Bally's "Main Event Mania" $1,500 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
Bally's Main Event Mania
Bally's "Main Event Mania" $1,500 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Bally's Main Event Mania
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$76,950
Entries
57
Level
21
Blinds
6,000 / 12,000
Ante
12,000
Ben Craig Wins Bally's Main Event Mania $1,500 Main Event ($25,834)
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Ben Craig went from short stack to victor to take down the 57-entry Bally's Main Event Mania $1,500 Main Event for $25,834. He start the eight-handed final table with less chips than all of his opponents, several of whom had more than 100 big blinds, but it just proved to be a generous head start that Craig made up over the course of the next several hours.
With the win, the 32-year-old software engineer from Chicago added to $118K in career cashes, all coming since 2017.
"I've tried a couple of times going pro," he said. "I love coming to Vegas for tournaments."
Official Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Craig | $25,834 |
| 2 | Pete Dailey | $15,964 |
| 3 | Lewis Robledo | $10,467 |
| 4 | Viny Lima | $7,195 |
| 5 | Terry Fleischer | $5,196 |
| 6 | Mike Shin | $3,954 |
| 7 | Daniel Sepiol | $3,178 |
| 8 | Ryan Lenaghan | $2,708 |
Craig hung around with a short stack as a fast pace was set by the other players to get down to the final table — and the money — over the first few hours of the day. Plenty of late-registering players helped boost the prize pool, with the likes of Mike Shin and Pat Lyons among those showing up to fire.
Pete Dailey, Lewis Robledo and Viny Lima had heaps going in, and indeed those three wound up four-handed with Craig while experienced players like Shin and Terry Fleischer went bust.
It looked like Craig would be headed to payouts in fourth when he got it in dominated with queen-jack suited against Lima's jacks, but a queen on the turn saved Craig and he then busted Lima in a flip.
Robledo and Dailey seemed determined to play huge pots, something Craig was all too happy to do as he caught fire, showing down some huge holdings such as full houses and aces up when he was committing large portions of his stack. A massive flip for more than 60 big blinds went his way to bust Robledo, and he suddenly had a large lead against Dailey heads up.
They played a big one on an ace-high board that Craig didn't mean to make large, but he misclicked in a min-raise when he meant to call a turn bet and faced a big three-bet from Dailey. Holding an ace and a weak kicker, Craig stayed sticky.
"I just thought he was spazzing versus the misclick," Craig said. "I thought about jamming. He was frustrated. I was making a lot of big hands.
"But, I figured if he river wasn't a diamond [to make a three-flush] and he bluffed, I could get the rest."
It was a diamond, but Dailey gave up, and Craig had him on the ropes. He gambled with a flush draw and an overcard and got there versus top pair to seal it.
Craig said he plays most of his volume online, but he's been increasing his play as the live scene slowly kicks back up. He said he's on his third trip to Vegas since the summer, and he's $25K richer for his next shot, whenever that comes.
Pete Dailey Eliminated in 2nd Place ($15,964)
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
With 
on the board, Pete Dailey bet 35,000 from the big blind and Ben Craig tried to put in calling chips but had the wrong color — the orange T5,000s are quite close to the pink T25,000s. He was forced to raise to 70,000 and Dailey came back with 230,000. Craig nonetheless called and they both checked the 
.
Craig showed 
and took the pot.
Then, Craig opened and Dailey called in the big blind. On the 
flop, Craig bet 55,000. Dailey check-raised all in for about 350,000 and Craig called.
Craig: 
Dailey: 
"No spade," Dailey urged.
The dealer didn't comply, though, after the 
turn as a 
completed the board to make Craig's flush and crown him the winner.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,850,000 | 700,000 |
|
Busted |
Lewis Robledo Eliminated in 3rd Place ($10,467)
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Lewis Robledo raised to 30,000 on the button and Ben Craig shoved all in from the big blind. Robledo had about 800,000 total and called off without hesitation.
Craig: 
Robledo: 
The board ran 
, no help to Robledo.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,150,000 | 750,000 |
|
|
700,000 | -100,000 |
|
Busted |
Craig Takes the Chip Lead
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Pete Dailey raised to 33,000 in the small blind and Ben Craig defended the big. Dailey bet 50,000 on the 
flop and 125,000 more on the 
. Craig moved all in for about 800,000 more and Dailey tank-folded, showing the 
.
Craig flicked in the 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,400,000 | 500,000 |
|
|
800,000 | -200,000 |
Robledo Gets Big Bet Paid
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Pete Dailey limped on the button and Lewis Robledo made it 50,000 in the big blind. Dailey continued and they checked down 
until Robledo bet 175,000 on the river. Dailey called the overbet but couldn't beat 
for a straight.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,000,000 | -415,000 |
|
|
750,000 | 260,000 |
Level: 21
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Ante: 12,000
Craig Shows a Monster
Level 20
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Ben Craig bet 27,000 from the small blind on and called a raise to 75,000 by Lewis Robledo on his left. Both players checked the and the river was a . Craig bet 85,000. Robledo made it 200,000 but snap-folded to a shove worth about 450,000.
Craig showed nines full.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,415,000 | 315,000 |
|
|
900,000 | 315,000 |
|
|
490,000 | -310,000 |
Viny Lima Eliminated in 4th Place ($7,195)
Level 20
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Viny Lima opened on the button and called off about 220,000 when Ben Craig three-bet shoved in the small blind.
Lima:
Craig:
The 
board brought nothing for Lima, felting him in fourth.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
585,000 | 98,000 |
|
Busted |
Craig Doubles With Three Outs
Level 20
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Viny Lima raised and called the shove of Ben Craig, who had 231,000 and showed down 
. Lima had him dominated with but got unlucky on the turn as the board came .
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
487,000 | 57,000 |
|
|
333,000 | -297,000 |