While the 2007 World Series of Poker officially began on June 1st, the chaos of the thing didn’t truly begin until a day later. The first of the month featured an employees event few took seriously and a mixed-hold’em event with a small field. It was on day two, when event 3 - $1,500 no-limit hold’em began, that the floodgates really opened.
Event three set the all-time record for participants in a live, non-WSOP main event tournament, with 2,998. To many, it meant the rumors of poker’s demise were greatly exaggerated, and that numbers at the series would thrive. Their prognostications were correct, with all but the main event setting records.
Heading to the final table, all the talk was of US Poker Championship Alex Jacob. The US Poker Championship winner, one of the best young players in the game, had a massive chip lead at the start of final day play. He lost a large pot early then held on to the lead until there were four left.
Meanwhile, Ciarin O’Leary was making a massive comeback. He’d started the day with barely 20% of Jacob’s stack, but a double-up through Paul Evans helped him build momentum. He’d be the one who’d take out Jeff Yoak in fourth place, taking the chip lead in the process.
O’Leary took Jacob out in two hands. The first saw him win a T2.3 million pot without seeing a flop (With a little more than T9 million in play). The second saw Evans fold the button before O’Leary limped on the small blind. Jacob checked, O’Leary checked in the dark and the flop came Ac-4c-2s. Jacob bet T150,000, O’Leary raised to 600,000 and Jacob paused.
Alex thought for five minutes before finally calling with 9h-4h. The call has been debated endlessly in online circles, with some suggesting Jacob was on steam from the preflop fold. The turn was Ks, O’Leary moved all-in, and after another long pause, Jacob again called. O’Leary threw 7c-7d on the table. The river 6h had no effect.
O’Leary would go on to beat Evans two hands into heads up. The Irishman won $727,012. In the post-game interview he preached patience. It made sense; there were 43 days to go.
Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com
