Home / Poker News October 2009 / Aruba Poker Classic Day 4 – Mizrachi hangs on
Aruba Poker Classic Day 4 – Mizrachi hangs on
Posted by: James Carter. - Mon, 2009-10-12 13:14
36 players returned to the tables of the Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino and Spa on the 4th day of the
Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic. The interesting thing about the surviving field was the fact that it contained two ex-APC champions: Travis Rice and Matt Brady. While at the beginning of the day the prospects of a successful title defense did indeed look rather encouraging, when the action was called none of the ex-champs were present at the tables anymore.
Robert Mizrachi, the chip leader of the previous 2 days put in yet another dominating performance. While other players managed to take over the chip lead briefly, Mizrachi lurked among the top 3 all the time and at the end of the day he once again sprung forth to secure the chip lead for the 3d consecutive day. By the time Ryan Schmidt hit the rail in 8th place, thus setting the unofficial final table, Mizrachi had amassed a 1.9 million chip stack.
Matt Vengrin and Zachary Clark were also eliminated on day 4. Brock Parker, who had managed to win two bracelets in the 2009 WSOP, and Eric Baldwin (known online as “basebaldy”), did much better though. Baldwin will start the final table second in chips (with 2,573,000) while Parker starts 4th (with 1,241,000).
As the field gradually whittled down, out of the ordinary situations became more and more scarce. Jose Roberto Santos’ triple up against David Perkins and Brandon Hall was definitely one for the news though. Finding himself short-stacked, Santos felt compelled to push all-in on an A,Ko. He got called by Perkins and Hall, one of them holding pocket Qs and the other, pocket Ks. Santos looked doomed but his supporters at the rail were as noisy as ever. The board fell A,10,10,9,3 and Santos’ crew was jubilant. They took him on a victory lap before ha was returned to his seat. At that point, the 1.1 million stack he amassed in that hand put Santos into the lead. It eventually proved enough to carry him through to the final table, though he didn’t really get anything going after that triple-up and finished with only 211,000 chips, which makes him the short-stack for the Day 5 final table action.
Brandon Hall ended up with 442,000 chips and Matt Ross, the other short-stack, finished with 301,000. Chase Steely also made it, on a 1,293,000 stack.
