This week getting to the final table was only 5 bust outs away as the tournament started with only 14 players. With our tournament 16 1st place finisher two weeks ago, Robert Astarita’s 10th place final table bubble bust out on the last hand before the lunch break we came back from lunch to the final table consisting of:
- 9th – Christine LaMonaca
- 8th -Joe Wiebelhaus
- 7th – Amo Tarnoff
- 6th – Vineet Kumar
- 5th – Michael Gordon
- 4th – Jan Klimala
- 3rd – Sandi Sarmiento
- 2nd – Cathy Seferi
- 1st – Ryan Drake
The final table was under way at 3pm and our first bust out was soon to follow with Christine moving all in with pocket 10’s nearly insta-called by Ryan and his pocket Kings. Flop comes 4 4 5 and a king on the turn seals the deal. The chip stacks were very close and Ryan had Christine out chipped by less than a couple of blinds and she was eliminated in 9th.
Next to go shortly thereafter was Joe who went all-in with AJ off-suit and was insta-called by Ryan (again) holding pocket Aces. Flop came down 3 5 4 rainbow, another 4 on the turn and Joe is drawing dead for a win and needs a deuce for a chop. Joe finished 8th as the last Aces falls on the river giving Ryan the win with top set.
The next pair to battle are Amo and Cathy as Amo pushed all in on the short stack with pocket Jacks and was called by Cathy holding AK off-suit. A King on the flop and Amo gets no help on the turn or river and was eliminated in 7th place.
Ryan’s most significant hand of the tournament came when a min-raised pot was called by all remaining players pre-flop and all players also call a continuation bet on the flop of 9c Qc 8d. The turn brings the 7h. With about 8k in the pot, Ryan shoved all-in for about 11k. No one called his all-in, proving him a decent chip lead over all remaining players except Jan at that point. He later revealed he was holding A 10 for a double gutter, no pair, with either a 6 or J needed on the river for the straight. Cathy showed to the hole-cam she folded Q J off-suit for top pair and gut shot. Another player folded Q 10 for top pair and gut shot as well.
Now, with the chip lead, Ryan let loose opening up his game and applying pressure at every chance.
Vineet held on short stacked for much of the tournament, but finally took his stand with Q3 suited (spades), open jamming from the small blind and about 7BB remaining stack only to be called by Cathy in the BB as she woke up with pocket 6’s. The board ran out 4 2 8 9 K rainbow and Vineet was out in 6th place.
Gordo finished 5th as he also pushed all-in with Q4 suited (spades) vs. Sandi’s A 10 off-suit. Must be something seductive about those suited Queens! Board ran out 7 8 3 9 10 giving Sandi the winning hand with top pair of 10’s making Gordo the bubble boy. Ryan is the literal last man sitting at the final table against 3 of piranha’s top lady players.
Jan was the first finisher in the money when she went all-in holding pocket 8’s and was called by Ryan holding pocket 10’s. A clean run-out for Ryan and he eliminated Jan in 4th place and 3 points.
Ryan claimed another victim shortly thereafter when he carefully played his Kd Jd hand on a Kh 10d 7d flop against Sandi holding 10 2 off-suit. A round of betting and raising ensued when an off-suit deuce fell on the turn which improved Sandi’s hand to two pair and Ryan shoved all in with his top pair and flush draw. Sandi called for her remaining stack. Another King fell on the river and Ryan’s sucks out on Sandi’s two pair. She earned 12 points for her efforts and put herself within range of winning a 2018 WSOP seat with 3 events to play.
That left Ryan to face off with Cathy heads up. In the final hand of the tournament lightning struck for Ryan again as he pushed all in with two pair (6 8 off-suit) on the turn against Cathy who instantly called with a made straight with flush draw (Jd 7d). True to the day, Ryan found another unlikely river 8 to give him a full house and Victory. Cathy earned 12 points for 2nd place and Ryan all but cemented his 2018 WSOP seat, moving into 3rd overall for the season with his 32 point 1st place finish.
Quite a run on that day. Way to be