Event #7 - $100 + $10 NL Short Deck Hold'em | Playground Power Weekend July 2018

Event #7 Champion: Alberto Scuderi

2018/07/30 - 3:35 by Shawn McCrory

Event #7 of the July Power Weekend, the $100 + $10 NL Short Deck Hold’em Re-entry, brought out a large contingent of players looking for action. And that’s exactly what they got, with 46 re-entries out of a field of 93 players serving as testament. In all, the event gathered 139 entries, enough to greatly surpass the $8,000 guarantee on the prize pool.

It was a night of wild action. At first, many players were unsure how to adjust to the wrinkles in the traditional hold’em format but before long everyone realized that their equity calculations had to be revised in a big way. The result was lots and lots of pre-flop action where players were happy to take their chances with big pocket pairs or two broadway cards or suited connectors, and those hands come around pretty often when playing with a short deck. So it comes as no surprise that there were so many re-entries in this event.

The only lull in the action was shortly before the money bubble. The money bubble had a major influence on the play and the field remained stuck at 20 players for nearly two levels. And there was an unusual resolution to this impasse; the bubble was resolved when an abandoned stack was finally blinded out. After that the action came roaring back, reducing the 18-player field to the final nine within a few minutes.

The chips went in quickly at the final table, sending two players to the rail within the first orbit. From there, the remaining players agreed to an ICM chop of the prize pool, leaving $283 to play for. Following the chop, the players had a great time at the final table with jokes and friendly barbs flying faster than the chips.

In the end, it came down to Alberto Scuderi and Anderson Frank-Graham. The two Playground regulars have lots of playing history between them and equally booming voices that can often be heard throughout the tournament hall. They went through a series of flips, and Scuderi eventually came out on top.

Event #7 Champion: Alberto Scuderi (right), $1,753

Last hand of play:

ICM chop

Level: 20
Small Blind: 15K
Big Blind: 30K
Button Ante: 15K
Chip Average: 556K
Remaining: 5
Entries: 139

2018/07/30 - 2:32 by Shawn McCrory

The seven remaining players in the Short Deck Re-entry have agreed to an ICM chop of the remaining prize pool. Play continues with $283 remaining for the eventual winner. The chips should go in quickly from here.

Here are the payouts according to the terms of their deal:

Name \| Nom	Prize \| Bourse
Alberto Scuderi	$1,470
Anderson Frank-Graham	$1,290
J.F Dube	$1,175
Lisa Pedicelli	$995
Michael Mckinnon	$1,250
Philip Schrier	$1,640
Stuart Taylor	$1,960

Lerner out in ninth, Berenbaum busts eighth

Level: 19
Small Blind: 10K
Big Blind: 20K
Button Ante: 20K
Chip Average: 397K
Remaining: 7
Entries: 139

2018/07/30 - 2:18 by Shawn McCrory

It only took one hand at the final table to send someone to the rail. Derek Lerner, in early position, moved all in for slightly more than 10 big blinds with , however, Stuart Taylor woke up with big slick, re-raised all in and ultimately prevailed. Lerner will collect $380 for the final table appearance.

Richard Berenbaum was the next player eliminated. Having lost most of his stack on the previous hand, he was all in on his button for less than a big blind. It was a four-way limped pot, and when Alberto Scuderi put out a bet on the river, Berenbaum knew his run was over. Berenbaum took home $430 for his eighth place finish.

On to the final table

Level: 18
Small Blind: 8K
Big Blind: 16K
Button Ante: 16K
Chip Average: 348K
Remaining: 8
Entries: 139

2018/07/30 - 2:00 by Shawn McCrory

The final table is set to begin in the Short Deck Re-entry. Following a protracted lull in the action in the lead up to the money bubble, the action picked right back up to a high pace once the players were in the money. There was a flurry of bust outs, taking the field down to the nine finalists in a matter of minutes.

J.F. Dube still has the chip lead, but with the blinds at 8K/16K everything could change quickly.

We have a new chip leader

Level: 18
Small Blind: 8K
Big Blind: 16K
Button Ante: 16K
Chip Average: 253K
Remaining: 11
Entries: 139

2018/07/30 - 1:37 by Shawn McCrory

J.F. Dube was in the middle of the field for most of the evening, quietly grinding along. But he just vaulted his way to the top of the leader board following a three-way pre-flop all in.

Now that the players are in the money, the chips are going in a lot more easily than at any point in the last two hours. When Arthur W, playing a slightly below average stack, woke up with in late position he moved all in. His neighbour, former chip leader Spencer Jean-Baptiste, was looking to isolate as he raised all in with , however, Dube woke up with pocket kings in the small blind and joined the other two by moving all in. The run out was safe for the kings, eliminating Arthur and crippling Jean-Baptiste’s stack. J.F. Dube now has nearly 500K, giving him a healthy lead over the field.

In the money

Level: 16
Small Blind: 5K
Big Blind: 10K
Button Ante: 10K
Chip Average: 174K
Remaining: 16
Entries: 139

2018/07/30 - 1:08 by Shawn McCrory

In an unusual turn of events, the money bubble has burst on the Short Deck Re-entry without a showdown on the bubble hand.

With 19 players remaining, one shy of the bubble, Louise Brouillette lost a big pot, leaving her with less than one big blind. Although she was aware she still had chips in play, she left the room. This meant that her stack remained live on the table, meaning that play continued on the bubble until the blinds made their way around to Brouillette’s former seat. When that moment arrived, Lisa Pedicelli made a raise and took down the blinds to put the field into the money.