Unexpected beat can’t derail run to a tournament crown
In November, the inaugural Poker Industry Championship was held at the Hard Rock Tulsa (Oklahoma). The $330-buy-in tournament was hosted by the RunGood Poker Series and open only to those who worked in the poker industry, including dealers, floor people and members of the poker media.
I was privileged enough to play, and I wound up winning the tournament for a nice payday and a Signature championship ring.
On the way to victory, I continuously clashed with traveling dealer Thomas Bowler, who proved to be a skilled poker player.
In one memorable hand, blinds were 1,000-2,000 with an ante of 2,000 when I raised from the button to 4,500 holding 8h 7d. It’s not a great hand, but it’s important to open your range (the number of starting hands you’re willing to play) when playing shorthanded.
Bowler defended his big blind, and I was elated to see the flop fall 8c 8d 2c to give me trip eights.
Bowler checked, and I opted to check behind. I had a super-strong hand on a dry flop. If I bet, what would he possibly call me with? Chances are he didn’t have the case eight (the only other one left in the deck), and he almost surely didn’t have a deuce in his hand since he had been willing to call a preflop raise. I didn’t want to scare him away by betting, so I checked to see a Kc turn.
This appeared to be a great card for my hand. If he had either a king or a club in his hand, I was likely to get a few more chips off him. He checked for a second time, and I decided to bet small to encourage a call. I bet 3,000, and he just called, which alleviated any concern that he might have two clubs in the hole.
The 4d river was a safe card, and Bowler checked for the third time. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I had the best hand, so I bet 7,000. Bowler quickly called, and I proudly tabled my cards.
Much to my surprise, Bowler rolled over Jc 7c for the flush. Had I bet the flop and he check-raised, there’s a good chance I would have gone broke in the hand. Instead, it played out in a curious way, and I survived.
After Ian Pearson bowed out in third place, Bowler and I battled it out heads-up, with him holding a near 4-to-1 chip lead. Fortunately, I was able to chip up into a lead of my own. In the final hand of the tournament, I raised to 8,000 holding Qc 8h, and Bowler defended with 9c 3d.
The Qs 9d 2s flop gave us both a pair, and Bowler checked. I continued for 6,000, he check-raised all in for 65,000, and I called with top pair. Neither the 6s turn nor the 5h river changed a thing, and I just like that the tournament was over — I had won the first Poker Industry Championship!