WSOP: Marty Smyth Wins Event No. 50

by Reeps, 03.07.08

Taking home a World Series of Poker bracelet is never easy, even when you’ve already outlasted 372 players and only eight more stand in the the way. But when you have the raucus support Marty Smyth got from his fellow Irishmen, maybe the task becomes just a bit easier. Smyth, a poker pro from Belfast, Ireland, was all in twice against third-place finisher Michael Mizrachi and once against runner-up Peter Jetten. He survived all three hands, and then stole the last hand away from Jetten when both flopped straights but he hit a flush on the river.

The seat assignments and chip counts to begin the final table were:

1. Kido Pham - 1,080,000
2. Brandon Moran - 1,286,000
3. Peter Jetten - 492,000
4. Michael Mizrachi - 1,767,000
5. Billy Argyros - 729,000
6. Greg Hurst - 637,000
7. Tom Hanlon - 192,000
8. Marty Smyth - 1,068,000
9. Richard Harroch - 372,000

Here are highlights from all of the action, as featured in CardPlayer.com’s live coverage of the final table:

Greg Hurst Eliminated in 9th Place ($80,581)

Michael Mizrachi raised to 75,000 from under the gun and Greg Hurst called from the button. The flop came 763 and Mizrachi bet out 80,000. Hurst decided to raise and then Mizrachi reraised all in. Hurst called and was all in.

Mizrachi: AK54
Hurst: AA98

Turn/River: 36

Mizrachi flopped a straight with a flush draw, and was well ahead of Hurst's aces and straight draw. The turn gave Mizrachi a second flush draw and gave Hurst even fewer outs. The river didn't help and Hurst left the table to collect $80,581 for his ninth-place finish.

Level Goes By with Zero Eliminations or Double-Ups

Level 23 was a relatively quiet one, as nobody was ever all in looking to double up or go home. But it was a fantastic level for Peter Jetten. He began the final table with less than 500,000 chips, and has picked about one million chips so far today. It has also become clear that Michael Mizrachi and Kido Pham will be involved in as many pots as possible. They just don't know any other way to play.

"The Croc" doubles up through "The Grinder"

After Peter Jetten raised to 110,000 and Michael Mizrachi called, Billy Argyros reraised all in 495,000 from the button. Jetten folded and then Mizrachi called.

Mizrachi: A994
Argyros: KKQ8

Board: J53JJ

Mizrachi made the call with a very mediocre hand, and never caught any of his outs. After the hand Argyros had well over a million chips, and some retribution for yesterday when Mizrachi doubled up with a flush draw on the flop against Argyros's set.

Harroch doubles through Moran

After a 974 flop, Brandon Moran raised Richard Harroch's bet of 120,000 to 480,000, putting Harroch all in. Harroch called, creating a pot worth nearly 1,000,000 chips.

Moran: 8-6-5-4
Harroch: T-8-7-7

Turn/River: 6-4

Moran held a wrap draw, But Harroch had T-8 for a straight draw and a set of sevens. After the turn Harroch held a ten-high straight and Moran could only chop the pot. Then the river gave Harroch a full house.

Brandon Moran eliminated in 8th place ($107,442)

Kido Pham min-raised to 80,000 and then Brandon Moran called on the button and Peter Jetten called from the small blind. Michzel Mizrachi then made a pot-sized reraise to 400,000. Pham then calls and Moran calls all in. Jetten folds and the flop comes AK4. Mizrachi moves all in and Pham folds.

Moran: 8653
MizrachiAAK2

Turn/River: 4J

Mizrachi flopped a set of aces and turned a full house. Moran flopped a gushot, but was drawing dead on the river. He is eliminated in 8th place and took home $107,442.

Tom Hanlon eliminated in 7th place ($134,303)

Tom Hanlon made a pot-sized raise and all the players got out of the way except Michael Mizrachi in the big blind. The flop was J76 and Mizrachi bet enough to put Hanlon all in.

Mizrachi: J862
Hanlon: AKT9

Turn/River: A3

Hanlon had nothing following the flop, but picked up a pair of aces on the turn and suddenly had a decent chance to double up. But the trey on the river didn't match any of his hole cards, and he was knocked out in 7th place. For his three-day effort Hanlon will receive $134,303.

Jetten doubles through Pham

Kido Pham called from the small blind and Peter Jetten checked. The two checked the flop and on the turn the board read J1063. Pham bet 80,000 and Jetten called. The river was the 4 and Pham checked. Jetten bet 125,000 and after a minute Pham raised the pot, putting Jetten all in if he called. After taking well over five minutes, Jetten called with Q542. Jetten had a six-high straight, but with three diamonds on the board it was certainly possible he was beat.

Kido Pham Eliminated in 6th Place ($170,117)

After Michael Mizrachi, Billy Argyros and Richard Harroch limp into the pot, Kido Pham makes a raise from the big blind. Mizrachi calls and the others fold. The flop comes Q107, and after Pham checks Mizrachi bets 300,000. The turn is the 6 and again Pham checks. Mizrachi, who has Pham covered, moves all in. Minutes go by before Pham makes his decision to call and put his tournament life at risk.

Pham: AAK5
Mizrachi: 1010K6

River: 6

Pham needed an ace or jack on the river, but instead the board paired and Mizrachi won with a full house. He knocked out Pham, who will take home $170,117, in 6th place.

Smyth doubles through Mizrachi

Marty Smyth raised to 125,000 and Michael Mizrachi called from the big blind. The flop was K72 and both players checked. The turn was the T and Mizrachi bet 200,000. Smyth then raised, and Mizrachi reraised. Smyth called all in.

Mizrachi: 10976
Smyth: KJT8

River: 4

Mizrachi had two pair, a flush draw and straight draw, but Smyth had top two pair. The river didn't help Mizrachi, and Smyth doubled up to 2,580,000 chips and now has the chip lead.

Richard Harroch Eliminated in 5th Place ($214,884)

Marty Smyth raised to 200,000 from the button and Richard Harroch called from the small blind. After a flop of AJ4, Harroch moved all in and Smyth called.

Harroch: AQT5
Smyth: 7644

Turn/River: 54

Harroch was in bad shape against Smyth's set of fours, but the turn gave him additional outs as an ace or five would give him a better full house and a king would give him a straight. But the river gave Smyth quads and a significant chip lead over the remaining three players. Harroch, the author of Poker for Dummies, finished in 5th place and won $214,884.

Billy Argyros Eliminated in 4th Place ($268,605)

Mizrachi limped into the pot under the gun and then Billy Argyros made a pot-sized raise to 270,000. When it folded around to Mizrachi he reraised and Argyros called all in. Earlier in the level Argyros had been crippled in a pot with Mizrachi, and then doubled up against Mizrachi. But he was still short-stacked with only 440,000 entering this hand.

Mizrachi: KQJ7
Argyros: AA66

Board: AK3T8

Argyros flopped a set of aces and had Mizrachi drawing to a gutshot straight draw and backdoor flush draw. Amazingly, he hit the gutshot on the turn, and even made the flush on the river. Argyros headed out in 4th place, and gets $268,605 for his three days of work.

Michael Mizrachi Eliminated in 3rd Place ($331,280)

Peter Jetten raised to 225,000 from the button, and Michael Mizrachi reraised to 755,000 from the small blind. After Marty Smyth folded Jetten reraised and Mizrachi called all in.

Mizrachi: AK53
Jetten: AAQ8

Board: 965T4

Mizrachi caught one pair on the flop, but he didn't improve on the turn or river and was eliminated in third place, earning $331,280. His quest to keep the world championship pot-limit Omaha bracelet in the Mizrachi family fell short.

Smyth doubles through Jetten, takes chip lead

Marty Smyth raised to 240,000 and then Peter Jetten reraised to 720,000. Smyth called and the flop came K96. Jetten bet out pot, 1,440,000, and after a minute to think it over Smyth raised all in. Jetten called and the two turned over their hands.

Jetten: AQT4
Smyth: QJT7

Turn/River: T4

On the flop nobody had a pair, but Smyth did have a wrap draw. The turn gave Smyth a straight, and Jetten needed a jack to avoid losing roughly two million chips. He didn't catch it, and Smyth took a significant chip lead.

Marty Smyth Wins Event 50 ($859,532)

Peter Jetten limped in and then Marty Smyth raised to 300,000. Jetten called and the two saw the flop come QT9. Smyth made a pot-sized pot and Jetten raised pot. Smyth moved all in and Jetten called all in.

Jetten: KJ32
Smyth: KJJQ

Both players flopped the nuts, a king-high straight. But Smyth had a club-flush draw and a pair of queens. His Irish supporters chanted "Freeroll! Freeroll!" and "Club! Club!" while waiting for the turn and river to be dealt.

Turn/River: 76

The turn was a blank, but the river gave Smyth a flush, the pot, the bracelet and $859,532. Jetten finished in second, earning $528,257.

From cardplayer.com

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