Event #2: $365 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better

Cash game grinder chases PLO8 event to New Orleans, snags $8,161 and a ring

When a WSOP Circuit event reaches a final table, the remaining players pause briefly to fill out information sheets. Most of the sheet is occupied by vital details — name, contact information, etc. — but the last question prompts the players to list any interesting tidbits about themselves.

That process was carried out during the Event #2 final table, as well, and most of the sheets that were returned were fairly straightforward and unremarkable. One player, however, took a little liberty with the last question and scrawled a message in capital letters: “I HATE TOURNAMENTS”. That certainly qualifies as an interesting tidbit.

A few hours later, that player was sitting alone at the table, posing for photos with a gold ring to mark his first live tournament victory of any significance.

Brian Grier is the winner of Event #2 at Harrah’s New Orleans. The tournament-averse cash game grinder outlasted a field of 85 entries in the $365 PLO8 event, collecting his first ring and the top prize of $8,161.

Grier is a 34-year-old small business operator from Pensacola, Florida. He grew up in the Sunshine State, and his friend Jamie introduced him to the online version of the game in 2004. “I never got into online poker,” he said, “but I started playing live and loved it. I love PLO, Big O, Hi-Lo…”

The two traveled to New Orleans together specifically for this event — and to splash around in the cash games surrounding the Circuit series here in the Big Easy, of course.

Grier’s run to the title was an impressive one, spurred on by one enormous hand at the final table. He entered nine-handed play with the chip lead, though he had slipped back into third place by the time the final six players bagged up at the end of Day 1.

On the very first hand of Day 2, though, Grier and chip leader Jermole Singleton went to war preflop, putting half the chips in play in the middle of the table. The two had similar hands: ace-ace-two-three against ace-ace-three-four with a suit, and both men had a flush draw with one card to come.

Grier was the one who made his flush, though, scooping the monster pot to vault back into the chip lead. “It’s probably one of the sickest things I’ve seen in poker,” he said in his postgame interview. “Just crazy.”

Once he had the lead again, Grier did not relinquish it. Just a couple hours later, it was all over, with Grier defeating Garrett Riley in a short heads-up match to seal the win. “I don’t really like tournaments,” he said again, in case there was any confusion. “I really just don’t play them. I don’t really care for them.”

Then, a moment later: “I’m telling you, I’m not a big fan.”

In a battle of the blinds, Garrett Riley and Gabriel Ramos are heads-up on a     flop. Riley bets from the small blind, and Ramos calls all in for 59,000 in the big, putting himself at risk.

Riley:      (wheel draw)
Ramos:      (pair of deuces, flush draw, low draw)

The   on the turn gives Riley a pair of tens and the lead for the high half, and the   river gives him the nut low and the scoop. Ramos is eliminated in third place, while Riley enters heads-up play against Brian Grier.

Garrett Riley - 335,000 (28 bb)
Brian Grier - 515,000 (43 bb)
Gabriel Ramos - Eliminated

Brian Grier opens the button to 35,000, Garrett Riley calls in the small blind, and Bradley Aldrich calls all in for 15,000 in the big blind to put himself at risk.

The two live players check through the turn of the      board, and the river is the  . Riley bets 25,000, and Grier calls.

Grier:     
Riley:     
Aldrich:     

Riley's wheel scoops the whole pot, eliminating Aldrich in fourth place.

Garrett Riley - 175,000 (18 bb)
Brian Grier - 540,000 (54 bb)
Bradley Aldrich - Eliminated

Gabriel Ramos raises to 22,000 under the gun, Garrett Riley calls in the small blind, and Bradley Aldrich calls all in for 20,000 in the big blind to put himself at risk.

The flop is    . Riley checks, Ramos continues for 22,000, and Riley folds to leave Aldrich heads-up for his tournament life. "I'm in really bad shape," Aldrich acknowledges.

Ramos:      (pair of kings, straight/wheel draw)
Aldrich:      (pair of tens)

"I need running diamonds or a ten," Aldrich identifies his outs. There's also a backdoor straight draw possibility in there, and the   on the turn gives him plenty of outs with one card to come. The river is the timely  , and Aldrich runs down a set of tens to triple up.

Bradley Aldrich - 60,000 (6 bb)
Gabriel Ramos - 160,000 (16 bb)

Brian Grier raises to 25,000 under the gun, and Garrett Riley three-bet shoves for 51,000 on the button. Grier calls the remainder to put his opponent at risk.

Grier:     
Riley:     

The board runs out      , and Riley doubles up with deuces full.

Garrett Riley - 114,000 (14 bb)
Brian Grier - 504,000 (63 bb)

Jermole Singleton limps for 6,000 in middle position, and Brian Grier raises on the button. Singleton calls.

The flop is    . Singleton checks, Grier continues for 20,000, and Singleton check-raises all in for 70,000 total. Grier calls the remainder to put Singleton at risk.

Singleton:     
Grier:     

The   turn and   river complete the board, and Singleton scoops a double-up with a wheel.

Jermole Singleton - 189,000 (32 bb)
Brian Grier - 360,000 (60 bb)

The six finalists have taken their seats on the ballroom stage, and the cards are in the air once again.

The requisite 16 levels are complete, and the clock has run out on Day 1 with six players remaining. Here's the lineup:

Seat 1: Matthew Colvin - 53,000
Seat 2: Garrett Riley - 60,000
Seat 3: Bradley Aldrich - 42,000
Seat 4: Jermole Singleton - 286,000
Seat 5: Gabriel Ramos - 208,000
Seat 6: Brian Grier - 201,000

The finalists will return Friday to settle the score, with each of them guaranteed to earn at least $1,413. Blinds will be 3,000/6,000 when play resumes, putting the average stack just under 25 big blinds.

Day 2 begins at 2 p.m. and will continue until a winner is determined.

Near the start of Level 15, the field is reduced to nine players, and they're now in the money in Event #2. They're also at the final table, which is laid out like so:

Seat 1: Matthew Colvin - 15,000
Seat 2: Jeremy Tinsley - 115,000
Seat 3: Jeremy Privett - 65,000
Seat 4: John Lauve - 15,000
Seat 5: Garrett Riley - 64,000
Seat 6: Bradley Aldrich - 50,000
Seat 7: Jermole Singleton - 169,500
Seat 8: Gabriel Ramos - 145,500
Seat 9: Brian Grier - 208,500

Blinds are 2,000/4,000 in the current level, putting the average stack just under 25 big blinds. Play will continue tonight until the end of Level 16, just over an hour from now.