The Big One part 3

Thursday, August 10

14.00
The players are introduced to the huge crowd that’s gathered to watch on the huge plasma screens dotted around the tournament room. As each player’s name is announced their supporters roar their approval, hoping for a cut of the cash and a night of partying in the Rio’s most luxurious suite if the play goes their man’s way. Hachem walks round the table shaking the players’ hands and then we’re made to stand for a strangled rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by Jimmy Crespo from Aerosmith. Cue lots of whooping and hollering from the bleachers before the cards are finally shuffled for the start of what – if last year was anything to go by – could be a very long day/night.

14.10
The blinds are $80,000/$160,000 with a $20,000 ante and the seats and chip counts are as follows…

Seat positions and chip counts:
1. Richard Lee, $11,820,000
2. Erik Friberg, $9,605,000
3. Paul Wasicka, $7,970,000
4. Dan Nassif, $2,600,000
5. Allen Cunningham, $17,770,000
6. Michael Binger, $3,140,000
7. Doug Kim, $6,770,000
8. Jamie Gold, $26,650,000
9. Rhett Butler, $4,815,000

14.12
The table folds round to Doug Kim who raises to $480,000. Jamie Gold raises it up another million and Kim smiles and folds. Nobody likes a bully.

14.20
Jamie Gold calls the big blind and Dan Nassif raises to $700,000 on the button. Gold asks for a countdown of Nassif’s stack, calls and then checks in the dark (announces he’s checking after the flop before it’s been dealt). Nassif moves all-in on a flop of 2♣-3♠-5♠ and Gold calls showing 2♥-2♠ for a set. Nassif has A-K and doesn’t get the Four he needs to survive. You can call Gold lucky but it’s a great move to pull on a hand like that. Nassif is out.

14.47
It transpires that Gold has a couple of bouncers with him. Hachem doesn’t. Brunson didn’t. Neither did Tobey Maguire or Shannon Elizabeth. Make of that what you will.

15.23
A huge hand. With four-way action, the flop comes 8♥-9♥-9♦. Kim checks, Gold bets $1m, Friberg and Cunningham call. Gold checks the 5♠ turn card, Friberg checks and Cunningham bets $2m. Gold calls and Friberg gets out of the way before the A♠ drops on the river. Gold checks again, Cunningham bets another $2m, which Gold calls. Both show trip Nines, but Gold scoops the huge pot with his Ten kicker.

15.34
Gold now has triple the chips of Cunningham who lies in second place.

17.22
Friberg calls and Gold raises $1m on the button. Friberg moves allin and Gold calls showing Queens to Friberg’s Jacks. Do you ever get the feeling it’s going to be your day? No help for either on the board sees Friberg bow out of the tournament in eighth.

18.30
Doug Kim is next to go when he moves all-in with his pocket Nines against Wasicka’s Queens.

21.00
After a flurry of pre-flop action, Gold shows another over-pair – Queens again to Richard Lee’s Jacks. The Queens hold up and Richard Lee is busted in sixth. The action breaks for dinner and Gold has far more chips than the rest of the table combined.

Chip Counts:
Gold, $51,175,000
Wasicka, $14,560,000
Cunningham, $13,680,000
Binger, $7,440,000
Butler, $3,235,000

22.20
The $12m is brought in and arranged on a side table. Real? What do you think?

23.40
Cunningham, under the gun, makes it $900,000 to go. Gold and Wasicka call and the flop comes 8♣-A♥-2♠. Wasicka checks, Cunningham bets $1m, Gold calls and Wasicka folds. The turn is the 6♦ and both players check. The river is the 2♥ prompting a $2m bet from Cunningham, but Gold moves all-in and Cunningham mucks. It’s another huge pot for Jamie Gold.

23.47
Mike Matusow stands up in the VIP area and bellows, ‘Come on Allen!’ before ducking back down to continue playing cards with John Juanda.

00.20
A nearby spectator spots Hellmuth in the VIP area, shirt undone to his navel and without his trademark sunglasses on. He says, ‘What’s Hellmuth come as? He’s got a full chest out. He looks like Darth Vader without his helmet,’ which raises a big laugh from the stands.

00.41
Cunningham makes it $900,000 to go and is called by Gold. Butler moves all-in for $1.75m and both men call. The flop of 6♥-J♦-5♦ is checked but Gold bets $2m on the turn card, the 2♣. He flips K-J to bust Butler’s pocket Fours. Butler’s out in fifth.

01.00
For the second year in a row we get offered cash for our press pass. We offer it out for $100,000 but don’t think the American lady gets the irony. Unfortunately she doesn’t stump up either.

02.04
The first of the PokerPlayer team, Des Wilson, falls asleep under the strain.

02.20
The last recognised pro – Cunningham – is eliminated in fourth place when his Tens are cracked by Gold’s K♦-J♦ with a King on the flop.

03.06
Binger raises to $1.5m from the big blind and both opponents call. On a flop of 10♣-6♠-5♠ Binger bets $3.5m, Gold moves all-in and Wasicka folds. Binger’s in front with A♥-10♥, but showing 4♠-3♣, the 7♣ arrives on the turn to give Gold the straight and move him one step closer to the title. Chip Counts Player Chips Gold $78,925,000 Wasicka $11,225,000

03.20
Mike Matusow is on top form: ‘Come on Paul, whoever the f♣♥♠ you are!’

03.25
After a couple of uneventful hands Matusow screams, ‘I’ve got $40,000 on you to get f♣♥♠ing even.’ The tournament director informs Matusow that, ‘We’ll start you with a 10-minute suspension next year,’ to which Matusow replies, ‘I don’t care, I just need this to go to 6am or I lose $40k.’

03.35
Wasicka raises $1.34m, Gold calls. The flop comes Q♣-8♥-5 , Wasicka bets $1.5m, Gold moves all-in and talks Wasicka into calling him. The instant he does, Gold celebrates and shows Q♠-9♣. Wasicka has pocket Tens and they don’t improve. Gold is the 2006 WSOP World Champion.

And, despite the fact that Gold hit flop after flop, and definitely had the run of the cards, you can’t dominate the Main Event for five days with luck alone. He made the right decisions at the right times, and crucially made very few mistakes. His play led to these final table standings:

Final standings
1. Jamie Gold, $12,000,000
2. Paul Wasicka, $6,102,499
3. Michael Binger, $4,123,310
4. Allen Cunningham, $3,628,513
5. Rhett Butler, $3,216,182
6. Richard Lee, $2,803,851
7. Doug Kim, $2,391,520
8. Erik Friberg, $1,979,189
9. Dan Nassif, $1,566,858