Statistical Notes Following MPT 2010 Event #3

Observations following the third event of the 2010 season, held at the Las Vegas Hilton on August 1, 2010.

• The field of 15 players was the second largest in MPT history, trailing only last year's Las Vegas Spectacular
• TSS777 extended his lead in all-time wins, becoming the first player to top six tournaments
• TSS777 became the first player to win back-to-back tournaments twice in their MPT career
• Harv29 continued his streak of cashing in every Las Vegas Spectacular, with his second third place finish in the last two years
• Tennis_bum finished in 7th place for the second straight year in the Las Vegas Spectacular
• RowanB finished a career worst 11th place
• Baccarat King tied Betdponies for the most career last place finishes, being first out for the fifth time in his MPT career
• Noahcat was the second player eliminated from the Las Vegas Spectacular for the second straight year
• TSS777 set an all-time record for the most points in a single event, besting Trojanrabbit's mark of 30 in last year's Las Vegas Spectacular by a single point
• TSS777 also set an all-time record with nine kills in a single event, two more than
• Trojanrabbit's record seven in last year's Las Vegas Spectacular
• The nine kills by TSS777 in more than all-but the top six players in MPT history have recorded in their entire careers
• TSS777 jumps into the Sealy Cup lead with 47 points, while Bigfus and Sass remain in contention
• Harv29 leaps into the Player of the Year race with his third place finish
• Betdponies became the fifth player to participate in 20 MPT events
• The seven leaders in career appearances all played in this year's Las Vegas Spectacular
• JTinLV became the fourteenth player to participate in three or more MPT events
• Tennis_bum, Noahcat, Hammah, and Eileen became the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th different players to participate in more than one MPT event
• 2timeace and mghenry became the 38th and 39th different players to play in at least one MPT event
• Hammah and 2timeace became the 22nd and 23rd different players to cash in at least one MPT event
• TSS777 takes over the season money lead, while Hammah rockets into third place
• TSS777 moves into first place on the all-time money list, passing Bigfus and Sass
• The all-time points race continues to be close, with the top four spots separated by only five points.
• Harv29 moves from fourth to first in all-time points, leading RowanB and Sass by just two points
• After nine events, Baccarat King now averages a (natural) ninth place finish
• 2timeace and Hammah became with 27th and 28th different players in MPT history to eliminate at least one opponent from a tournament
• TSS777 earned the second highest cash in a single event in MPT history
• Hammah became the 20th player with a triple-digit cash in a single event, earning $100 for her runner-up finish

Pictures from MPT 2010 #3

Pictures from MPT 2010 Event #3 at the Las Vegas Hilton, held in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, August 1, 2010.


Harv29 appeared in full Elvis regalia to celebrate the tournament in the last Las Vegas home of The King


Elvis29 poses for photos


The paparazzi looks on during Harv29's entrance


A rare wet bar during the MPT provided ample liquid refreshments for the competitors and fans


A wide selection of snacks was also on hand for the players


The large Las Vegas Hilton suite provided plenty of room for the competitors to enjoy the tournament


Another reminded that players had plenty of refreshments on hand


Jacques, the MPT Monkey sat guard over the trophy and prize money


TSS777 in the black hat in the foreground of the Mattress the he dominated, with (clockwise from TSS777) Bigfus, Sass, JTinLV, and mghenry still alive


Play at the table in the later stages, with Betdponies dealing, while hammah, tennis_bum, 2timeace, and Harv29 continue and Eilleen looks on


hammah gets ready to bet, while tennis_bum and Harv29 watch and Betdponies deals


Play at the Mattress, shortly before the final table


JTinLV took over dealing at the final table


A crowd gathered to watch the final table action, while Harv29 look to the bar for inspiration


(clockwise from left) 2timeace, TSS777, and hammah late in the tournament, while JTinLV deals; note the Kill Phil hats, as all the players pictured were regulars in that tournament series


Jacques bring the money and trophy to the table as heads up play begins


TSS777 and hammah share a laugh shortly before the final hand


Don't let the smiles fool you during heads up play, since both players wanted to win their first MPT Las Vegas Spectacular title


Player watch as the final river card is revealed


TSS777's pocket 6's made a straight on the river after both players were all-in preflop on the final hand


Elvis29 returned for more pictures after the event ended, seen here presenting the spoils of victory to TSS777


Amazon lives up to her name


Amazon poses for a more conventional photograph with Elvis and Jacques

MPT 2010 #3 - Las Vegas Hilton (8/1/2010)

LAS VEGAS, NV - It was a tale of two tables and TSS777 had the best of times. From the start of the third annual Mattress Poker Tour Las Vegas Spectacular it was clear that one table would be more lively than the other. When the winningest player in series history quickly built a big stack by eliminating his most unpredictable opponents he was well positioned to earn his second MPT title of the season and first Las Vegas victory. At the same time, hammah rebounded from a disappointing early exit in 2009 to take command of the more sedate "Feature Table" and came close to taking the MPT chip trophy back to California for third straight Las Vegas event. Ultimately, veterans of the Las Vegas Advisor Kill Phil tournament series swept the four paying positions, while perennial MPT money machine, Sass, fell just short of the money.

Feature Table

• hammah
  
• Tennis_bum
  
• 2timeace
  
• Harv29
• Betdponies
  
• Eileen
• RowanB
  

Satellite Mattress

• Bigfus
• Sass
• JTinLV
• Amazon
• mghenry
• noahcat
  
• Baccarat King
• TSS777
  

With loose aggressive players noahcat and Baccarat King acting before him and notoriously tight passive MPT veterans to his left, TSS777 sat well in the early going and even better when he chipped up against the tournament's biggest wild cards. With Baccarat King and noahcat's early exits at the hands of the early chipleader, TSS777 took command of the mattress. Back on the table, play was less exciting in the early going, with players exchanging small pots until Hammah took a big chunk of Betdponies stack right before the first break. Only five players had more chips than they started with when the action resumed, and only two players had chipped up significantly in the early rounds.

Chip Counts at First Break:

• TSS777 = 7,575
  
• hammah = 5,025
  
• Bigfus = 3,025
  
• Amazon = 2,775
  
• Eileen = 2,650
  
• RowanB = 2,425
  
• Tennis_bum = 2,375
  
• JTinLV = 2,375
  
• Harv29 = 2,175
  
• Sass = 2,125
  
• mghenry = 2,125
  
• 2timeace = 2,050
  
• Betdponies = 800
  
• noahcat = 0
  
• Baccarat King = 0
  

The table and mattress alternated eliminations as the blinds grew bigger, with Eileen being first eliminated from the table. RowanB also fell out shortly after the break, losing with A-K against Harv29's Q-Q a few hands after doubling the short-stacked Betdponies when his A-J lost out to the A-5 of the multiple Main Event winner. Shortly afterward, Betdponies and Bigfus joined fellow MPT regular RowanB on the rail and the final table was set.

Chip Counts as Final Table Began

• TSS777 = 12,975
  
• hammah = 7,500
  
• Harv29 = 4,900
• Sass = 3,550
• 2timeace = 3,325
• mghenry = 2,275
  
• Tennis_bum = 1,750
  
• Amazon = 1,200
  

Play was fast as desperate short-stacks tried to double up and were quickly dispatched to the sidlines by the bigger stacks. After 2timeace eliminated mghenry and Tennis_bum on the same hand, TSS777 did most of the damage, eliminating the last five players, doing so in just over half an hour. Harv29 hung on for his third straight cash in three MPT Las Vegas Spectaculars, the only player to achieve that feat, while 2timeace took on the chip leader and lost his promising chip position to fall to fourth, still earning his first MPT cash in his first MPT appearance. Hammah's solid play throughout the tournament kept her in position to win before falling short to the big stack of TSS777. Hammah went out fighting, trying to steal blinds during heads up play, but running into TSS777's pocket sixes. After flopping a ten for a glimmer of hope, the river brought a straight and back-to-back MPT titles for TSS777 for the second time in his career.


The results:

• TSS777
• hammah
• Harv29
• 2timeace
  
• Sass
• Amazon
• Tennis_bum
• mghenry
• Bigfus
• Betdponies
• RowanB
• JTinLV
• Eileen
  
• noahcat
• Baccarat King

MPT to retire "Rising Star" award

FAIRFAX, VA - Mattress Poker Tour Tournament Director Harv announced today that the "Rising Star" award will be retired at the end of this season.

"Since there is pretty much an established field of players, it is really hard to say who's star is "rising"" Harv said in a statement released today. "Besides, everyone is a star in the Mattress Poker Tour".

A new award will be announced for 2011.