2007 World Series: Part 4 - $5,000 PL Hold'em Final Table

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Joe Patrick ran a heckuva bluff last night to stay alive and make it to this final table. He pushed with a little pair and a gutshot to Keith Lehr's overpair. Lehr thought for an age before folding. Today, Patrick showed little to none of the man who bluffed his way to the final table. He played very few hands in the first few hours of final table play.

So, when he did finally come in, he expected to win. He got his pocket nines in against Jason Lester's all-in. Lester held AJ snagged a jack on the river to double up.

Just ten minutes later, a three-way all-in turned the hand from a five-handed to three handed event. Joe got pocket sevens all-in against Jeff's QQ and Jason's AK. The board didn't improve anybody's hand. Joe exited in fifth place earning $99,142

***

It's times like this that I giggle at people who talk about poker being a game of luck. I mean, look at this three-handed match. Allen Cunningham, Humberto Brenes, and Jeff Lisandro? No matter who wins the bracelet, it's going to be somebody who has so many hours, WSOP cashes, and/or bracelets, that it serves as one of the greatest arguments for poker being a game of skill. Take Humberto, for instance. This is the 45th time he's cashed in a World Series event. This is the second time he's made a final table this year.

The crowd around the table was a good illustration of how people have come to respect the skilled players. With the young guns' crowd gone, the seats filled in with a quieter crowd, ready to see international poker stars fight for the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em Championship.

However, as three-handed play began, Humberto more than likely had to pick a hand and go with it. Short-stacked among the final three, he pretty much had one raise or one re-raise against the two monster stacks. Facing a raise from Allen Cunningham, Humberto jammed with Th9c. Cunningham called with AcQh.

"Nine is coming!" Humberto said, but I think he knew his day was done. Cunningham flopped a queen. Humberto picked up a gutshot. By the turn, Humberto was open-ended. He missed on the river and went out in third place for $197,348.

In the end, the title went to Allen Cunningham, after a hard-fought heads up match with Jeff Lisandro.