Coverage of the 2018 Poker Masters continues with Event #3: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha going the way of Keith Lehr, with Brandon Adams making his third final table.
I like the 2018 Poker Masters.
I feel like an actor finding work in the Marvel Universe.
Writing about poker can be torturous when there is no poker. So, this morning, I say a little prayer before I send my morning smoothie into the bottom of my rank gut-biome, and thank the ARIA and Poker Central for giving me something to do.
Event #3: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha is in the books.
It’s the event that looks like paste sandwiches in a posh school.
Only 37 entrants paid the hefty fee.
The tea leaves show me a 2019 Poker Masters minus the P, L and the O.
At the end of Day 1, there were six left.
Final Table
Seat 1: Dan Shak – 781,000
Seat 2: Ben Yu – 832,000
Seat 3: Jonathan Depa – 1,413,000
Seat 4: Brandon Adams – 1,138,000
Seat 5: Keith Lehr – 712,000
Seat 6: Isaac Haxton – 675,000
Event #2 winner, and overall leaderboard winner, Brandon Adams was making his third successive final table. Isaac Haxton was making his second, and the in-form Ben Yu also turned up looking all suited and booted.
Here’s the highlight reel.
Dan Shak Eliminated in 5th Place.
The first player sent home to do some vacuuming was Dan Shak. The Hedge Fund manager opened to 140,000 from early position, Jonathan Depa bumped it up to 480,000, and Shak made the call for all his magic beans.
Depa: KhKd4s2s
Shak: 9d7d3c2c
Board: QhQs9sAd4c
The nine, seven, three and deuce failed to tether to anything, and Depa took everything that Shak owned.
Brandon Adams Eliminated in 5th Place.
Adams made sure he would sleep through the night knowing that he was the leader of the series overall after a fifth-place finish.
Ben Yu was the man creating scars.
The triple World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner opened to 175,000 from the button, and Adams called from the big blind. The dealer put the Td5d5h flop down like three dead dogs at the vets, and Adams check-jammed once Yu had bet 125,000, and Yu called.
Yu: AcQsQh4h
Adams: JsTh9d8d
Yu’s queens had the lead. Adams needed help from the deck. It stuck two fingers in his face. Two meaningless fours hit the turn and river, and Adams was out in fifth earning $74,000.
Isaac Haxton Eliminated in 4th Place.
Then we lost another man in tip-top form.
Keith Lehr tripled his stack when all-in with Haxton and Depa. Haxton led with pocket aces, but Lehr flopped a set of sevens holding AhTh7s7c, and Haxton took on the new role as short-stack.
Then he took on a new role as a bystander.
Haxton opened to 280,000 in the last position, and Depa called in the big blind. A flop of Qs6s5d saw Depa put Haxton all-in, and he made the call.
Depa: JcTc7d4d
Haxton: AcQh9s3c
Haxton led with top pair, the Jh on the turn gave Depa an inferior couple, but the Ts on the river gave Depa a two-pair hand, and Haxton fell short once more with $92,500 as a consolation.
Ben Yu Eliminated in 3rd Place.
Then we lost the man who has won more than $3m this year.
Yu opened to 280,000 in the last position, and Lehr called in the big blind. The flop was a deeply connected JcTh9s; Lehr checked, Yu moved all-in, and Lehr bit his hand off.
Lehr: Qs9d8c6s
Yu: As7s7c6d
Lehr was sitting on a straight. The Jh and 8d did nothing to change the landscape, Yu was out, earning $148,000, and we were heads-up.
Heads-Up
Jonathan Depa: 2,800,000
Keith Lehr: 2,750,000
Lehr was the first to land a punch.
And it hurt.
Depa opened to 240,000 on the button; Lehr called. The flop was the Kd9s2h rainbow, Lehr checked, Depa bet 225,000; Lehr called. The 6d hit the turn allowing flush draws to head to the canteen for a coffee. Lehr check-jammed after Depa bet 675,000, and Depa made the call.
Lehr: QdTc9d6h
Depa: 6s6c4s3d
Depa’s set of sixes looked sexy as fuck, but Lehr also had a sweet hand with two pairs and a flush draw. The dealer delivered the 5d handing Lehr his flush, and Depa was on life support with only two big blinds.
Lehr didn’t find the heart immediately.
It took a few poky stabs.
After doubling-up twice, Depa limped on the button, and Lehr wanted to see a cheap flop. The dealer painted Js3d2h onto the table, Lehr bet 240,000, Depa raised to 720,000, Lehr moved all-in, and Depa called.
Lehr: KsJh8d5d
Depa: 7h4h3s2s
Lehr held the top pair, but Depa had the bottom two pairs. Everything changed on the turn when the deck released the 8c into play to give Lehr a higher two-pair hand. The river changed nothing. Lehr had won $333,333 and 300 points.
Final Table Results
1. Keith Lehr – $333,333 (300 points)
2. Jonathan Depa – $222,000 (210 points)
3. Ben Yu – $148,000 (150 points)
4. Isaac Haxton – $92,500 (120 points)
5. Brandon Adams – $74,000 (90 points)
6. Dan Shak – $55,500 (60 points)
Poker Masters Leaderboard
– Brandon Adams – 510 points
– David Peters – 300
– Keith Lehr – 300
– Jared Jaffee – 210
– Jonathan Depa – 210
– Brian Green – 210
– Isaac Haxton – 180
