PocketFivers have flat out dominated live play over the past few days. Yes, I know PocketFives.com is all about online poker, but the members of the site have a ton of skill in the live arena as well. In the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, PocketFivers Lee “acumen53” Childs and Hevad “RaiNKhAN” Khan both beat out a field of over 6,000 players to reach the final table. They’re both guaranteed over $475,000 and the top spot pays a hefty $8.25 million. About a mile away from the WSOP, Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul was making waves himself, winning the World Poker Tour’s Bellagio Cup, $1.3 million, and a seat into the WPT Championship next April. Many members of the site were tuned into CardPlayer.com’s coverage of the Bellagio Cup. Its coverage of the final hand: “Kevin Saul raises to $220,000 and Matusow calls. The flop is 10-6-5 [with two clubs] and Saul bets $385,000. Mike Matusow moves all in and Saul immediately calls. Saul shows Q-Q and Mike Matusow has 8-7 [of clubs] for the open-ended straight flush draw. Matusow will need any club, nine or four. The turn card is the 3 of diamonds and Matusow isn't so confident anymore. The river is the... K of diamonds, and Kevin Saul has won the Bellagio Cup III. Kevin Saul goes over and hugs Gavin Griffin, while Mike Matusow walks over to Phil Hellmuth for some comfort.” Saul beat out a field of 535 entrants.
The Bellagio Cup champ was ahead virtually wire to wire. At the end of Day 1-A, he was the only player over 200,000 in chips with 262,000. At the end of Day 2, he had nearly 90,000 more chips than the next closest person (524,000 to 437,000). Entering the final six players remaining, he had more than double the second place chip stack. Saul commented on his dominating play: "I kept on hearing how if this kid wins, he'll go wire to wire. Mike Matusow doesn’t remember anyone doing it except for Stu Ungar in the 1997 World Series. I didn’t think about it during the tourney. I just wanted to keep accumulating chips. My stack didn’t fluctuate up and down like it normally does. I played pretty much perfect poker."
After doubling up fellow PocketFiver Shane “Shaniac” Schleger, Saul regrouped: “I went up to my room and grabbed another drink and a hand towel. When I play online at home, I have a hand towel so the moisture from my hands doesn’t get all over the mouse. It was just a reminder that I’ve done this so many times, it’s just like an online tournament." The result (and the towel) can be seen below:
Saul’s confidant, Cliff “johnnybax” Josephy, immediately posted a thread in Poker Discussion about Saul’s WPT victory and the community rallied. Some called the win for Saul “much deserved” and “a very nice comeback,” in reference to Saul recovering from an almost sixth place finish. Everyone was pleased to see Kevin hold this one together and is now ready to read what was going through his mind in his next entertaining blog. He is grateful for those supporting him at the Bellagio and on PocketFives.While taking part in much of this year’s WSOP, Saul somehow found time to produce successful results all over online poker rooms. In the last month and a half, he’s reached 13 final tables, scored four first place finishes, amassed 2,100 PLB points, and cashed a hefty sum of $86,757. Placing first on Absolute’s $16,000 Guaranteed, PokerStars' $50 Rebuy, UltimateBet’s $12,000 Guaranteed, and Absolute’s $17,000 Guaranteed in the month of June alone, Saul has proven he’s a top-notch live and online poker player.
Congratulations from all of us at PocketFives.com to Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul, champion of the WPT’s Bellagio Cup III. We look forward to continued success.
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