Bearded Mike: Record Breaking Tourney Launches Season Three

The opening of the Spring season broke the GPT record with 25 entrants – and that despite only two A3 alums. Hold’em brought a half-dozen newbies and several people we haven’t seen in months. Table One was the Wild West this time although no one approached Keith’s re-buy record. Jason tried, and Cash likely would have broken it but for winning hands with 4-high by catching runner-runner straight and the like. With every player adding-on and 35 re-buys the payout also was a record at more than $500.

The first three exits included a rookie, a vet, and one of the people we haven’t seen in months. The fourth exit was momentous as two-time Hold’em Champion Baklava went out with Jacks against Candy’s aces. Hank followed two spots later and a sizable cash game was on. Although there were $170,000 of chips in play the action went fairly quickly, and the final ten was set with three rookies Joe-C-Bowl, Evan “OC,” and Alex.

Sean sent out two players at once with aces vs. kings vs. queens (and Lee folding jacks as the initial raiser). This served to help build his war chest and his kill-count. Alex then sent Evan out on the bubble in seventh. After knocking out the champ from the previous two seasons, Candy also collected kills at the final table sending Scott out in sixth and Alex out in fifth. Sean then collected the next two scalps with More Dave going out fourth and Lee third.

The heads-up match lasted about 20 minutes despite the mountain of chips in play, and the tourney ended before midnight with Candy taking the title. The cash game then lasted for over three hours.