MPT to Award Rookie of the Year in December

SPRINGFIELD, VA - Mattress Poker Tour Founder and Tournament Director, Harv29, announced today the creation of a Rookie of the Year award, to be presented during the awards ceremony during the season ending banquet that with follow this year's Tournament of Champions main event, in December.

Competition for this year's trophy will be tight, after players making their debuts this season have won four events in a row. Two-time tournament champion Amazon appears to be the early favorite, but with three events remaining there is still a lot of poker left to be played.

The Tournament of Champions main event with be played on Sunday, December 28 at the Showboat Hotel and Casino, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Nine players have already qualified for this year's tournament, either by "cashing" in a tournament during 2008 or by virtue of previous main event championships.

New Statistics Posted

Revised statistics following the ECLVA Fall Classic have been posted. The author has observed the following noteworthy items:

• With only three events left and with Amazon likely to play in only one of those, barring an extraordinary finish and some large fields the Player of the Year race is shaping up to be a three horse race, with RowanB leading the way and Harv29 and Bigfus close behind.
• Harv29 closes to within three points of the top spot for the season points lead, breaking a second place tie with Bigfus.
• Amazon now tops the season money list, with her second win of the season. The win also moves Amazon into the third place spot in all-time earnings.
• Bigfus also passes RowanB, with her 4th cash in 5 events, while becoming the first MPT Superstar to pass the $300 mark in career earnings.
• Harv29's second place finish coupled with his two "kills" catapulted him to the top of the all-time points standings
• Betdponies tops the all-time list for number of players eliminated, with 11. He is one of only three MPT regulars to average more than one elimination per tournament.
• Of those who have played 4 or more tournaments, both TSS777 and Baccarat King have led the way in players eliminated, each averaging nearly 2 eliminations per event.
• This season's rookie sensation Amazon has averaged 3 eliminations per event, but has to play in one more tournament to qualify for the all-time "kill" leaders

Pictures from MPT 2008 #5

Below you will find pictures from the recent ECLVA Fall Classic, held in Stone Harbor, New Jersey this past weekend.


Players prepare for the tournament to begin.


The final three players in action, while Mrs. Harv29 looks on.


The third and final time A-A failed to hold up, as Amazon eliminates Bigfus with J-9o.



Harv29 in contention for his first MPT title in the midst of heads-up play.




A trophy and prize money always await the MPT champ.


Amazon reacts to the river card, as the two of hearts gives her the title.


A closer look at the final hand, with a king on the flop putting Harv29 in the lead for a short time.


The two-time champion and her winnings.

MPT 2008 #5 - ECLVA Fall Classic (9/27/2008)

(hand history courtesy of Harv29)

The participants:

• Amazon - Returns to defend her title from this season's Showboat HoB event
• Betdponies - Seeking to regain form from last season's dominant start
• Bigfus - The series' most consistent player, still seeking the elusive trophy
• Ging - Another member of the Betdponies clan joins the fray
• Harv29 - The Tournament Director, looking to turn his luck around
• Mrs. Betdponies - Trying to continue streak of finishing ahead of her husband this season
• RowanB - Our tournament host, hoping for his first "home" victory

The Results:

• Amazon
• Harv29
• Bigfus
• RowanB
• Ging
• Betdponies
• Mrs. Betdponies

Proving her July victory was more than beginner's luck, Amazon fought her way through a field packed full of Mattress Poker Tour regulars to win her second tournament of the season, following up her victory at the Showboat House of Blues in her last MPT outing. Her reckless style struck fear in the hearts of her more seasoned oponents, while her desire to see one of her friends pick up their first trophy seemed to trigger insta-karma of her behalf. Amazon turned up the aggression at the right time and won key races while coming from behind in other important hands to take the title. She modestly attributes this to her desire to return to the "real" gambling in Atlantic City, but it's just that style that makes Amazon a threat to win every MPT event that she enters.

The rest of the field was highlighted by yet another deep run by perennial bridesmaid Bigfus, who avoided extending her record for second place finishes when her pocket Aces fell the Amazon's J-9o. Had Bigfus' aces held, she would have been in excellent position to take her first trophy. Also seeking his first series title, Harv29's runner up finish brought him within a whisker of the season point total, while almost allowing him to return with a trophy for the first time.

The rest of the field featured the tournament host, RowanB, falling from chip leader to a desperation all-in after only a few hands as blind levels ate away at the player's small chip stacks. The Betdponies family also had a disappointing showing, even as the three-time former champ chipped up in the early-going, before falling victim to his new nemesis, Amazon.

So, Amazon joines Betdponies and TSS777 as the only MPT Superstars to win more than one event and puts herself right in the middle of the hunt for Player of the Year. Here's how she did it:

Hand 1 – Betdponies, showed Ace of spades
Hand 2 – Ac8c2h. Ad, 7d. Bigfus 2, Amazon JJ
Hand 3 – 5d3cQh. Bigfus 50, Betdponies calls. Turn Ac. Bigfus check, Betdponies 110, insta call. River 8h. Bigfus all-in, Betdponies shows ace and mucks.
Hand 4 – Qc9s8h. Amazon 10, Harv29 calls, Betdponies folds, RowanB raises to 125, fold, fold, Mrs. Betdponies folds, Amazon calls, Harv29 folds. 8c. Amazon checks, RowanB checks. 3c. Amazon checks, RowanB checks. RowanB has Q10, Amazon has QK, Amazon wins with QQ, K kicker.

Hand 5 – Level 2. Betdponies raises to 50. 7c5dQh. Ging checks, Amazon checks, Betdponies bets 80. Ging calls. Amazon folds. Kd. Betdponies checks, Ging bets 100, Betdponies calls. 4s. Betdponies goes all-in. Ging folds. Betdponies shows a straight.

Hand 7 – Level 3. Qd9d10s. Harv29 checks, Betdponies checks, Ging 100, Harv29 calls, Betdponies folds. 4h. Harv29 checks, Ging checks. 6d. Harv29 checks, Ging checks. Harv29 nothing. Ging has a pair of queens.
Hand 9 – Mrs. Betdponies (83.19%) raises to 130. Betdponies (16.46%) calls. 8d7c10d. Mrs. Betdponies bets 500, Betdponies (96.16%) goes all-in, Mrs. Betdponies (2.83%) calls. Mrs. Betdponies shows AA, Betdponies shows Js9c. 3h. River ? Mrs. Betdponies eliminated.

Hand 15 – 10h7c9s. As. 8s. Amazon bets 1000, Betdponies shows A10.
Hand 19 – Flop: QcAsKc. Harv29 bets 500, everyone folds. Harv29 shows J10

Chip stacks at the break:

• Betdponies – 4,525
• Amazon – 4,225
• Harv29 – 3,000
• Bigfus – 2,425
• RowanB – 2,150
• Ging – 1,175

Hand 23 – 2c2d9d. Betdponies (46.47%) goes all-in 4,125. Amazon (53.13%) calls. Betdponies has Kd10d (54.95%). Amazon Ac6h (44.14%). Turn 2s. Betdponies (29.55%), Amazon (63.64%). River 6.
Hand 24 – Betdponies (37.24%) goes all-in 550. 400 more to Amazon, calls. Harv29 (62.37%) calls. 4sKhJh. Harv29 checks, Amazon folds. Betdponies (78.38%) shows KdJc, Harv29 shows AhQs (21.62%). Turn 7c. Betdponies (90.91%), Harv29 (9.09%). River 10. Betdponies eliminated.

Hand 28 – Harv29 raised 1,000, everyone folded
Hand 29 – Harv29 raises Ging all-in. Ging As3h (57.31%) Harv29 KhQd (40.20%). Ad2s8h. Ging (96.87%), Harv29 3.13%), Turn 6d. River Ah.
Hand 31 – Harv29 all-in – 3,675. Ging calls. Harv29 (70.98%) AdKh Ging Ah10s (24.36%). Flop 4cK?J?. Harv29 82.53%, Ging 16.26%. Turn 5h. Harv29 90.91%, Ging 9.09%. River Jc. Ging eliminated.

Hand 39 – Level 8 7cQs6d. 6s. Amazon goes all-in. RowanB folds, showing two pair.
Hand 43 – Bigfus all-in (56.76%) 10s10d. Amazon calls (42.86%) QcAd. Flop: 5c5h7d. Bigfus (75.96%), Amazon (24.04%). Turn: 5d Bigfus (84.09%), Amazon (15.91%). River: 10? Bigfus doubles up.
Hand 50 – RowanB all-in for 2,100. Amazon calls. RowanB Jc5s (53.72%) Amazon 9d10h (44.97%). Flop: KcKs9c RowanB (18.48%), Amazon (81.11%). Turn: 5c RowanB (31.82%), Amazon (68.18%). River: 4h. RowanB eliminated.

Hand 52 – Bigfus all-in. Amazon calls. Bigfus shows 10c2c (15.36%), Amazon shows AhAc 84.17%). Flop: 10h8s5h. Bigfus (17.58%), Amazon (82.42). Turn: 3d Bigfus (11.36%), Amazon (88.64%). River: 2. Bigfus wins.

Hand 58 – Level 12 Bigfus goes all-in, Amazon calls. Bigfus shows AhAs (82.51%), Amazon shows Jd9c (17.22%). Flop: 10d5d2x. Turn: xd River: 8d. Bigfus eliminated.

Hand 59 – Amazon calls, Harv29 moves all-in for $3,600 more, Amazon calls. Harv29 shows Ks3h (45.38%), Amazon shows 2d2c (53.66%). Flop: Kh7d10s Harv29 (91.21%), Amazon (8.79%), Turn: 8c, Harv29 (95.45%), Amazon (4.55%), River: 2h. Harv29 eliminated.

Note that pocket aces were cracked three times, including twice by J9.