WPT Alpha8 on FOX Sports 1 Florida Part IV: Millionaire's Row, a $243K Bubble & More
On Sunday, the World Poker Tour Alpha8, a series of high buy-in events located at exotic locations around the world, continued its broadcast on Fox Sports 1 with Part III of their $100,000 buy-in tournament from the Seminole Hard Rock in Florida.
Here’s a look at the first three recaps with quick synopses:
- Part I – the first hand of Alpha8, behind-the-scenes look inside Jason Mercier’s pad, and more.
- Part II — Jeff Gross nit-rolling Chris Klodnicki, the Macau Big Game, and the elimination of Bill Perkins.
- Part III – Joseph Cheong scrounges up $100K, out to dinner with Lynn Gilmartin, and more.
Below is my recap of the fourth and final part of the WPT Alpha8 Florida starting with a look the final table at the top of the broadcast:
| Seat | Player | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -empty- | N/A |
| 2 | Isaac Haxton | 687,000 |
| 3 | Jeff Gross | 278,000 |
| 4 | Steven Silverman | 226,000 |
| 5 | -empty- | N/A |
| 6 | JC Tran | 322,000 |
| 7 | -empty- | N/A |
| 8 | Matt Glantz | 587,000 |
Big Hand Right Off the Bat: In one of the first hands of the broadcast there was a big hand that put Jeff Gross to a tough decision. Check it out:
Early Double: After Isaac Haxton opened for 33,000 with the A♦9♦, a short-stacked Steven Silverman looked down at the A♠K♥ in the small blind moved all in for 105,000 total. Haxton felt obliged to call, and he paid the price after the board ran out 7♠4♣Q♦6♣3♥. Ship the money bubble double to Silverman.
Bubble Trouble: After losing that hand Isaac Haxton dropped to fourth in chips and moved all in for 396,000 preflop and received a call from JC Tran.
Tran: A♠Q♣
Haxton: 10♠10♦
“Right now Ike is in a race for his tournament,” Olivier Busquet commented from the booth. Indeed, according to the PokerNews Odds Calculator, Haxton was a 56.76% favorite while Tran would come from behind 42.86% of the time. The 9♦K♣Q♠ flop was kind to Tran, and he became a 3-1 favorite.
The 8♣ turn left Haxton in need of either a ten or jack – cards that would come 13.64% of the time – but the 7♦ ended up blanking on the river. Haxton, who was the chip leader with five left, fell on the $243,180 bubble.
“You show up for a 20 player tournament, you’re going to bubble it one in 20 times,” Haxton said in his post-elimination interview. “So I’m content with what I did.”
Glantz Gone: Matt Glantz moved all in for 262,000 from the small blind with the 10♥8♥ and Jeff Gross, who looked down at the A♥6♦ in the big blind, made the call. The A♣8♦7♥ flop gave both players a little something, but Gross’ aces kept him in the lead. The 9♦ turn gave Glantz an open-ended straight draw, but he missed it when the 4♦ blanked on the river. The one-time chip leader hit the rail in fourth place and took home $243,180 for his efforts.
“It was a great time, a great experience with Alpha8,” Glantz said in an interview after being eliminated. “A bunch of real great guys played this event… this was a more challenging experience.”
Gross vs. Tran: In the very next hand on the broadcast, JC Tran, who was a World Series of Poker November Niner at the time, opened for 35,000 from the small blind with the K♥5♥ and Jeff Gross defended with the 10♠9♥. The 10♥9♦A♥ flop was an action-packed one, which was evidenced when Tran led out for 41,000 and Gross popped it to 112,000. Tran shoved all in for 448,000 and Gross made a quick call.
The 7♥ turn gave Tran the nut flush, and all he had to do was avoid a ten and nine on the river to double through. That’s exactly what he did too when the Q♠ blanked. Tran doubled to 972,000 while Gross was left on a short stack.
Gross Gobbled Up by the Silver Man: A couple of hands later, Jeff Gross got his last 245,000 all in holding the K♥10♣ only to run into the A♠K♣ of Steven Silverman, who moved all in over the top. The A♣8♠2♣ flop put Gross in an even worse spot, but he picked up lady outs when the J♣ appeared on the turn. Unfortunately for him, the K♦ on the river wasn’t what he was looking for. Gross exited in third place for over $364,770, his largest career score.
“I think I ran ok, and I think I played well. I’m happy,” Gross said. “Amazing tournament. I’m going to try to play all the Alpha8s this year.”
Boys and their Toys: After coming back from an early commercial break, Lynn Gilmartin took a canal cruise to check out the fancy houses along Millionaire’s Row.
Florida’s Final Hands: In what would be the penultimate hand of the tournament, JC Tran opened for 40,000 with the A♥J♥ only to have Steven Silverman three-bet to 135,000 with the 9♦9♣. Tran thought for a bit before moving all in for 1.205 million and Silverman called off for 889,000. The board ran out 4♦7♣5♠4♠5♣, and Silverman doubled into a massive chip lead.
The next hand he moved all in with the Q♦9♦ and Tran called off his last 313,000 with the Q♠8♠. Tran had some kicker issues, but he resolved them when the 8♠10♦5♥ flop delivered him an eight. Unfortunately for him it was only temporary as the 9♠ appeared on the turn to pair Silverman’s nine. The Q♥ rive gave both two pair, but Silverman’s was best to give him the title and $891,660 first-place prize. Meanwhile, Tran took home $426,890 for his runner-up finish.
That does it for my recap of the Alpha8 Florida $100K. I hope you enjoy, and remember to check your local listings and set your DVRs if you want to catch more great Alpha8 action moving forward.
*Pictures courtesy of World Poker Tour.
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