Event #12: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo Double Stack

Virginia asphalt contractor collects close to $15k for one day’s work at Horseshoe Baltimore

Ronald McDonald was quite literally the last man left at the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Baltimore. McDonald won the series’ closing event on Monday, outlasting a tough field of 185 entries in the $365 one-day turbo. The victory earned McDonald his first gold ring in addition to the top payout of $14,429 — not bad a bad wage for the day.

“The Rooster” is a 61-year old asphalt worker from Centreville, Virginia. He was born and raised in the area, and he’s been playing poker on the side for as long as he can remember. “Ever since I was old enough to see over the table,” he said. “Don’t want to work, but I do. I want to play cards full time. This is a whole lot easier.”

Tournament poker is seldom easy, but McDonald enjoyed a relatively smooth run to the title. “Played a great game,” he said of his own performance. “Didn’t make no mistakes. None.”

It’s not like he was keeping things particularly close to the vest, either. McDonald won two significant pots with big call-downs on the way to the final table — one with pocket nines on an ace-king high board, and one with naked pocket deuces. He was correct on both occasions, and he entered the final table second in chips behind Jason Baldridge.

Baldridge ended up on the rail in sixth place at the hands of McDonald, though, and the latter ultimately picked his way into a heads-up match against Brian Caplan. The average stack was desperately shallow for much of the late levels, so things progressed quickly and with much confrontation. There were barely 30 big blinds in play when the last hand was dealt, with McDonald flopping trips tens and turning quads with jack-ten offsuit to defeat Brian Caplan and win the ring.

When asked about his key hands along the way, McDonald recalled those two big pots in which he’d gotten stubborn earlier in the day. “It’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” he said. “You’ve got to be into the game 100 percent. I take pride on reading people.”

On an     flop, Ronald McDonald gets the last 525,000 of his chips into the middle on a draw, with Brian Caplan putting him at risk.

McDonald:   
Caplan:   

The   on the turn fills McDonald's straight draw one card early, and Caplan is already drawing dead to the   river. McDonald doubles up again.

Ronald McDonald - 1,550,000 (13 bb)
Brian Caplan - 2,150,000 (18 bb)

At the 80,000-big-blind level, Ronald McDonald opens the button to 220,000, and Brian Caplan three-bets to what looks like 475,000 in the small blind. From the big blind, Adam Chavis four-bet shoves for about 700,000 total. McDonald folds, Caplan calls, and Chavis is at risk as the cards are turned up.

Caplan:   
Chavis:   

The board runs out      , and Caplan wins the pot with queens full. He'll take the lead into the heads-up duel against McDonald, while Chavis is eliminated in third place.

Brian Caplan - 2,800,000 (35 bb)
Ronald McDonald - 900,000 (11 bb)
Adam Chavis - Eliminated

With the big blind at 60,000, Brian Caplan moves all in for 490,000 under the gun, and Ronald McDonald wakes up with an easy call in the big blind. He does so, putting Caplan at risk.

Caplan:   
McDonald:   

The     flop is a decent start for Caplan, giving him another eight outs with an open-ended straight draw. The   on the turn is a but the   on the river gives him the pot with a pair of aces. He doubles up into the chip lead, leapfrogging McDonald atop the counts.

Brian Caplan - 1,050,000 (18 bb)
Ronald McDonald - 900,000 (15 bb)

Jason Baldridge moves all in for a bit more than 500,000 in the cutoff, and Ronald McDonald re-shoves with the chip leading stack on the button. The blinds fold, and Baldridge is heads-up for his tournament life.

Baldridge:   
McDonald:   

Baldridge gets close to a winner, but he never gets over the hump on the       board. McDonald wins the pot with a set of jacks, eliminating McDonald in sixth place.

Ronald McDonald - 1,600,000 (32 bb)
Jason Baldridge - Eliminated

Right at the tail end of Level 21, the field is reduced to 21 players, and they're now in the money in Event #12. Everyone left will earn at least $615 this evening. Blinds are 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante in the current level, putting the average stack around 17.5 big blinds.

Play will continue tonight until a winner is determined.

There are just about five minutes left in Level 8, and this represents the last chance to enter or re-enter the series' final ring event. Registration will close once the new level begins, and the prizepool will be released shortly thereafter.

There are just over 170 entries so far.