Wednesday, June 2, 2010 11:45 PM Local Time
As expected, the opening $1,000 event was a marathon. It may not have exceeded the numbers of last year, but when players glanced across the seemingly endless sea of tables adorning the newly introduced Pavillion Room, the sight must have been overwhelming. But, out of those 4,345 hopefuls, someone had to win, and today that man was Aadam Daya.
A 31-year old business analyst from Mississauga, Daya entered today's final first in chips with 2,855,000, and although history books suggest that he should have gone from strength to strength, that wasn't the case as the chip lead continued to chop and change as the final progressed. The final table was undoubtedly a turbulent and unpredictable affair.
However, despite the occasional setback, Daya remained focused throughout, and after doubling through off third placed Gabe Costner in what was surely the 'bracelet winning hand', he never looked back. Runner-up Deepak Bhatti put up a superb fight heads-up, especially having entered the final last in chips, but it was ultimately Daya who emerged triumphant, showing the patience of a saint before sealing the deal with queens.
Before coming to Vegas, Daya's one goal was to win a bracelet, and just one week into the Series, he's done just that, taking down Event #3's $1,000 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout for a whopping $652,872. Well done, that man!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 11:35 PM Local Time
After a short period of the two players taking it in turns to give each a walk, interspersed with the occasional all in from Aadam Daya, Deepak Bhatti shoved from the button. Daya looked at his cards, and then, terribly nonchalantly, called.
Everyone at the rail jumped up and crowded around the table.
Bhatti:
Daya:
Board:
With that, Bhatti's valiant short-stacked grinding efforts came to an end.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 11:30 PM Local Time
With just several thousand in front of him and blinds of 120,000 and 240,000, it was looking bleak for Deepak Bhatti, and when Aadam Daya confidently announced all-in from the button, Bhatti's head sunk towards the felt.
After a minute or two in the tank, Daya shrugged his shoulders and called, turning over in the process. Much to Bhatti's chagrin, Daya revealed .
The flop looked clinical, giving Bhatti a Broadway straight and flush draw to go with his already dominating queen high. Both men had their arms folded, standing over the table in what looked like a mirror image, but beyond the poker faces, it was Daya who was doing cartwheels.
However, just as the janitor was eying up the surrounding area, and I was thinking about what to include in my final post, the dealer did something rather cheeky and popped a onto the felt. The loyal followings "oohed" and "aahed" as Bhatti's body language suddenly became more upbeat.
But, it wasn't over yet, as Daya still had the redraw, and as both players looked on intently, the river came a blank to deliver Bhatti an unlikely, but much needed of double throughs.
They think it's all over... not yet.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 11:19 PM Local Time
Bhatti's stack is now around a million to Daya's 12 million or so. This could be over pretty sharpish.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 11:09 PM Local Time
Here's hoping it's the last one of the night - two more levels and we'll be off the structure sheet.
Back in 20.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 11:08 PM Local Time
Some curiousness now, as Deepak Bhatti raised from the button. Didn't shove, just raised. To 500,000, leaving himself with 1.5 million, or seven and a half big blinds, behind. Aadam Daya called.
The curiousness continued as they checked down the board, and at the end of it Daya flipped for king high. Bhatti couldn't beat it, and Daya took the pot.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 10:44 PM Local Time
The blinds are now so big that Deepak Bhatti has reached the stage where an all-in is more appropriate than a standard raise, meaning we may be just moments away from a finish, or, at least, an all-in showdown. However, Bhatti's timing appears to be impeccable thus far, with each all-in picking up the pot uncontested.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 10:41 PM Local Time
Deepak Bhatti -- 1,950,000
Aadam Daya -- 11,050,000
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 10:40 PM Local Time
On a limped flop of flop, both players checked leading to a turn of where Aadam Daya bet 300,000. Deepak Bhatti flat called. The river came the , triggering another bet from Daya, this time to the tune of 600,000. Again, Bhatti made the call, but was chagrined to see his foe turn over for turned trips.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 10:37 PM Local Time
The play has tightened up even further, as evidenced by a rather surprising hand.
Aadam Daya limped in on the button, and Deepak Bhatti checked his option. OK.
They then procceded to check down the flop and the turn as well. Bhatti checked again on the turn but this time Daya bet a trifling slightly-more-than-minimum 250,000. Bhatti flatted, and they turned their cards over.
Daya: for tens and sevens
Bhatti: for aces and tens
Even TD Nikki sounded surprised as she announced it. This could take a little while yet.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 10:30 PM Local Time
Of the two, Aadam Daya has been by far the more aggressive player - Deepak Bhatti seems to be a big fan of limping in on the button and seeing how things go after that - and Daya has managed to extend his chip lead to almost 10 million.
On the rare occasion of a Bhatti raise from the button, Daya called the 500,000 total bet and they saw a dangerous-looking flop. Both players checked.
Daya checked the turn as well and then called the 600,000 bet from Bhatti; they moved on to a river, on which they reverted to checking.
So, all action over, Daya flipped for two pair. Whatever Bhatti had, he couldn't beat it. His hand went into the muck, and the pot went to Daya.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 10:10 PM Local Time
From a viewer's perspective, the action is painfully slow, most pots ending preflop, and if they do reach a board, being checked down to the end. Of course, all it takes is big hand versus big hand for the tide to turn, so the action could pick up at any moment.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 10:06 PM Local Time
Deepak Bhatti limped in on the button and Aadam Daya checked his option to see an flop which both players checked. Daya checked the turn as well, and then called the 200,000 bet from Bhatti, so they got to see a river as well.
The river came down the and Daya checked once again, and this time called a 400,000 bet from Bhatti. When the cards were turned over, both players had two pair.
Bhatti:
Daya:
It was a chop, and play continues.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 9:56 PM Local Time
While our final two were getting down to business, Faraz Jaka strolled by to rail.
"Two brown people at the final table, I love it!" he called over, to chuckles all round. He looked over to your blogger. "Oh no, I see her writing stuff down, that's not good."
Jaka came a moment later with Ravi Raghavan in tow.
"He doesn't believe it either!" Jaka called over cheerfully.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 9:46 PM Local Time
Aadam Daya limped the button and Deepak Bhatti checked.
The board was checked down, Daya taking it with versus .
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 9:40 PM Local Time
It's first blood to Deepak Bhatti who won the opening pot with a bet of 250,000 on the turn of a board. The following hand, he raised Aadam Daya's open of 400,000 to 1,900,000, to take down his second consecutive pot.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 9:30 PM Local Time
Our heads-upsers have returned to the table. 35 minutes remain of this level.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 9:14 PM Local Time
Announcer Nikki's threat to start without either of our players present has not yet been carried through, and the clock is still paused while Bhatti and Daya do whatever it is they're doing.
When they come back, the stacks will look like so. After a bit of a roller coaster ride, start-of-day chip leader Aadam Daya is back in the lead.
Aadam Daya - 7.7 million
Deepak Bhatti - 5.3 million
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 9:12 PM Local Time
Five whole hands went by where the player on the button raised and both blinds folded.
But on the sixth hand, everything changed.
Once again there was a raise from the button - this time it was Aadam Daya's turn to do the raising, to the tune of 400,000. But this time he didn't just get to pick up the blinds and antes - Gabe Costner shoved from the big blind, and Daya called in a flash.
On their backs.
Daya:
Costner: in some hot water with
Board:
"Ace, nine or queen," Costner softly requested on the turn, but it didn't come. From chip leader to short stack to busto in just a few hands - what a cruel game this can be.
We are now heads up, or will be in a few minutes. "I need a cigarette," said Aadam Daya and he and Deepak Bhatti wandered off. Play will most likely resume shortly. Although announcer Nikki is now threatening, "Deepak and Aadam to the final table table, please. We will start without you."
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 8:58 PM Local Time
It would appear as though Gabe Constner's dreams of bracelet gold are coming to an abrupt end as he loses yet another big pot, this time to Deepak Bhatti.
It was a curious affair in the end, and one which commenced with Bhatti three-betting Costner's initial button raise of 375,000 to 1,275,000 - a near half his stack - and Costner making the call.
On the flop, Bhatti, with his arms folded, tapped the armrest with a finger to signify a check and open the door for Costner, who fired out a bet of 850,000. Bhatti moved all in for not too much more, but it was just about enough to ellicit a disgruntled, and reluctant fold from Costner.
From chip daddy, to chip sonny, he is now down to around two million within just three or four hands.