Aaron Elam's nickname in the gaming world is, fittingly, "Ace," and he used an ace to win a wild hand right off the bat to secure an early double up.
ClubWPT Gold, the newest online poker platform from the World Poker Tour (WPT), is hosting the largest freeroll in poker history as part of the WPT World Championship festival. Players such as Elam won Golden Passports into the event via satellite tournaments on ClubWPT Gold, social media contests, or were invited as a content creator. More than 1,400 players took their seats inside the Wynn-Encore convention center at 10 a.m., and it took no time before the action heated up.
What a Hand
Elam sat down at his table in the record-setting freeroll and picked up A♥A♣ in one of the first few hands. He engaged in a five-bet and all-in battle with another player at the table, a dream situation for pocket rockets. Well, it was until his opponent also turned over A♠A♦.
It didn't appear the now 31-year-old gamer, who won $200,000 in 2013 at the Halo 4 Global Championship, was going to get anything out of the hand other than chopping up the blinds. The 5♣5♥K♣ flop was at least promising, however, as it ensured he couldn't possibly lose the hand and picked up runner-runner flush possibilities to scoop the pot outright.
The J♣ on the turn made the unknown opponent sweat even further, and then the 6♣ on the river completed the flush, doubling up Elam and sending the other player home moments after "shuffle up and deal" was announced. A cruel way to exit the biggest freeroll ever.
An early double up is always welcomed by any player, but this is a three-day event. It's going to be a grind and grabbing an early chip lead doesn't guarantee a cash. But even if Elam doesn't win the $1 million first place prize or run deep, he'll at least have a story to tell. The early chip leader explained where his passion for poker came from.
"I think I was just born with it," he said of how he got into poker. "I just like cards. I grew up having a big passion for math and
Elam, known for his time on Team Liquid, has been active in the gaming world since 2006. Perhaps if he spins it up in the ClubWPT Gold freeroll, he'll start playing poker tournaments regularly."
