Home / Poker News June 2009 / Ken Aldridge wins $1,500 6-handed NL Holdem event
Ken Aldridge wins $1,500 6-handed NL Holdem event
Posted by: James Carter. - Sun, 2009-06-07 13:06
Ken Aldridge secured his first WSOP bracelet by staging a late rally on day 3 of the $1,500 short handed NL Holdem event. The final day of the 9th event of the 2009 WSOP saw Bryce Yockey start in the chip lead however he fell during the later stages of the final table action.
The official final table of this event would accommodate only 6 players, so given the fact that 8 survivors returned to action on day 3, two of them had to be eliminated before the final table action could commence.
One of those eliminated was Bryn Kenney. On his last hand, all the money went into the middle preflop. Kenney held A,9o vs Carman Cavella’s A,Jo. The board didn’t give either player anything and Cavella won by virtue of his higher kicker.
Praz Bansi became the final table bubble boy, eliminated in 7th place by Bryce Yockey. The money went all-in preflop again, as Bansi held Ac,10c against Yockey’s A,Jo.
They both made a pair of Aces on the river, and his higher kicker gave Yockey the pot. Bansi picked up $42,320 for his efforts.
After Bansi’s elimination, the final table action proceeded with the ejection of Manny Minaya in 6th place. Peter Gould took care of him, calling Minaya’s pocket 8s with his pocket 9s.
That was the point in the tournament when Ken Aldridge fired up the afterburners: he denied Carman Cavella first to double up. His Kd,Jd hit a pair of Js on the flop against Cavella’s pocket 8s.
Previous chip leader Bryce Yockey fought back though and busted one of Aldridge’s bluffs to reclaim the chip lead.
After a slower spell following his busted bluff, Aldridge swung right back into action, and eliminated Charles Furey to boost his stack again.
Carman Cavella and Bryce Yockey then got into a raising war which had all the makings of a decisive hand. Cavella’s Kh,Qh spiked a Q on the turn to defeat Yockey’s pocket tens and to send him to the rail in 4th.
Peter Gould was caught bluffing by Aldridge next and paid for it with his tournament life.
The heads-up stage between Aldridge and Cavella was a remarkably passive affair. Most pots were limped to showdown with a minimal amount of betting, something one rarely sees in the closing stages of a tournament.
The final hand of the event saw both players hit a pair of Ks on the flop. None of them improved further though and thus Aldridge’s superior kicker was enough for the win.
