Poker Superstars 3, Episode 2 - Recap
June 27, 2006 -
(Editor Note: Antonio Esfandiari won the first match. I don't have the time or the energy to write about each and every elimination match. Besides, I'm a bit behind on my poker TV watching - if you haven't guessed! so,for those of y'all keeping score, check out this link courtesy of CardPlayer Magazine!)
The players: Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, Todd Brunson, Jeff Shulman and Eli Elezra.
Barry Greenstein came out the gate playing aggressively. The first player out with zero points was Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. He went all in with 5s, 5d and came up against Eli Elezra's heart-suited big slick. When a king came on the flop, Jesus went packing. Chris said that, in retrospect, that he was probably too aggressive. However, the next match he promised more of the same.
Players must place in the top sixteen to make it to the quarterfinals. That's decided by a series of several elimination matches in which points are awarded to the players. For more info on the PokerStars' tournament structure, please read: http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/5398712.
Shulman had pocket rockets and raised it up to 50k. Greenstein re-raised all-in with his As,3s. Shulman didn't take long to make the call. Greenstein said, "I don't want to show my hand." The flop came down as 3d,3c,4s. Greenstein had the best of it. That is until the river which was another ace. Shulman had aces full of threes which beat out Greenstein's trip threes. Greenstein had Shulman covered so he was still in the game but only by the skin of his teeth.
Ivey made his move with a pair of sixes in the pocket. He raised it to 100k. Shulman looked down at QQ. He raised Ivey all-in. Ivey called. Shulman, the CEO of Cardplayer Magazine, took Ivey out in 5th place and had a commanding chip lead at the table. Todd Brunson, the runner up in the second installment of the PokerSuperstars Tournament, doubled up with the dead man's hand - A8. Shulman had a KQ.
Brunson, Elezra and Shulman went at it for a bit. After Elezra hit a lucky eight on the river with his A8 - Shulman had big slick again - Brunson took the chip lead away from Shulman. Soon after Greenstein went all in with a KQ of clubs. Elezra found himself with Big Slick this time. Greenstein doubled up with a queen on the turn. Elezra was now the short stack at the table.
Shulman went all-in with a Qs,10h. Greenstein called with a Jh,5h. He doubled up to over 500k when the board went down like this - 7s,Kc,9h,6c,2c. Brunson went all in with a Qc,Js and doubled up to 400k. Greenstein went all in with a Kh,4h. Brunson had watched him bully the table. So, he called wiht a Qd,10c. Brunson doubled up again and became the chip leader again. Greenstein got knocked down to 220k in chips. With the blinds rising exponentially every few minutes it seemed, Barry was in trouble at this point. So too was Eli Elezra. Eli went out in fourth place and received three points when he went all in with a 76 unsuited and came up against Shulman's A7. The board had two sevens but Elezra was dominated and hit the rails.
Brunson and Shulman again traded the chip lead. Greenstein kept going all in and stayed alive much to Brunson and Shulman's chagrin. Brunson decided it was time to go all in with an Ad,Ac. Shulman called him with a Qd,9d. Shulman made a back-door flush and cracked Todd's aces. Shulman and Greenstein went toe to toe. In the end, Greenstein took first place, which gives the players 10k and 10 points.
MORAL OF THE STORY - Aggression pays big dividends in poker.
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