French versus French!
There are no friends on the Poker table! Tivo versus Pascal in a battle of Noumea. I don’t know where to begin on this hand, personally if I like the Aces of Pascal’s then I’m not flatting the raise – get it in son! Don’t wait until you are behind!
Fourth place finisher for XPF211,200 was Pascal. This is how it all went down:
Pascal makes a min raise to 8,000, Tivo makes a pot size raise to 24,000 which is called by Pascal (mistake number 1 – this is where you re-pot Tivo) – anyways, he didn’t, and we went to a flop
We go to a flop – Kd Jc 6h
Tivo first to act makes a pot sized bet of 60,000, Pascal raises all-in (mistake number 2 – you are rarely ahead on this flop when you have already been re-raised pre), more than likely Tivo holds Kings or Jacks and Tivo calls!
Tivo tables Ac Kc Jc Jd
Pascal tables As Ad 8x 7x
Pascal is in bad shape with Tivo flopping the set of Jacks, the board runs out 3c and 6s to seal the almost double up, eliminating Pascal and pushing Tivo to over 300,000 where he held half the chips in play!
Let’s get real here people, this should have been all-in pre and if not then a fold on the flop – this writer being one of the best Omaha players in the world knows this!
Tivo would go on to tangle with another player not long after, Yuri got into a raising war with Tivo pre until all the chips were in the middle, hands were tabled as follows:
Iori Jc Jd 10c 7s
Tivo As Ks 10h 7h
The board ran out with 10s 5h 9d 4c 5d and Iori doubles to around 130,000 with his pair of Jacks best.
Action central – and here we go … it’s time to get it in on the flop:
Tivo, at risk, and tables 10d 8c 9c 9h
Iori Kc Jc Qs 4s
Flop 10s 7h 3s
Let’s analyse the current situation:
Tivo is best right now with the pair of 10’s and Iori sitting on a flush draw with re-draws to straights, not even the nut flush, maybe it’s loose or maybe its genius – let’s see a turn card thanks Lily:
Qd
So Iori takes the lead and Tivo needs to improve. The Ah falls on the river which is no help to Tivo and the pot goes to Iori with a pair of queens versus a pair of 10’s
Tivo is eliminated in third spot for 288,000, the 355,000 pot goes to Iori and we are heads up between Iori and Mario!
Can the Japanese take out event number 2!?
Iori representing Japan and Mario representing French Chinese – both deep with over 50 bigs on average.
Play is a little boring right now, raise fold, raise fold – Iori is holding a 3:1 chip lead right now but we saw how that worked out in Event 1 – the underdog came through!
I’m backing Mario – the people’s champion – let’s keep this one local because, if I can’t win it, then Noumea should.
Not to diss Iori, he is a solid player and probably the most decorated at this final table … I don’t know this for a fact I am just making assumptions on the steely eyed play and expressionless Poker face he dons for the game.
That’s what I’m talking about!
Lily the dealer of death – cooler city … maybe.
Ok – changes of dealer – I think there was a compliant, it wasn’t so much the cards she dealt but the wry smile she showed while doing it. They have bought in a special Noumea dealer to help Mario – Yay!
I have got to take my hat off to Mario – he is trying to create action – he has an 8:1 chip deficit but Iori remains stoic, he will not release the Ninja grip he has on his chips!
Later …
Mario 56,000
Iori 550,000 almost!
Mario is trying to find a spot – now taking flops that he should or shouldn’t …
And the Ice queen dealer (Lily) is back, this won’t take long now, one way or the other!
Mario 40,000
Iori 560,000
…
Mario 70,000
Iori 530,000
…
Enter emoji of a whistling man right here – call, flop, bet fold, raise, no flop fold, GET IT IN!
Ok Mario – you are mine and the peoples choice but come on …. WAIT
Ok, while i was typing we had all in and a call on the flop:
Mario 8d 6h 4h 3s
Iori Qs A2 Ks As
Flop 4s 3c 6d
This gives Mario three pairs, but he can only use two ..
Turn 10s
Iori is now looking for spade draw or gutshot straight … wait for it …
Jd
Mario wins!
Ok – Mario is on the way back!
The final blow!
And it will go down like this:
Little raise and a call pre flop, flop of 5s 8s 8h
check – check
Turn 7c
check – check
Now this can mean only two things – a. they both have nothing or one has nothing and the other is waiting to bet/fold etc etc or b. they both have a monster and are trying to trap each other.
River 2h
In the words of Norman Chad – “a two on the river means nothing!” – and he was right – kind of anyway – bet by Iori and shove by Mario – called by Iori and we have an all-in and a call!
My first analysis of one person having nothing and the other waiting was wrong – it was the dealer – pretty much a cooler heads up – here were the cards:
Mario Jd 6c 8d 4s
Mario flops the world! A set of 8’s with draws to a straight and full house – hits the straight on the turn!
Yuri 7d 8c Js 4d
Iori also flops the world! As set of 8’s on the flop with draws to a straight and full house – BUT Iori hits the Full house on the turn. Any 6 gives him the straight (gives Mario the Full house)
That’s it for event number 2 – I am still the greatest Omaha player that did not take the felt in this event!
Country trophy count:
Japan – 2
Noumea – 0
Australia – 0
Rest of the world – 0
Yours in Poker reporting – The Prince and my assistant/photographer – George aka Jordan aka VB aka The Sleuth