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Archive for the ‘lucapagano’ Category
WSOP Main Event: Tough time at tough table
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
A late great poker writer once told me that if nothing seems to be happening on the tournament floor stick around for a while. Well on a table like Luca Pagano's you don't have to stick around for long.
His table is nothing short of ferocious featuring as it does former EPT winner John Shipley, former EPT finalist Ludovic Lacay, Luca Pagano, Isaac Barron and another Team PokerStars Pro Grant Levy, not to mention Australian cricket legend Shane Warne.
One tough table
The last hour at the table has been dominated by one hand, started by a pre-flop bet from Pagano to 1,600 which was called by Barron and Lacay. The flop came [7h][9s][7s]. Lacay checked and Pagano bet again, 3,500 this time. Barron called but Lacay backed out.
Luca Pagano
Now a [qs] on the turn. Pagano checked before Barron took over the betting, making it 5,700. With careful movements all the way Pagano peeled off a raise and made it another 11,000 on top. Barron called. Now there was some meat on the bones.
Pagano and Barron slog it out
Now the river card [jh]. Pagano had been dead still throughout the hand, making bets by moving just his right hand. He now added another 17,000 to the pot in the same. In contrast to Pagano's calm Barron is all movement, shaking his head and squirming in his seat, the focus now on him. He leans back to evaluate what could be an awkward scene. With just two orange chips, a tower of yellows and change in his stack, Barron was vulnerable to crashing out. He looked over at Pagano, still not moving and then, with a 'what the hell' flourish, threw in the call and showed [5d][7d].
Whatever Pagano had he couldn't beat it.
"Nice hand" he said before leaning back, removing his glasses to show just how exhausting this hand had been. "Almost there?"
"Yeah, I was pretty close to folding" replied Barron. Pagano's was the bravest of faces but the hand had winded him. This is the reason poker doesn't allow kids to play the World Series because moments like this would make them cry.
Some tables make a lot of noise, all talk or laughter. This one just went quiet. A tough hit for Pagano, who took three more hands to get back to full speed, but he keeps 60,000 to fight on.
*****
FUTILE JOURNEY OF THE HOUR
-- My trip to the now-deserted Brasilia Room. The entire day 2a field is now in the Amazon Room.
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READING MATTER OF THE HOUR
Neighbour of Billy Argyros on table three: "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. (Book about the nature of genius.)
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DWELL OF THE HOUR
After raising from the button and getting reraised from the big blind, Ivo Donev took approximately five minutes to: (in order) cut his chips into small piles, re-tower them, move chips forward slightly, move chips back slightly, pick up water bottle, lift visor, rub water bottle across forehead, open water bottle, drink water, remove headphones, wring hands, stand up from chair, look over shoulder across tournament room, un-stack chips, re-stack chips, fold.
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OUT OF CONTEXT QUOTE OF THE HOUR
"I'm giving him a butt massage. I tripped over him the first time."
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POKERSTARS QUALIFIERS OF THE HOUR
-- Jeffrey Mathis, with about 170,000, and Sorel Mizzi, with about 140,000.
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ELIMINATION OF THE HOUR
-- Lex Veldhuis has departed. He had an open ended straight draw with his [2c][4c] but it missed against top pair, top kicker, when all the money went in.
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JOE GIRON'S PHOTO HOUR
A line of dealers in the Amazon Room
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TOURNAMENT INFO OF THE HOUR
At the end of level seven players are going on a 90 minute dinner break.
WSOP Main Event: Travel sickness
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
A table of contrasts in the blue section, where Team PokerStars Pros Barry Greenstein and Luca Pagano are enjoying a day sitting opposite each other courtesy of the random seat draw.
One way of looking at Barry Greenstein's tournament record is to say he's done so well stateside that he has no reason to venture beyond home soil to Europe to add further winnings. Nearly $7 million in winnings, three WSOP bracelets, three WPT titles among a host of others, the man has earned the right to pick and choose. A less favourable way to spin that same resume would be to say Greenstein doesn't travel well - kind of like the Detroit Lions - and has yet to break the European curse that has kept his Euro accounts on empty for some time.
Barry Greenstein
Then there's Luca Pagano, whose record in Europe is impeccable. The Italian has eleven EPT cashes, amounting to nearly one million in prize money having come close to an EPT title on four final tables. But as far as the World Series is concerned Pagano has just three cashes, hard earned scars from a relentless campaign to transfer European form stateside. Kind of like David Beckham.
Luca Pagano
For Pagano at least it's time to put that aside. The opening level has been kind, or at least not cruel. Pagano, his hair shorter than when we last saw him, sits with 36,000 while former EPt winner Andreas Hoivold, hair all over the place like the last time we saw him, has 32K. There's more danger in the form of Jorn Walthaus who reached the final in Deauville earlier this year. There are easier tables.
Walthaus has started well, currently on 41,000. Greenstein has tangled in the odd nasty pots. Ready to throw the book (his book) at his next vanquisher, his twitter gave a concise account of the first level, noting how he'd bluffed his way down to 11K.
But Greenstein's remains a threat to rally back. He pilfered a few thousand from Walthaus and then did the same to Pagano. Then the Italian lost a few more to South Dakotan PokerStars qualifier Shane Steinhour.
It's one of the tough ones. They'll be fireworks before the day is out.
*****
JOE GIRON PHOTO HOUR
Team PokerStars Pro Alex Gomes on the rail
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OPTIMISM OF THE HOUR
"I'm never drawing dead. You could have the nut flush and it could come three-three." -- Greg Raymer folds his pocket threes face up after his opponent, a pre-flop raiser, leads out on a [6h][ah][2h] board.
* * * * *
CALL OF THE HOUR
Grant Levy, in the big blind, called a pre-flop raise of 600. Two players saw the flop of [10s][kd][2h] and Levy check-called a small bet. The turn was [6c] and again Levy called a bet of 1,700. The river was the [4h] and this time Levy led out for 2,350 but was reraised to 8,000. "Did he flop a set?" pondered the Australian, before almost insta-calling. "Good call," said his opponent. Levy flipped [ad][ks], which was good. He now has more than 50,000.
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ELIMINATION OF THE HOUR
Chris Moneymaker was just seen marching towards the door, his cell phone to his ear being pursued by a television crew. Tens against aces came the news, with Moneymaker down to his last 7K. The aces called and the camera crew arrived.
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STATISTIC OF THE HOUR
Number of Swine Flu masks in Day 1B: 1
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VIDEO BLOG OF THE HOUR
Watch WSOP 2009: July 3rd Overview from Day 1a on PokerStars.tv
EPT San Remo: End of the road?
Monday, April 20th, 2009
Asa Smith will be here a little longer, even if times are hard. He just doubled up with pocket jacks, called by ace-queen. A third jack hit the flop to take Smith back up to 40,000 which right now is just under the average mark.
Also at the table is Friend of PokerStars Tom McEvoy. After Johan Storakers raised on his immediate right the former World Champion shoved all-in for about 30,000 more. Storakers went into the tank, separating the chips in his stack to see how much he'd have left - roughly 25,000. But it's too rich for the Swede who's chasing a second cash in a row.
Sadly it's the end of the road for Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano. He raised from the button, called for a [ah][8s][4h] flop before moving all-in. His opponent thought for an age, getting the clock called down to three second before chucking his chips in, showing kings. Pagano had the flush draw, showing [jh][9h], but neither the six on the turn or jack on the river were hearts.
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