2009 Aruba Poker Classic

$5,500 Aruba Poker Classic Championship
Day: 5
Event Info

2009 Aruba Poker Classic

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j10
Prize
$753,330
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,000
Prize Pool
$2,303,750
Entries
475
Level Info
Level
26
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000

Break

The T1,000 chips have all been colored up and taken off the table and the players are on a 20-minute break. The break is a little longer this time because the final table is being moved again to get it out of the sun. Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin has retreated to inside the Radisson to seek out some air conditioning.

Battling the Elements

On the quarter-mile walk back to my desk from the final table area, I passed an iguana crossing the sidewalk -- perhaps the biggest one I've seen all trip. I could also hear the whistling of the Radisson's resident pet parrots in the distance. Aruba is truly a world of its own, and with the final table being played outside, the players are combatting more than just their opponents at the table.

It's hot out here. Really hot. Sweat spots dot the shirts of our remaining four players. Dealers are struggling with spreading the flop as the cards are sticking together. Eric 'basebaldy' Baldwin enlisted help from the rail with some spray-on sunscreen, and Matt Savage even had the table moved once to try to keep the players out of the sun.

It's hard to tell if the conditions are effecting play itself, but at the very least its safe to say they've affected morale.

Hall All In

Under the gun, Brandon Hall opened the pot with a raise to 60,000. Around in the big blind, Chase Steely three-bet it up to 175,000. After some deliberation, Hall moved all in for 698,000, and Steely instantly called.

Showdown
Hall: {Q-Clubs} {Q-Diamonds}
Steely: {10-Clubs} {10-Spades}

It was Hall who was at risk, but he was in fine shape to double up with his overpair. When the dealer ran the board {6-Spades} {7-Clubs} {2-Hearts} {8-Clubs} {J-Clubs}, he did just that, increasing his chip stack to 1,450,000. He has moved just a few thousand ahead of Chase Steely who went from chip leader to short stack during the course of that hand.

Tags: Brandon HallChase Steely

Level: 23

Blinds: 12,000/24,000

Ante: 4,000

Mizrachi Wins Another and Changes His Shirt

After Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin raised to 52,000 and Robert Mizrachi called on the button. The two players went to a flop of {J-Hearts} {6-Hearts} {2-Hearts}. Baldwin check-called a bet of 80,000 from Mizrachi.

The turn was the {A-Hearts}, putting four hearts on board. Baldwin checked again and Mizrachi fired 150,000 this time. Baldwin released his hand with a quick flick, dropping to 1.94 million. Mizrachi is up over two million now.

After the hand, Mizrachi stepped away from the table to put on a new white polo shirt. We're thinking it's from a sponsor and should have a photo coming soon.

Tags: "basebaldy"Eric BaldwinRobert Mizrachi

Baldwin Not Slowing Down

First in from the button, Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin limped into the pot, and both Robert Mizrachi and Chase Steely came along to a cheap flop.

It brought {8-Hearts} {5-Spades} {2-Spades}, and Mizrachi grabbed control with a bet of 55,000. Steely didn't waste much time making the call, but Baldwin had loftier intentions. He stacked out a re-raise to 162,000 and spilled it forward into the middle of the table. Mizrachi put in the call while Steely thought it best to duck out of the way.

The turn brought the {A-Clubs}, and Mizrachi tapped the felt. Baldwin kept the heat on with a healthy bet of 337,000, and that was enough to send the message to Mizrachi, and he chose to save his 1.7 million chips for a better spot. That pot bumps Baldwin back over the 2-million-chip mark with about 2,150,000.

Tags: Chase SteelyEric BaldwinRobert Mizrachi

Jose Roberto Santos Eliminated in 5th Place ($92,150)

Chase Steely (left) and Jose Roberto Santos
Chase Steely (left) and Jose Roberto Santos
The boisterous Venezuelan Jose Roberto Santos has just been eliminated from the tournament by new chip leader Chase Steely. Here's how the hand went down:

Action folded around the table to Steely in the small blind and he completed the bet. Santos checked his option in the big and the flop came down {3-Clubs}{K-Clubs}{5-Spades}. Steely led out with a 26,000 bet and Santos made the call.

4th Street brought the {4-Diamonds} and Steely fired again, this time making it 68,000 to play; Santos called once more, leaving himself approximately 145,000 behind.

When the {K-Hearts} fell on the river, Steely paused, looked over at Santos' chips and watched the Venezuelan slide them from behind his cards to the front, in plain view of Steely.

"You're all in?" Steely asked.

Santos pointed at Steely.

"You check?" he asked.

"No, I haven't checked," was Steely's reply.

Another minute passed and Steely made his decision.

"I'm all in."

Santos made the call and Steely tabled {6-Spades}{7-Clubs} for a seven-high straight. Santos mucked his hand, accepting his fate as the tournament's 5th place finisher.

After the hand, Steely stacked up just over two million in chips, assuming the top spot on our leaderboard.

Tags: Chase SteelyRoberto Santos