The World Poker Players
Association Championship event, aka Poker Royale, is down
to the last three players at the Orleans Hotel & Casino.
They're all getting money, but only one will grab
$125,420...and a chance to play one more hand for $10
million to split between himself and a GSN viewer. Kevin
Nealon and "poker expert" Robert Williamson III are there
to call the action.
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:
|
Paul Wolfe
|
323,400
|
| James Van Alstyne |
305,000 |
|
Lee Markholt
|
91,600
|
CHIP COUNT
Let's shuffle up and deal!
| Markholt |
Wolfe |
|
A? 9? |
J? 10? |
|
As the number of
players wane, the players left open up their
gameplay. Markholt would probably not even call the
Big Blind with A-9 offsuit
were there nine opponents...
but he RAISES to 6000 with it now. Wolve calls with
his suited connectors. Markholt is a SLIGHT fave.
|
| FLOP: 5?
A? Q? |
|
Markholt flopped the nut pair and is 4-to-1 to win.
BUT, Wolfe DOES have a straight draw. He checks to
Markholt...who bets 8000. Wolfe quickly folds.
|
| WIN 26,300 |
|
|
Wolfe |
Van Alstyne
|
| 7?
7? |
A? A? |
|
Wolfe has "mullets" or
"walking sticks" and calls. Van Alstyne has what
Vince Van Patton would call the "weapons of mass
destruction", the best starting hand in Hold 'Em. He
raises to 20G. Wolfe casually calls, though he's a
4-to-1 "dog".
|
| FLOP:
7? 9? A? |
|
ZOIKS! Both flopped three of a kind! Wolfe has the
"slot machine" but Van Alstyne has "minor league
baseball" (AAA) and is a 96% fave. He leads with 25G
and, after dallying, Wolfe calls. The only thing
that can save him now is the last 7.
|
| TURN:
6? |
|
CLOSE...but not close enough. Wolfe's down to a 2%
chance. Van Alstyne checks...and Wolfe bets 40G. Van
Alstyne then goes all-in...and Wolfe QUICKLY calls.
Whoever wins this hand will be in a BIG lead... and,
if the last 7 shows up, Van Alstyne will be history.
If not, Wolfe WON'T be history (he has more chips
than Van Alstyne) but he'll be WAY down.
|
| RIVER:
4? |
|
And Wolfe takes a direct hit to his convoy of chips!
|
|
7? 7?
7?
A? 9? |
A? A? A? 9?
7?
|
| |
WIN 628,400 |
As the tournament director
counts the chips to see if Wolfe is in or out, Wolfe talks
to himself...and KICKS himself for losing that hand. And
he has a right to...because he is HURTIN'! Observe:
|
James Van Alstyne
|
628,400
|
| Lee Markholt |
86,000 |
|
Paul Wolfe
|
5700
|
CHIP COUNT
Paul tries to bargain into
"chopping" (or dividing evenly) the remaining prize money.
Van Alstyne says, "I'll think about it one more hand."
Wolfe takes the next two hands, one by default when the
two behind him fold, the other by going all-in when the
others had bad hands. He's SLOWLY chipping his way out of
the pit.
| Van Alstyne
|
Wolfe |
|
10?
4? |
A? 10? |
|
Van Alstyne has the CB
Hand (10-4, good buddy) and raises to 6000. Wolfe
goes all-in with his suited Blackjack and, after
some thought, Van Alstyne calls. Wolfe is a 76% fave.
|
| FLOP:
5?
2?
Q? |
|
No help for Van Alstyne. Only a four or running
clubs will win it.
|
| TURN:
Q? |
|
No flush...so it's down to a 4...
|
| RIVER:
6? |
|
Wolfe doubles-up and is back into five digits!
|
|
Q?
Q?
10? 6?
5? |
Q?
Q?
A? 10? 6? |
| |
WIN 21,200 |
| Wolfe |
Markholt |
| A? A? |
K?
9? |
|
Now it's WOLFE with the
WMDs. Markholt thinks his "dog" is good so he calls
the blind...but Wolfe goes all-in. Markholt thinks
about this for a good while... and then calls. He's
an 87% "dog" with his "dog".
|
| FLOP:
9?
7?
6? |
|
OK, that helps. One more nine or a King will give
Markholt the better hand.
|
TURN:
Q?
RIVER:
8? |
|
WOLFE-MAN LIIIIIIIVES!!
|
| A? A?
Q? 9?
8? |
9?
9? K? Q?
8? |
| WIN 45,000 |
|
|
James Van Alstyne
|
565,200
|
| Lee Markholt |
109,800 |
|
Paul Wolfe
|
45,000
|
CHIP COUNT
| Wolfe |
Van Alstyne |
|
A? 5? |
J?
9? |
|
Wolfe does NOT go
all-in this time...but DOES raise to 10G. Van
Alstyne calls, only a SLIGHT underdog.
|
| FLOP:
5? 6?
K? |
|
Wolfe has a pair and is a 7-to-3 fave. NOW, Wolfe
goes all-in...and Van Alstyne bails quickly.
|
| WIN 46,000 |
|
| Wolfe |
Van Alstyne |
| 10? 9? |
10?
4? |
|
Wolfe finally JUST
calls with his unsuited connectors. This give Van
Alstyne the chance to check with his CB. But,
instead, he RAISES to 6000. Wolve decides to call as
a 2-to-1 fave.
|
| FLOP: 9?
3? 9? |
|
Nine-nine-nine! Wolfe is a MONSTER fave now. Van
Alstyne bets 5000... and, after a dramatic pause,
Wolfe raises to 21,000! That's enough for Van
Alstyne to bail again.
|
| WIN 41,600 |
|
|
James Van Alstyne
|
564,100
|
| Lee Markholt |
101,300 |
|
Paul Wolfe
|
54,600
|
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 |
|
| Wolfe |
Van Alstyne |
|
K? 8? |
J?
9? |
|
Wolfe raises big... but
Van Alstyne calls with a SLIGHTLY better chance at a
straight. Still, the King makes Wolfe a slight fave.
|
| FLOP:
9?
5?
A? |
|
Van Alstyne has a pair and an 8-to-1 advantage.
Wolfe bets 16K, though. After some thought, Van
Alstyne just calls, not sure if Wolfe has an Ace.
|
| TURN:
A? |
|
Wolfe checks...and that's all the info Van Alstyne
needs. He bets $25,000. Wolfe mucks his hand
begrudgingly.
|
| |
WIN 74,000 |
|
Wolfe |
Markholt |
|
10?
9? |
K? Q? |
|
Obviously on litl from
the previous hand, Wolfe goes all-in with his suited
connectors. After getting a count from Wolfe and
thinking intently, Markholt... folds the superior
hand.
|
| WIN 28,600 |
|
|
Van Alstyne |
Markholt |
|
10? 8? |
J?
9? |
|
Van Alstyne raises to
6000... and Markholt calls. Neither are very good...
but Markholt is a 3-to-2 fave.
|
| FLOP: 8?
4? 10? |
|
Interesting. Van Alstyne flopped two pair... but
Markholt has an open-ended straight draw. Van
Alstyne bets 8000 and Markholt raises 20K more.
Without hesitation, Van Alstyne goes all-in. This
frustrates Markholt to no end... and folds.
|
| WIN 103,200 |
|
|
James Van Alstyne
|
631,600
|
| Lee Markholt |
54,800 |
|
Paul Wolfe
|
33,600
|
CHIP COUNT
(Oh, and remember, if you're gonna gamble, PLAY
RESPONSIBLY! Don't blame US if you go bankrupt because you
try to be like these guys!)
|
Wolfe
|
Van Alstyne
|
| 10? 9? |
9?
9? |
|
Wolfe goes all-in
again...but THIS time, he's picked the WRONG time to
do it because Van Alstyne has a "German Virgin". He
calls and is a 65% fave. A straight can still
double-up Wolfe again... or just a 10.
|
| FLOP:
7?
A? 5? |
|
A LITTLE help for Wolfe...but not much. He's down to
a 16% chance.
|
| TURN: 5? |
|
That SO does not help him. He puts on his jacket and
reaches for his car keys because he KNOWS how bad
the odds are. He needs a 10 or...
|
| RIVER:
6? |
|
...Wolfe has been shot down.
|
| WIN 40,600 |
OUT - 3rd Place
$46,505 |
With a bad beat he went from first to
worst...and, though he tried valiantly, Paul Wolfe just
could not get out of the hole. And, then, there were two:
| James Van Alstyne |
661,800 |
|
Lee Markholt
|
58,200
|
CHIP COUNT
It may SEEM like a hopeless
cause...but it'll only take two or three double-ups by Lee
Markholt to tie and overtake James Van Alstyne. One of
them will leave with about $60,000... while the other
takes an 1/8th of a million and has a chance at TEN
million more. Who will it be? Stay tuned! |
