It's down to the final two
for the The World Poker Players Association Championship.
By the end of the right, Poker Royale will be over and
either James Van Alstyne or Lee Markholt will leave the
Orleans Hotel & Casino with $125,420...and a chance to
play one more hand for up to $10 million to split between
himself and a GSN viewer. Kevin Nealon and "poker expert"
Robert Williamson III are there to call the action one
more time.
Unlike my lengthy recaps of the WPT and CPS, since this
show shows all hands but not all bets, I am forced to just
recap the hands through commentary. We start with the chip
count:
| James Van Alstyne |
654,500 |
|
Lee Markholt
|
65,500
|
CHIP COUNT
Let's shuffle up and deal
for the title!
| Markholt |
Van Alstyne |
|
A?
9? |
A?
9?
|
|
Markholt raises to
9500...unaware that Van Alstyne has the EXACT SAME
HAND. Van Alstyne goes all-in and Markholt calls,
going all-in himself. Looks like a possible split
pot unless a flush comes up.
|
| FLOP:
6? 3?
Q? |
|
Nope. This WILL be a split pot.
|
| WIN 57,700 |
WIN 57,700 |
|
Van Alstyne |
Markholt |
| K?
Q? |
A? 3? |
|
Van Alstyne's
"marriage" is enough for a raise to 8500. Markholt's
hand SEEMS to be enough for a re-raise all-in.
And Van Alstyne calls.
Markholt is a 58% fave.
|
| FLOP:
6? J? 4? |
|
Markholt's up to 71%...
|
| TURN:
4? |
|
...and now to 86%...
|
| RIVER:
A? |
|
...and that seals it! He's doubled up!
|
|
4?
4?
A?
K? Q? |
A? A?
4?
4? J? |
| |
WIN 110,400 |
| Markholt |
Van Alstyne |
|
Q? 2? |
6? 4? |
|
Markholt raises a hefty
amount, but Van Alstyne calls. If three clubs show
up, Van Alstyne'll be in trouble.
|
| FLOP:
Q?
3?
J? |
|
Van Alstyne's in SERIOUS trouble now that Markholt
has Queens. He checks...and Markholt bets big...and
Van Alstyne mucks.
|
| WIN 41,400 |
|
|
James Van Alstyne
|
607,900
|
| Lee Markholt |
112,100 |
CHIP COUNT
|
Van Alstyne |
Markholt |
| A? J? |
A? 5? |
|
Van Alstyne just
"limps-in" with a call with his "Ajax". Markholt
raises...which is what Van Alstyne wanted. He calls
the raise as the 72% fave.
|
| FLOP:
J? Q?
2? |
|
Markholt only has a 3% chance now. And, yet, he bets
25,000. Van Alstyne goes all-in... and Markholt,
hating his dumb play, folds.
|
| WIN 51,400 |
|
| Van
Alstyne |
Markholt |
|
K?
3? |
Q?
8? |
|
Van Alstyne calls the
big blind and Markholt checks. Neither is a good
hand...but Van Alstyne's a 58% fave.
|
| FLOP:
3? J?
4? |
|
Van Alstyne's nearly a 3-to-1 fave now with his
"crabs". Markholt bets 9000... and Van Alstyne
calls.
|
| TURN:
J? |
|
Only a Queen or an eight will help Markholt now. He
bets 40,000, leaving 20G behind. After pondering,
Van Alstyne decides to wait for a better hand to KO
Markholt with and mucks.
|
| |
WIN 64,400 |
|
James Van Alstyne
|
564,100
|
| Lee Markholt |
101,300 |
CHIP COUNT
| Markholt |
Van Alstyne
|
|
K? Q? |
8?
5? |
|
Markholt FINALLY gets
in, raising to 7000 with his "marriage".
Wolfe...FOLDS at last! And Van Alstyne calls with
his suited hand. Told ya players open up a lot more
when it gets down to a few players.
|
| FLOP:
2?
8?
2? |
|
Van Alstyne flops two pair and is a 7-to-2 fave...but
checks. Markholt bets. Van Alstyne raises to
50,000... and a disgusted Markholt folds.
|
| |
WIN 82,800 |
| Van Alstyne |
Markholt |
| A? 9? |
5?
4? |
|
Van Alstyne raises to
8000...and Markholt calls. Van Alstyne's a 65% fave.
|
| FLOP: J?
K?
A? |
|
Van Alstyne has Aces and is 92% to win from here.
Van Alstyne bets big... and Markholt, knowing he's
outclassed, folds.
|
| WIN 28,600 |
|
|
James Van Alstyne
|
646,000
|
| Lee Markholt |
74,000 |
CHIP COUNT
(Oh, and remember, if you're gonna gamble, PLAY
RESPONSIBLY! That is, unless you LIKE living out on the
streets!)
|
Van Alstyne
|
Markholt
|
|
J? 7? |
6? 4? |
|
Both hands aren't very
good, but Van Alstyne calls with a 13-to-7 shot.
Markholt checks...
|
| FLOP:
A?
2? 3? |
|
Hmmm...Markholt has a straight draw... but his odds
aren't much better. It goes check-check.
|
| TURN:
2? |
|
Markholt's odds are down to just over 4-to-1. He
bets, though... and Van Alstyne folds.
|
| WIN 14,400 |
|
|
Van Alstyne
|
Markholt
|
|
J? 7?
|
A?
K? |
|
Van Alstyne calls....
but Markholt raises 0900 more with Big Slick. Van
Alstyne almost beats him into the potm though he's
almost a 2-to-1 dog.
|
| FLOP:
8?
A? 10? |
|
This gives Markholt a pair of Aces and a 7-to-2
favor. He checks to trap Markholt. Van Alstyne bets
15,000. And Markholt re-raises all-in! Van Alstyne
QUICKLY folds.
|
| |
WIN 44,400 |
OK, enough foreplay...
| Van Alstyne |
Markholt |
|
Q?
10? |
K?
3? |
|
Van Alstyne raises to
8500. Markholt calls, a very slight fave..
|
| FLOP:
9? K? 10? |
|
Both flopped a pair, but Markholt has the better
pair AND a flush draw. He's now 79% to win. Van
Alstyne, who also has a straight draw, bets
10,000... and Markholt re-raises to 30,000. goes
all-in. Van Alstyne puts Markholt all-in, which is
called.
|
| TURN:
7? |
|
Markholt is an 84% fave to win now. But Van Alstyne
still has many outs. A Jack, a Queen or a 10 (as
long as none of the above are hearts) will win it
for him...
|
| RIVER:
J? |
|
Van Alstyne made the straight! He wins the
tournament!!!
|
| K? Q?
J? 10? 9? |
K?
K? J? 10? 9? |
WPPA CHAMPION!
$125,420 |
OUT - 2nd Place
$65,305 |
So Jeff Van Alstyne wins the Poker Royale! BUT, there's
still one more and to play. It's played LIVE on the
Freemont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas... and
it's for $10 MILLION!
Here's how the hand will work. There are 52 playing cards
inside 52 Pizza Hut(TM) security envelopes. James Van
Alstyne will draw five envelopes. If he is able to make a
full house or better, he and a lucky GSN viewer will split
TEN MILLION DOLLARS! Whether he draws the "boat" or not,
he and the viewer WILL get free Pizza Hut (TM) pizzas for
a year.
They also split money for having hands LOWER than a
full house:
| Flush |
$50,000 |
| Straight |
$50,000 |
| Three of a Kind |
$50,000 |
| Two Pair |
$40,000 |
| Pair |
$30,000 |
| High Card only |
$20,000 |
James pulls out his five cards... and we find out that
the GSN viewer that'll get at LEAST $10,000 is...
M.M. Teal of Cumming, Georgia
(Oh, thank goodness this isn't Celebrity Poker
Showdown or I'd be saying something MIGHTY rude
here...)
They actually get M.M. Teal on the phone and we learn
that she's a she, a massage therapist for horses and is
very, VERY excited about just getting ten grand and the
pizzas.
And, now, let's reveal the cards... (BTW, thanks to
Doug Morris for the links to the card pictures)
Card #1:
Ace of Hearts
Card #2:
Nine of Hearts. He's heading for a Flush right now.
Card #3:
Ten of Hearts. Had the 9 been a face card, they'd be going
for the Royal Flush. They now have no chance of getting a
full house or better. The best they can do now is the
$50,000 Flush.
Card #4:
Nine of Spades. No Flush...but at least a $30,000 Pair. If
another 9 shows up, they'll split $50,000. If an Ace or a
10 appears, it'll be Two Pair and $40,000. Other than
that, it's $30,000
The final card is.....:
Six of Spades! Awwwwww...
= Pair = $30,000!
James Van Alstyne gets a grand total of $140,420. M.M.
Teal of Cumming, GA gets $15,000 to get more massage oils
for her horses. And we bid farewell to Vegas... until the
Battle of the Sexes, anyway. |
