GOOD RETURN FOR CUNNINGHAM IN WSOP #13

15 June 2007

Poker pro prevails over a tough and talented final table

Poker pro and 2005 World Series Player of the Year Allen Cunningham showcased his experience and talent this week in Event 13 of the World Series of Poker - the $5 000 Pot Limit Hold 'Em tournament - against some formidable final table opponents.

Facing Cunningham around the table after surviving a starter field of 398 players, and with their eyes firmly on the lion's share of the $1.87 million prize-pool were defending champion Jason Lester; EPT Grand Final Champion Gavin Griffin; Costa Rican professional Humberto Brenes; 2003 WSOP bracelet winner Keith Lehr; European poker pro Jeff Lisandro and relative newcomers Travis Rice, Alan Jaffray and Joe Patrick.

Jeff Lisandro held the chip lead going into the final table action on 982 000, with Joe Patrick his closest opposition on 631 000 and the eventual winner, Allen Cunningham, way back on 346 000.

With the combatants feeling each other out, play was cautious and mainly exploratory over the first 25 hands leading up to the elimination of Alan Jaffray in position 9, and another 20 hands were to take place before Keith Lehr was bundled out by Lisandro in the number 8 spot. Things started to move faster, and on the next couple of hands chip leader Lisandro shed some of his assets, but remained in the lead.

It wasn't until hand 67 that the next elimination - that of Gavin Griffin - took place when he clashed with Lisandro and ended up heading for the exit in seventh place. 12 hands later it was Travis Rice's turn to head for the rail in the number 6 slot after a tussle with Cunningham that left the pro the victor and in possession of the chip lead. Cunningham was quick to extend this by taking a 780 000 pot against Lisandro with a Queen high flush and play continued to hand 93 when the game came alight as Lisandro adminitered a double elimination by taking out Patrick in position 5, and Lester at number 4, the latter earning the first of the six-figure paychecks on $132 813.

With the final three facing each other, Lisandro held a +/- 330 000 lead over next best chip count Cunningham, with Brenes way back on only 325 000. Almost inevitably, Brenes was in trouble by hand 101and in some action-packed poker involving all three players he was eventually eliminated by Cunningham, leaving the room to collect a well earned third placed prize of $197 348.

At the dinner break the heads up opponents had chip counts that favoured Cunningham ( 2 155 000) over Lisandro (1 825 000), and with the blinds at 20K/40K, the two joined battle in an enthralling heads up that would continue for 80 more hands. It seemed that neither player would gain the upper hand but the skill and aggression on display made for exciting poker for the growing crowd of spectators as the two men fought it out, in turns winning and losing but always within sight of the other's chip lead.

The outcome was probably decided when Cunningham took a million dollar chip pot at around hand 180, which gave him a significant lead over his opponent and set the scene for the final hand almost immediately. With the blinds at 40K/80K, Lisandro raised from the button to 165 000 and Cunningham responded with a reraise to 495 000. Lisandro went all-in and Cunningham called, showing K-9 to Lisandro's pocket Queens. The flop kept Lisandro in the lead, but a King on the turn gave the lead to Cunningham. The river ran dry for Lisandro, and Allen Cunningham had his fifth WSOP bracelet and the $487 287 main prize that went with it.

Lisandro's long and skilful opposition was rewarded with a second place check for $294 260.

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