Last Chance WSOP
Final Tournament Report

LAST CHANCE TOURNAMENT REPORT by Brook Lyter

Sunday’s championship tournament wrapped up the 6-week “Last Chance WSOP” promotion, another league contest to send an additional 5 players to Las Vegas to play in Event #37, a $1,500 No Limit tournament (right before the main event). 

This was a popular contest due to the fact it featured 5 grand prizes and was a short 6-week league. 

The tournament started with 101 players.  The field consisted of 73 players from Minnesota, 40 from North Dakota and 1 from Nebraska.  To qualify for the championship event, players had to place in the top 20% of their local league, then place in the top 10% of a regional qualifying event or qualify directly by winning their league with an average attendance of 30 or more players.

Starting chip count was 10,000, half-hour blinds, and the usual championship blind schedule.

There were several intriguing players in this final, including former Dakota Poker League champ Derek Melicher who won the inaugural season of the Dakota Poker League and earned a trip to last year’s WSOP.  Derek was pumped to get another shot at returning to Las Vegas.  In 2005 he faced off with Phil Ivey for 8 hours before Ivey got the best of him when Ivey flopped a set to Derek’s top 2-pair.  After getting off to a good start,  Derek was caught making a huge bluff by Dave Wilts-Hagge's (pictured left) trip queens and never recovered. 

Jim Nelson was also in the mix, fresh off his big win in the Dakota Poker League State Championship in May, winning a seat to the WSOP Main Event.  He was looking to complete his Las Vegas trip with a showing in the $1,500 NL as well. 

Despite having a larger field on Sunday, the tournament moved along much faster than the day before.  Either the cards were hot or players were just more in the mood to “gamble”.  For example: a huge hand relatively early in the tournament (blinds at 150/300) involved Daisy Filipi (pictured right) (A-Q), Matt Lauers (A-Q) and Nathan Page (J-9).  Somehow- with a raise, re-raise, call, re-raise all-in, call, call- all the chips got in the pot preflop.  The flop rolled out 6-6-6.  Yikes!  This was a very strange hand indeed.  The river was a Jack and Nathan busted both players.  Wow.

Several players had also qualified for the previous day’s Tournament of Champions, for these players, the weekend presented an incredible opportunity.  They included Becky Uselman-Wadena Elks, Clay Lipke-Primetime Food & Spirits, John Ulland-Lariat Lounge, Rhonda Kraft-Midway Lanes, Mike Henry-Boxers, and Matt Johanson-Sirloin House.  Rhonda, Clay, and Mike each had come extremely close in Saturday’s tournament, with Rhonda & John both making the final table.

Bad News

After starting off strong, a heartbreaking message pulled Rhonda Kraft away from the tournament when she learned that her mother had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.  Rhonda left immediately and the tragic news put a damper on the tournament.  Tournament officials including myself, Jason Drake and Mitch Schock met to discuss the situation.  It was decided that an alternate player from the same bar (Midway Lanes) would be allowed to takeover Rhonda’s seat and play for her.  The two Midway Lanes players available flipped a coin and Don Reuter was selected.  The decision was announced and the players applauded in agreement.  Our thoughts and prayers remained with Rhonda as the tournament continued…

At the dinner break with the blinds at 1000/2000, the chip leaders were all North Dakota players: Pat Moon-Playmakers Sports Bar (pictured right), Fargo, ND (153K), Jim Basaraba-Million Dollar Lanes, Williston, ND (81K), Ron Olson-Slammers, Fargo, ND (73K).  Rhonda Kraft/Don Reuter was still alive with around 50K. 

It didn’t take long to reach the final 2 tables.  At 20 players to go, the field was evenly split between North Dakota & Minnesota players.  Several short stack players stayed alive by surviving with marginal hands.  When Tim Jacobs-M&J Saloon, West Fargo, ND and Chad Desjardins-Brothers Bar & Grill, Rochester, MN busted, the final table was set:

Ken Treichel opened up final table play by taking down the first pot.  Shortly after that, Ken eliminated Ron Olson in 10^th place.  Ken then lost a huge pot to Eugene Flohrs.  The board read 9-8-K-J-10.  Eugene showed pocket Aces and Ken mucked.  Later Ken admitted that he made a huge mistake on the hand, mucking a winner!  It was a devastating blow (140k pot) for Ken to lose and may have changed the final outcome of the tournament.  Ken ended up busting out after getting aces cracked by Eugene’s A-K to a miracle runner-runner straight: 10-7-3-J-Q.  Scott Faue busted 8^th when his A-K missed the board and Dick Jones paired his queen.  Clay Lipke was getting short stacked and finally called all-in with K-J, but ran into Nick’s J-J to bust in 7^th place. 

Down to 6 players, with the blinds at 6000/12000, the marked man was Jim Basaraba, who had ended up short-stacked.  The remaining players were comfortably positioned to basically wait for him to blind out.  Jim finally moved his remaining 12.5k under the gun with pocket Fours and got a call from Pat Moon (A-Q).  The flop was 9-Q-Q, and there was no improvement for Jim on the turn or the river, and we had our final five:

Last Chance WSOP Event 37 Winners:

From 2nd left to right:

Lyle Preston – Torge’s at the Holiday Inn – Fairmont, MN

Dick Jones – Brother’s Bar & Grill – Rochester, MN

Nick Paulus – Longbranch Saloon - Worthington, MN

Eugene Flohrs – Torge’s at the Holiday Inn – Fairmont, MN

Pat Moon – Playmakers Sports Bar – Fargo, ND

Amazingly, 2 players from the same bar  (Lyle Preston & Eugene Flohrs) made it to the top 5.   Four out of the top five winners were Minnesota Poker League players.  The bubble boy (6^th place) was Jim Basaraba from Million Dollar Lanes in Williston,ND.  Jim earned an entry to a Heartland Poker Tour event as consolation. 

The weekend’s big winners join the Free Poker Network (Minnesota & Dakota Poker Leagues) family in Las Vegas for the WSOP in late July.  A total of 8 players have qualified to play through Minnesota & Dakota Poker Leagues, playing for FREE!

We are looking forward to covering this year’s WSOP with a daily blog and I personally can’t wait to dive into the action.