You have to be careful what you say or do at the poker table. Even the smallest misstep can get you into trouble, and the smallest mistakes can cost you your tournament. Paul D’Ambrosia learned that the hard way on day two of the 2007 Foxwoods Poker Classic.
The day started with 212 players, but an amazing fifty-nine busted out in the day’s first level. The war of attrition was on. Before all was said and done, 156 would be gone, with just fifty-six earning day three honors. That plateau was within D’Ambrosia’s grasp until one slight error of speech ended his tournament.
Eventual end-of-day chip leader Casey Griswold had been raising relentlessly, and did so again in the hand in question. The table folded to D’Ambrosia on the big blind, who looked at his cards and said “I’m definitely going to call you this time. I might even raise.” When he went to make the raise, Griswold called for the tournament director.
‘Casey at the Bat’ argued that D’Ambrosia had made the call based on verbal declaration, namely when he said “I’m definitely going to call.” The director decided that was a fair contention and ordered the flop be dealt. It came 10c-5c-2c; Casey bet T12,000 and D’Ambrosia called.
The turn was Kd and D’Ambrosia bet out for T30,000. Griswold paused for a moment at the aggressive move before declaring himself all-in. D’Ambrosia quickly called with his remaining T130,000 and revealed Ac-As, for the nut flush draw and an overpair. Casey showed Kc-4c. Had D’Ambrosia raised preflop, he’d have likely taken the hand outright. Instead, he was staring at his opponent’s flush. The river was Qh and D’Ambrosia was gone.
Griswold ended the day with just under T400,000. He enters day three with the chip lead as the money bubble looms. Tomorrow, we’ll see if he maintains it or makes a couple of missteps of his own; he knows better than anyone that they can be costly.
Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com
