Statistical Notes Following MPT 2013 Event #3

Observations following the third event of the 2013 season, the Mattress Poker Tour Main Event, held at Caesars Atlantic City on December 27, 2013.

• Caesars Atlantic City moved into a tie with the Showboat as the third most frequent location for a Mattress Poker Tour event.
• Judykq became the sixth different MPT Main Event Champion
• Judykq became the fifteenth different player to win at least one MPT event, and the first new winner since Sass, on September 25, 2010
• Judykq earned her second career cash, breaking a streak of five tournaments finishing out of the money
• Sass ended the longest career MPT cashless streak, going ten events since her last finish in the money, dating back to July 2, 2011
• Sass moved into fifth place on the all-time money list, passing former Main Event Champion Betdponies
• Judykq became the fourteenth player in MPT history to earn more than one cash
• Sass passed TSS777 to moved into fourth place on the all-time points list
• Harv29 moved into a tie with Bigfus for the all-time best average finish per-event (among players who have played ten or more events)
• Sass has cashed in all five MPT events played at Caesars Atlantic City
• Harv29 has finished in third place fourteen times, in exactly one-third of his career MPT appearances
• This year's Main Event was the second tournament in a row in which the winning hand included the nine of spades
• Bigfus tied RowanB for fourth place on the all-time last-place list, after being knocked out first for the fourth time in her career

Pictures from MPT 2011 #1

Pictures from MPT 2011 Event #1, held in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, May 28, 2011 in the Caesars Atlantic City Centurion Tower.

Ging, Bigfus, and Demon in the early stages of the tournament

A wide look around the table as players and spectator look on

Bigfus stands during an important hand, while Harv29 deals

TSS777 studies his opponent intently, while his hole card camera records his play

Bigfus tries to hide from her opponent's glare

Sass, enjoying the early rounds of the tournament

TSS777 throws in a call

TSS777 stands up to record the cards on the board to review later

The dealer reveals the next card to the camera before dropping it on the mattress

TSS777 watches, something

While feeling no pain most of the night, Sass finally experiences the agony of defeat

The prize money for heads-up play and the new bobbling chip trophy on display

The final hand, after a less than epic heads up battle

The champion receives the trophy from the Tournament Director, who was also the runner-up

While absent for most of the tournament, the MPT Monkey returned for postgame ceremonies

Statistical Musings Following MPT 2009 Caesars Atlantic City Part II

• Ghosthunter became this season's fifth first-time winner, while joining Betdponies, RowanV, Scurvydog, Trojanrabbit, and Syrorange3042 as the only players to win their MPT debut
• Sass broke a tie with Bigfus for most consecutive second places, with her third straight runner-up finish, fourth in the last five events, and sixth career second place in 18 events
  
• Sass cashed for the fifth time in six events this season
• Sass holds a commanding 19 point lead in the Sealy Cup standings
• RowanB earned his third straight minimum cash to hold onto second place in the Player of the Year race
• Ghosthunter became the 36th different player to participate in at least one MPT event and the twelfth different person to make their MPT debut during the 2009 season
• Sass pulled to within one of Bigfus for most career cashes, with her ninth in the money finish in 18 career events
• RowanB earned his eighth career cash, moving past Harv29 into third place on the all-time list
• Ghosthunter became the 20th different player to cash in at least on MPT event
• Harv29 moved past Bigfus into third place for the season point standings
• Sass passed her husband, Betdponies and TSS777 to leap into second place on the all-time money list, trailing only Bigfus
• Sass took the all-time point lead with 123 and now holds a three point lead over Harv29 and a four point lead over RowanB
• RowanB has eliminated at least one player in four consecutive events, setting a record for the MPT, breaking a tie with Ging for the longest such streak
• Baccarat King tied Betdponies for most career last place finishes, with four
  

Pictures from MPT 2009 #6

Pictures from MPT 2009 Event #6, held in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the Caesars Centurion Tower on Saturday, November 21, 2009.

The MPT Monkey stands guard over the trophy as heads-up play begins


Sass and Ghosthunter square off as TSS777 deals to begin heads-up play


Bigfus looks on, Baccarat King looks at his iPhone, Betdponies eats a pretzel, while TSS77 deal and Sass checks her cards


A closer look at Sass taking a closer look at her cards


A view of the crowd gathered to watch the final hands


Ghosthunter watches a key hand late in the tournament


Everyone anxiously watched the flop, turn, and river as each player was all-in several times during heads-up play


Ghosthunter watches as the final river card unveiled


The final hand


Tournament Director, Harv29, presents the trophy to the newest MPT champion

MPT 2009 #6 - Return to Caesars (11/21/2009)

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - He heard about the Mattress Poker Tour for years, but never joined in. We may never know what convinced Ghosthunter to play in his first MPT event last weekend, but we do know that the man knows how to make an entrance. Patient play in the early stages put him in good position to start the tournament, a bit of good fortune in a big hand against one of the MPT's winningest players, and surviving heads up play with the blinds at a high level made him the newest MPT champion. Ghosthunter became the sixth different player to win their MPT debut, joining Betdponies, RowanV, Scurvydog, Trojanrabbit, and Syrorange3042. He was also the fifth's player to win their first MPT championship this season, sixth different winner in six events this season, thirteenth different winner in twenty MPT events.

The tournament featured a run of river and ugly beats, including a preflop all-in by RowanB with 2-3 that survived against Betdponies' A-K, and rivered straight by Ghosthunter to cripple TSS777 when those two players clashed as big stacks late in the tournament, and Sass doubling through RowanB with 5-5 against his 9-9 near the bubble. These were just a few examples of the roller coaster ride of those who survived to the higher blind levels, as each player will tell his or her story of how their evening came to and end.

Most of the field hung on through the early stages of the event, as only Baccarat King was eliminated before the first break in the action. He vowed before the event to be more selective about his starting hands and kept to his word, though he twice found himself playing big pots with small pairs against boards with quite a few scare cards on the boards. Undeterred, Baccarat King took his hands to the river and found himself first to the rail for the third consecutive tournament he played and fourth time in the last five tournaments, since winning the October 2007 event.

Play among the remaining players was rather uninteresting before the break to color up the red chips. At this stage, TSS777, fueled by a big pot against Baccarat King, was in the lead with 4,200 chips, followed by Ghosthunter with 3,850, Civicmon with 3,550, Sass with 3,025, Betdponies with 2,350, RowanB with 2,000, Bigfus with 1,950, and Harv29 with 1,575.

After the break, some players picked up their aggressiveness looking to double up for a chance at the win, while others limped into pots with speculative hands hoping the cards would fall their way. Civicmon and Harv29 took the more passive approach, calling preflop raises and waiting to see flops before deciding if they wanted to commit their chips, while RowanB and Betdponies took a more aggressive approach before the flop, with a series of raises and all-in moves. TSS777 slowly accumulated chips and had Ghosthunter all-but eliminated until a straight on the river brought the eventual champ off the ropes and back into the action. Sass played patiently aggressive to survive into second place, but lost out in the battle of all-ins during the big blind stages to earn her third straight and sixth career second place finish.

The results:

• Ghosthunter
  
• Sass
• RowanB
• Betdponies
• Civicmon
  
• Harv29
• TSS777
• Bigfus
• Baccarat King

Pictures from MPT 2009 #5

Pictures from MPT 2009 Event #5, held in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Heads up play begins with TSS777 concentrating as Sass watches, while Harv29 and Betdponies deal


More heads up action


The championship trophy and the MPT mascot


Sass studies her opponent


Sass surveys the flop


The final board gives TSS777 the win


The Tournament Director presents the trophy to the 4-time champ

MPT 2009 #5 - Clash at Caesars (10/3/2009)

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - A champion returned to form, while the favorite to earn Player of the Year honors remains a bridesmaid. The early season talk was whether perennial runner-up Bigfus would break through to win a tournament, but Bigfus took home a trophy and Sass has now passed her for the career lead in second place finishes. Despite being the only series regular to not record a MPT tournament title, Sass' consistent play has given her a commanding lead over a surprising RowanB, who cashed for the second straight event, but has yet to seriously contend for a win this season. However, none of this should overshadow the play of TSS777, who rebounded from one of his weakest showings in his MPT career to remind players and fans why he is one of the most successful players in the short history of the tournament series.

The tournament began with some aggressive play from the three-time Main Event Champion Betdponies, who fell into a trap bluffing all-in on the river against RowanB's three of a kind and busting before the tournament was twenty minutes old. The big hand gave RowanB a small chip lead going into the first break, 100 chips ahead of Bigfus, who won a race of preflop all-ins with AQ over pocket tens to knock off Amazon just before the break. TSS777 was close behind as well, with Harv29 and Sass lagging behind with roughly the same chip stacks as they started the tournament with.

After the break, there was little action until near the end of the second hour of the tournament, when Sass knocked out Bigfus for the second consecutive tournament, marking only the second time in her MPT career that she has recorded "kills" in back to back events. The bubble didn't last long, as Harv29 moved all-in with a dwindling stack and couldn't beat TSS777. That left TSS777 and RowanB in strong chip positions, but RowanB's run didn't last very long, as he shoved A-7o from the small blind with the blinds increasing and ran into the A-K of TSS777. That hand left TSS777 with a commanding chip lead. Sass hung in and gave TSS777 a run for his money, but fell short for the third time this season and for the second straight MPT event at Caesars, Atlantic City.

The win tied TSS777 with Betdponies for the all-time lead in tournament victories, with four.

The results:

• TSS777
• Sass
• RowanB
• Harv29
• Bigfus
• Amazon
  
• Betdponies

Pictures from MPT 2008 #7

Pictures from the recent MPT Clash at Caesars, held in the recently renovated Caesars Atlantic City Temple Tower on Saturday, November 22, 2008.


Bigfus and Mrs. Betdponies in early action, while half of the MPT crowd prepares for a nap


A look at the world famous MPT buffet and bar


A flat panel television in the hotel room made keeping track of tournament status easy


The final hand for Bigfus, as her short-stacked preflop all-in move ran into a big hand from the chip leader


TSS777 took over as dealer after busting in 6th place


The trophy and prize money appear on the mattress during heads-up play


Mrs. Betdponies makes a bet, while her mother enjoys the late tournament action


Mrs. Betdponies stayed alive during heads-up play when the chip leader called her preflop all-in with K-8o


Mrs. Betdponies looks on as the final flop reveals Harv29's 2 pair


A closer look at the final hand reveals a strong hand for Mrs. Betdponies before the flop, but with few outs after the flop


The Tournament Director is finally on the receiving end of a trophy presentation!


The champion with his spoils

MPT 2008 #7 - Clash at Caesars (11/22/2008)

Below is a detailed hand history of the recent MPT Clash at Caesars, hosted by Tournament Director, Harv29. Hand history is also courtesy of Harv29.

The participants:

• Baccarat King - Trying to earn a spot in his second straight Tournament of Champions
• Betdponies - Still looking for his first cash of the season
• Bigfus - The MPT cash machine, still seeking her first win
• Ging - Looking to improve on her finish on the bubble of the last event
• Harv29 - Trying to rebound from his first career last place finish
• Mrs. Betdponies - Looking for bragging rights, playing against her husband and mother
• RowanB - Hanging on to a slim lead in Player of the Year race, despite recent mediocre finishes
• TSS777 - Playing in consecutive MPT events for the first time this season and looking to defend his title from the previous event
• Whispering Eye - Making his MPT debut

The Results:

• Harv29
• Mrs. Betdponies (aka Sass)
• Bigfus
• Ging
• RowanB
• TSS777
• Betdponies
• Whispering Eye
• Baccarat King

The Hand History - Key Hands
Round 6
Flop: 9h5cQh

Wandering Eye check, TSS777 check, baccarat king $250, bigfus fold, sass fold, ging call, Wandering Eye fold, TSS777 fold.

Turn: 2h

Baccarat king $500, Ging raises to $1,000, Baccarat King calls

River: 6d

Baccarat king $575, Ging raises all-in, baccarat king calls

Ging shows flush, king high, baccarat king has pair of queens.

Baccarat king eliminated


Chip count estimates at break

• Ging = 6,575
• TSS77 = 3,825
• Mrs. Betdponies = 2,800
• Bigfus = 2,675
• RowanB = 2,450
• Harv29 = 1,625
• Betdponies = 1,425
• Wandering Eye = 625
• NOTE: total is short $500

Round 7
Ging calls, Wandering Eye all-in $625, TSS777 calls, Ging calls

Flop: Qc, 10c, Jh

Check, check

Turn: Jc

Check, check

River: 7c

Check, check

Ging shows 2c for flush, others muck.

Wandering Eye eliminated

Round 9
Betdponies goes all-in for 1,350, called by Ging

Betdponies has 9d8d, Ging Ah5c

Flop: Jh, 10d, Kd

Turn: 8?

River: 6h

Betdponies doubles up


Flop: Qs, 9d, 10d

Betdponies $3,275 all-in, Ging calls, TSS777 folds (A,10)

Betdponies has 9s10h, Ging AdJd

Turn: 7s

River: 8?

Ging wins with J high straight, Betdponies eliminated


Harv29 all-in for $1,075, Mrs. Betdponies calls

Harv29 shows AA, Mrs. Betdponies has Ax10x

Flop: Js6sKx

Turn: Xs (Mrs. Betdponies has spade draw and straight draw)

River: 4h

Harv29 wins and doubles up.



(Next hand)

Harv29 all-in for $2,850, Ging calls

Harv29 has 10c10h, Ging has Ah3h

Flop: Qh2s3c

Turn: 7d

River: Qx

Harv29 wins and doubles up.

Round 11
Ging calls, Harv29 all-in, TSS777 calls, RowanB folds, Ging folds.

Harv29 shows KK, TSS777 shows 99

Flop: Jh5dQc

Turn: Ac

River: Xx

TSS777 is eliminated

Round 12
Rowanb goes all-in for $1,675, Ging calls, Harv29 calls

Flop: 7h10h8c

Ging checks, Harv29 goes all-in, Ging calls

Turn: Xh

River: Xx

Harv29 made a flush on the turn to eliminate RowanB and Ging


Bigfus goes all-in for 1,000 more, Mrs. Betdponies calls

Bigfus Qh2h, Mrs. Betdponies Kh8h

Flop: Ac3d8c

Turn: Qc

River: 6c

Bigfus doubles up.



Harv29 goes all-in, Bigfus calls

Harv29 has 6x6x, Bigfus has AhXx

Flop: As7c10h

Turn: Qh

River: Ac

Bigfus doubles up

Round 13

Bigfus goes all-in with 9s7s and is called by Harv29 with AhQs

Flop: 2dJc4h

Turn: 8d

River: 3s

Bigfus is eliminated

Round 14
Mrs. Betdponies goes all-in for $3,500 (on top of the pot of $2,400).

Harv29 calls.

Mrs. Betdponies had Ad5s, Harv29 had Ks8h

Flop: AsQh7d

Turn: 6h

River: 3d

Mrs. Betdponies doubles up


(Next hand)

Harv29 goes all-in, Mrs. Betdponies calls

Harv29 has Qd5d, Mrs. Betdponies has 10s10h

Flop: 8hQh5s

Turn: 6d

River: 7h

Mrs. Betdponies eliminated.

Harv29 Wins Clash at Caesars

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - The host finally brought home a trophy from the MPT. Harv29 bested a field of nine players, including eight MPT veterans, to become the eighth different player to win a MPT tournament title. With the win and several "kills", Harv29 moves into the "Sealy Cup" point lead for the season and moves atop the career points list. Harv29's also earned his third cash in his last four events and fourth finish in the money this season.

Mrs. Betdponies tied her top career finish with a second place showing, once again finishing the season strong as she prepares for the Tournament of Champions, while Bigfus continues her cavalcade of cashes, with a third place finish. Bigfus has now finished in the money in every MPT tournament held in the state of New Jersey this year, with her record setting sixth cash in this event.

Former series points leader RowanB finished with a disappointing fifth place result, failing to earn money for the third straight event, leaving himself in need of a strong Tournament of Champions to have any hope of earning his first Player of the Year trophy.

Showboat 2007 Champion, Baccarat King, missed the beginning of the tournament and never recovered, earning his second last place finish of the season. This was the one blemish on an otherwise absurdly successful gambling weekend for the MPT's most upscale host. I suspect we'll hear more about this on his blog.

A third member of the Betdponies clan, Ging, seems to be taking over Harv29's former role, as she finished on the bubble for the second consecutive event, but her early eliminations of other players helped her earn enough Player of the Year points to qualify for this year's Tournament of Champions in December.

Stay tuned for the hand by hand account of the tournament later in the week.