With over $2.2m in live tournament earnings, spread over an eight-year period, Todd Terry is a familiar face on the poker scene. Yet for all of his action, it’s not often that you see his name flashing in neon lights at the top of the chip counts when the poker news headlines are cast in stone, yet that’s exactly where Todd Terry sits as Day 1A of the bwin WPT Grand Prix de Paris comes to a close.
The field was as compact and bijou as the tournament area in the Aviation Club de France (ACF), as 79 players paid €7,500 a piece, to play in the only televised WPT European event of Season XII.
Despite only hosting 79 players there was hardly any value as the field consisted of some of the greatest tournament players in the game. Former champions came out in their droves as no less than 11 WPT Champions Club members took their seats.
The reigning champion Matt Salsberg was also in the field, and he immediately went to work on Todd Terry – verbally not physically – when he sent out a tweet stating:
How good do I run at Aviation Club? Have @toddbterry on my table. Gonna send him to whatever gluten free joint he’s eating at early.
— matt salsberg (@msalsberg) October 25, 2013
Terry would have the last laugh when he eliminated Salsberg in the fifth level of the day to cement his place at the top of the chip counts. In the hand in question Salsberg flatted a Terry open with pocket kings only to see the flop rain down KQT. Terry was holding the nuts, the money went in on the turn and the river bricked to send Salsberg packing.
Gilbert Diaz (90,100) and Jean-Noel Thorel (90,050) were the two players challenging Terry for the chip lead. Diaz played his poker alongside the likes of Athanasios Polychronopoulos, Phil Hellmuth and Brandon Cantu, and it was the elimination of the latter that really pushed Diaz towards the top of the counts.
Diaz flopping a set of nines on A93 at the same time Cantu was holding ace-king, and five cards later Cantu was out. He wasn’t alone either. WPT Legends of Poker winner Jordan Cristos, Global Poker Index (GPI) No.1 Marvin Rettenmaier, World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Dan Heimiller and the young Finnish star Lauri Pesonen all departing much earlier than they had anticipated.
The Tournament Director decided to play five 60-minute levels – much to the chagrin of the players – and the final level of the day contained more fireworks than a Guy Fawkes suitcase.
John Juanda was seen leaving the tournament early, Freddy Deeb rivered a boat to send the two-pair of Franck Kalfon spinning and then we lost Phil Hellmuth in a hand against Roger Hairabedian.
The recent WSOPE champion Hairabedian opened the action, Hellmuth three-bet and Hairabedian made the call. Hairabedian continued to check-call two streets on [8h] [8s] [7c] [3h], before changing tact and lead jamming to make Hellmuth jump up in his seat. He checked his cards once…he checked his cards twice…and then he made the call.
Hairabedian turned [Ah] [Qh] for the backdoor nut flush and a gutted Hellmuth rolled over the lone [8c] before bidding everyone farewell and heading out into the dark and drizzle of the Champs Elysee.
58 players ended the day and amongst them were the likes of Roger Hairabedian (65,680), David Peters (55,25), Jonathan Little (55,000), Anthony Zinno (53,500), Phil Laak (52,600) and of course the chip leader Todd Terry (110,750).
