Hellmuth denied #10

When Jeff Cabanillas first strolled through the doors of the mammoth Rio poker tournament room three days ago, few people recognized him. Few appreciated his talent. Fewer still gave him any chance whatsoever to win one of the toughest competitions in all of tournament poker — the $5,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event at the World Series of Poker.

Cabanillas won his way into this event through a single-table satellite. He played the best poker of his life and survived the first day which saw 621 players enter the tournament. On Day Two, Cabanillas made it into the money. Then, ten hours later — he was all set to return for the final table on Day Three.

Cabanillas, who attended Cal-State-Los Angeles and owned a cell phone store before becoming a low-stakes professional poker, was set to take a seat on poker’s grandest stage. When he sat down on the ESPN stage in seat number five, few people recognized him. Few appreciated his talent. Fewer still gave him any chance whatsoever to win. But this would be the tournament where everything would change.

From the onset, it appeared that chip leader Vinny Vinh would be Hellmuth’s biggest obstacle. Dutchman Marcel Luske, French-Canadian star Isabelle Mercier, and five other formidable opponents would also pose significant challenges.

In a World Series already packed with memorable moments – from Mike Sexton’s crowd-pleasing victory in the Tournament of Champions two weeks ago to Dutch Boyd’s conquest of world champ Joe Hachem a few days ago — this final table was, quite frankly, as good as it gets. History, colorful personalities, and great poker – it was all there.

Unfortunately, Danny Smith did not get the chance to stay around long enough to witness much of the drama that would later unfold. Smith, a student from northern California was expelled from the final table and finished ninth. He received $58,468.

Isabelle “No Mercy” Mercier was making her first-ever WSOP final table appearance after enjoying much success on the European circuit and at several major tournaments in the United States. The former attorney and casino host who formally worked at the Aviation Club in Paris took a few tough beats and ran card-dead during her last hour, resulting in a fifth-place finish. It was a mixed blessing for Mercier, who collected $175,404.

In what would foreshadow a eventual duel of epic proportions, Jeff Cabanillas provided a hint of what was to come later when he bluffed Phil Hellmuth out of a monster-sized pot. After several rounds of cautious play, on the bluff hand the final board showed Q-J-9-7-6. With 400,000 in chips at stake, Cabanillas moved all-in for 600,000 more. Hellmuth thought long and hard before finally mucking his cards. When Cabanillas flipped over ace-king for no pair, the short fuse that is the Phil Hellmuth psyche was instantly lit. Hellmuth stood up and erupted, slamming his chair against the stage in an apparent rage more directed at himself for not following his razor sharp instincts. Hellmuth must have sensed the bluff for how he reacted afterwards, and was angry for not making what would have been a tough but courageous call. He would certainly regret that gaffe much later in the night.

In what turned out to be the largest live audience in World Series history – hundreds of spectators encircled the stage. They were crammed a dozen deep around the stands. There was, quite simply, not an empty seat or free standing space anywhere within viewing distance of the final table. It was poker’s Times Square on New Years Eve.

Over the next fours hours, Hellmuth made a number of brilliant plays and took the chip lead several times. But just when it seemed Hellmuth might finish off his opponent, Cabanillas somehow managed to reverse the momentum and frustrate his opponent.

On a night with countless numbers of big hands and exciting moments, the finale was dealt out at just after midnight. Holding more than a 5 to 1 chip lead, Cabanillas called Hellmuth’s all-in move after the flop came 6-4-3 (with two diamonds). Cabanillas revealed five-three of diamonds, for a straight flush draw. Hellmuth showed five-four offsuit, good for a pair with a straight re-draw. Hellmuth caught another four on the turn, which only added to the drama of the final seconds of the tournament. The river card was red, which is exactly what Hellmuth saw when a diamond crashed to the felt. Cabanillas won $818,546 with a flush.

Hellmuth, who collected $423,983 as the runner-up, was extraordinarily considerate and complimentary. Even Hellmuth, who has seen just about everything in the world of poker, had to admit that Cabanillas had played an exemplary game and – as tough as it was to admit – probably deserved to win.

Event #9
$5,000 No Limit Hold’em
Final table results:

1. Jeff Cabanillas $818,546
2. Phil Hellmuth $423,893
3. Eugene Todd $233,872
4. Marcel Luske $204,638
5. Isabelle Mercier $175,404
6. Thomas Schreiber $146,170
7. Douglas Carli $116,936
8. Vinnie Vinh $87,702
9. Danny Smith $58,468