik Siedel, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Nergeanu, Gus Hansen, Max > Pescatori, Andy Bloch, Barry Greenstien, and Erick Lindgren. > > With three big stacks and three small stacks, the final table was > going to be interesting. There was also the possibility that we'd see > Dan Harrington and Minh Ly play heads up of for the title since they > were the top two stacks. Minh Ly ended Day 3 as the chipleader and Dan > Harrington has plenty of final table experience and should never be > overlooked. However, the young gun from Canada, Gavin Smith, was > seeking his second win on the WPT. Jan Sorensen might be one of the > best players out of Denmark and tried to overcome a short stack. The > former soccer player won a bracelet at this year's WSOP. Tony Grand is > an amazing story. At 81 years old, he's the oldest player ever to make > it to a WPT final table. > > Here's who made the final table including seat assignments and chip > counts: > > Seat 1: Tony Grand $118K > > Seat 2: Minh Ly $3.056M > > Seat 3: Dan Harrington $2.937M > > Seat 4: Don Zewin $552K > > Seat 5: Gavin Smith $1.368M > > Seat 6: Jan Sorensen 370K > > Here the payouts: > > 1st place = $1,060,000 > > 2nd place = $620,730 > > 3rd place = $327,610 > > 4th place = $189,630 > > 5th place = $137,940 > > 6th place = $96,560 > > The cards were in the air by 7:36pm and the final hand wouldn't be > dealt until 1:51am, over six hours later. The action during the first > hour and last hour was exciting and fast. That's when all the bustouts > occurred. The four long hours in the middle was a fight with four > players pushing chips back and forth to each other without anyone > getting knocked out. Less than a half hour into the final table, Dan > Harrington won the first big pot, a $500K one against chipleader Minh > Ly when Harrington flopped an ace with A-3. A few minutes later, Gavin > Smith and Tony Grand were both all in preflop. Gavin Smith had 3-3 and > Tony Grand showed A-10. With the Ace of hearts in his hand, Tony > luckily flopped three hearts, then caught a flush on the turn and > doubled up. > > Tony Grand found 10-10 and moved all in. Don Zewin had A-Q and flopped > an Ace. That pot was big enough for him to take over the chip lead. > The turn and river did not help Tony Grand and he finished in sixth > place, winning $96,560. Tony Grand made history when he became the > oldest player to make a WPT final table. Less than an hour into the > tournament, Jan Sorensen was eliminated in 5th place. Don Zerwin moved > all in with 7-7 and Sorensen called with 5-5. Sorensen's hand did not > improve and he was eliminated in 5th place, winning $137,940. > > With four players remaining, Dan Harrington moved into the chip lead > with $3.16M. He wouldn't hold onto his lead for too long. He lost a > hand to Gavin Smith and that started the wave of revolving chip > leaders. With an Ace on the flop, Gavin Smith moved all in with A-Q > against Dan Harrington's A-10s. Gavin Smith's hand held up and he > doubled up against Harrington. Smith would eventually take over the > chip lead but give it back to Harrington when he won a hand against > Minh Ly with 9-9. > > Over the next hour, while the players went card dead and action slowed > down, Minh Ly moved back into the chip lead with $3M. Shortstacked, > Don Zerwin doubled up with K-K against Dan Harrington's A-J. That hand > hurt Harrington and he slipped into a virtual three-way tie for second > in chips with Gavin Smith and Don Zerwin. They all had about the same > amount of chips with $1.5M to Minh Ly's $3M. > > One hour later, Gavin Smith built his stack to over $4M in chips, > while Harrington slipped to the short stack with $800K. By Midnight, > Gavin Smith would cough up the lead to Minh Ly and Don Zerwin became > the short stack. Five hours into the tournament, with the blinds > escalating, the table finally saw some action. Minh Ly raised on the > button and Dan Harrington came over the top all in with K-J versus > Minh Ly's 9-9. The flop didn't help Harrington, but he turned a King > and his fans in the crowd went wild. The river did not help Minh Ly > and Dan Harrington doubled up. > > Minh Ly moved all in with his shortstack with J-J against Dan > Harrington's 8-8 and it held up. Minh Ly got most of his chips back. > About ten minutes later, Dan Harrington moved all in with 9c-7c. Don > Zewin called with 9-9 and had Harrington dominated. The flop contained > a 7 and two clubs. The Harrington-heads went wild because Action Dan > picked up a flush draw. When the 10 of clubs spiked on the river, the > room erupted in applause. Harrington survived his all in attempt and > Don Zewin was eliminated in 4th place. He won $189,630. That hand > ended a good four plus hours in between eliminations. After that pot, > Dan Harrington moved back into the chip lead with $3M to Gavin Smith's > $2.7 and Minh Ly's $2.6M. > > Minh Ly made a move and pushed all in with K-8o. Gavin Smith took > several minutes before he eventually called with A-7s. Minh Ly flopped > a King and won the pot when Gavin Smith's hand did not improve. Smith > was crippled. Minh Ly became the chipleader with over $5M. > > Shortstacked, Gavin Smith moved all in with 10-2o, which was a fitting > hand since he was playing in the Doyle Brunson North American Classic. > The 10-2 was nicknamed after Brunson when he won back to back WSOP > main events with 10-2. Dan Harrington called with 8-4s and was behind. > He flopped an 8 and turned a 4 to send Gavin Smith home in 3rd place. > Smith won $327,610 for 3rd place. > > The Bellagio Babes entered for the money presentation. They wore sexy > black cocktail dresses and carried cash in the Stetson hats, much like > the one often seen on Texas Dolly's head. As the Bellagio Babes > emptied the cash onto the table, the anticipated heads up match > between Minh Ly and Dan Harrington began. Minh Ly is one of the best > cash game players in the world and can be found playing in Doyle > Brunson's Big Game. And Dan Harrington is considered one of the best > tournament players in the world after making four final tables at the > WSOP main event. Minh Ly held a chip lead of $5.02M to $3.375M. > > On the first hand of heads up play, both players moved all in preflop. > Minh Ly showed K-J and Dan Harrington flipped over A-J. Dan > Harrington's hand held up and he doubled up. Minh Ly was crippled and > had only $1.6M to Harrington's $6.75M. Minh Ly would quickly close the > gap when he moved all in with 10-9o. Dan Harrington quickly called > with A-9o and was outflopped. Minh Ly came from certain defeat to take > over the chiplead. > > Thirty minutes later, and the two almost even in chips. Dan Harrington > moved all in with A-5 against Minh Ly's J-3. The flop was: 3-6-9 and > Minh Ly took the lead. The turn was a King and the river was a Jack > and Minh Ly won the WPT Doyle Brunson North American Classic. Minh Ly > will take home a cool $1,060,000 for first place along with a seat in > the WPT Championships next April at the Bellagio. Dan Harrington won > $620,730 for second place. > > Congrats to Minh Ly!
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