Poker Tournament Results

Legends of Poker / WPT Event Season 8

Kris Fields

Tournament Report

Kris Fields Wins the 2009 Legends of Poker Event #23 – the $545 Pot Limit Omaha Tournament The 2009 Legends of Poker had its twenty-third overall event at the Bicycle Casino’s newly remodeled Events Center. The $545 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha Deepstack tournament was a one day event which began with a total of 58 players and a prize pool of $44,135. In addition to a first prize of $17,290 the winner also received a championship ring. Final table play began at level 11 with blinds at $1500/$3000 and raises from $6000/$10500. Anthony Reategui entered the final table as the chip leader holding $211,000 of the $685,000 chips in play. The action was aggressive from the opening hand and double-ups were common in the early going. The action was strong enough that on the last hand before the final table started we had three of the remaining eleven players all-in with two players at one table and the third at the other. By the conclusion of the hands at both tables all three all-in players were eliminated leaving us with only eight final table players instead of the expected nine. Based on chip stacks before the hands began Michael Saidkhanian finished in 9th place earning him $1,105. Once the final table play began we would need to wait until the 10th hand to have our next player eliminated. Kris Fields would later say that this was a key moment for him during final table play. On the 10th hand David Kutcher was all-in before the flop with A-A-9-4 with three other callers. The flop came 10-3-4 with two clubs Anthony Reategui bet $23K and after a considerable amount of time Kris Fields decided to make the call. The turn was the 5 of clubs and this time Kris Fields led out with a bet of $42K holding J-8-7-6 with a Jack High Flush, Anthony made the call with A-Q-5-3. The 10 on the river paired the board and the action was checked around with Kris taking down the pot and eliminating David in 8th place earning him $1,310. On the 17th hand Anthony called all-in on the turn with 8-10-4-7 after Joe Brandenburg had raised with 2-5-9-K to go along with a board of 7-K-6-9 giving Joe two pair but leaving Anthony with a wrapped straight draw. The 8 on the river gave Anthony the straight but it was also the third diamond giving Joe the winning flush and eliminating Anthony in 7th place worth $1,540. On the 24th hand Mark Davis, who had been on the short stack during most of the final table, called all-in on the flop after James Tilley had raised, but with an all-in push by the chip leader Kris Fields, James decided to fold leaving Kris and Mark in the hand. The board was 4-4-J-10 giving Mark two pair with his A-A-8-8 while Kris turned up his J-J-3-6 giving him a Full house of Jacks over Fours. The river was the 6 of spades ending Mark’s tournament with him finishing in 6th place taking home $1,980. On the 34th hand Joe Brandenburg raised after the 4-9-J flop with A-10-9-9 forcing James Tilley to call all-in with 8-7-6-10. Joe had the lead with a set of 9’s but James had a wrapped straight draw with two cards still to come. However, Joe’s lead would hold with a 3 on the turn and an A on the river knocking James out in 5th place worth $2,420. Our final elimination of the tournament would come on the 42nd hand with Thang Lee pushing all-in after the A-6-7 flop and Joe Brandenburg calling. The cards were turned up with Thang in the lead holding 7-7-9-K giving him a set of 7’s and Joe holding J-5-9-8 giving him an open ended straight draw. Joe’s straight draw missed with a Q on the turn but hit when the 4 of hearts came on the river knocking Thang out in 4th place earning him $3,080. The remaining 3 players discussed a chip count and after the staff ran the numbers the players were in agreement to a deal. Kris Fields was declared the winner of the Legends of Poker twenty-third event earning him the championship ring and the first place prize of $17,290. -- Matt Snodgrass BIOGRAPHY Kris Fields has been playing competitive poker for five years. He liked many different games but Pot Limit Omaha Eight or Better is his game of choice preferring cash play over tournament action. His strategy at the final table was simple, be aggressive. He felt that the key moment was the call he made on the 10th hand that would lead to David Kutcher’s elimination and leave Kris in the chip lead, a lead he would not relinquish.