Lamma Fun Day Poker Tourney 2008

With a disappointing turn-out the Lamma Fun Day Poker Tournament was straight to a final table of 6.

First blood was to Moocher as he hit trip 4s on the turn and milked a small bet on the turn and river. The first major action was when Mrs Phillberto bet out pre-flop. Bet out on an Axx flop. Bet out close to pot on the turn on board showing two diamonds. The Ace of Diamonds landed on the River and Mrs Phillberto made a 2/3rd pot bet on the river. Moocher fearful of a full-house opted not to risk his tournament life and called the bet taking it down with 86s and Mrs Phillberto lost a big chunk of her chips with AK.

Les heading towards a short stack took down a decent multi-way pot on a Kxx flop that was bet into and had two callers. Bigshot checked, Mrs Phillberto checked and Les fired a near pot sized bet. With the possibility of an all-in from him on the river neither wanted to take a risk with their Kojaks (KJ) and Les took down a nice pot with a K6 bluff/value bet(?).

Les later has his stack whittled down and the two short stacks came up against each other in a battle of the blinds with Mrs Phillberto calling from the Small Blind and then calling a raise. Les shoved on an innocuous looking flop and Mrs Phillberto called off her remaining stack with A high. Les showed J5 for a pair and his hand held up. First out Lamma’s only lady representative.

Les’s fortunes didn’t last for long. Les bet into a Qxx flop with two to a suit. He made a small bet into the turn and river and was called by Moocher who came over the top with an allin on the river. Les called him down but was out-kicked by Moocher’s QJ to take Les out of the tournament and make Moocher Big-stack.

Down to 4 handed and the blinds starting to be meaningful it was folded round to Bigshot who limped from the small blind. Phillberto shoved and Bigshot called putting him on overcards and happy to gamble it up. Shown 77 he failed to hit an out and another one bites the dust.

Rummy Coakes tournament life was the next to be put at stake as he min raised from the button. Phillberto called and then pushed on the flop with a lowly pair. Phillberto called with J9s leaving him flush draw outs, a gutshot straight draw and two overcards for a total of 18 outs twice making him a decent favourite. Rummy Coakes held up though and doubled up.

Moocher met his end when shoving all-in from the small blind against Rummy Coakes who called Moocher’s shove with Q8o and took his stack when his A9 romped home leaving him just behind in chips for the heads-up battle with Phillberto.

It was then down to heads-up and with Blinds very the blinds at $64/$128 it started off with an all-in by Phillberto. With Don not catching any cards for a while Philllberto’s pre-flop allin aggression paid off. With Don down to a small stack Phillberto took a gamble with K9o calling Rummy Coakes shove with 42s. He spiked a 2 on the river and was back in business. Continued aggression by Phillberto saw him grind Don down and again as a shortish stack Rummy pushed. Phillberto called with K9 again but this time was up against K3 and Phillberto held up to claim the well polished trophy from Lamma’s very own Spice boy not to mention a nice little side-pot of US$1,500 and raising the same amount for Lamma Fun day charity.