Action was caught after the flop of 9♦10♦8♣ and Matthew Lemmel checked from the small blind. His opponent in middle position moved all in and Lemmel made the call. Both players revealed their hands.
Middle Position: A♠2♠
Matthew Lemmel: 7♥7♠
The board completed with the 7♣5♦ for Lammel to send his opponent to the rail. Lemmel mentioned how he "recently moved to south Florida and became ingrained into the poker scene." For him he enjoyed making friends through shared passion for the game which also led him to become a poker dealer.
Middle Position called and the cutoff raised to 8,500. Ray Rhode made the call from the button along with the middle position player.
After the flop came 2♥3♥K♣ both the middle position player and cutoff checked to Rhode. He moved all in for 2,000 and was called by both players.
The turn and river came the 5♠7♦ and both players checked their options. Rhode revealed A♠K♦ to take the pot. After the hand Rhode explained that his name is pronounced (Rhod-ee) similar to the nickname for players favourite bad hand.
Back in June, the Bar Poker Open Vegas World Championship saw 1,164 players battle at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada. A total of six clubs were represented in the final eight contenders, chasing the big first-place prize and the trophy.
The heads-up match guaranteed that New York Free Poker would be taking home the title and after a match of many lead changes, it was Miguel “The Mountain” Medrano who claimed a career-best score of $100,000.
“It’s very exciting, it hit me when I saw the brick river,” the still excited Medrano said in his interview after the win. He also talked about his experience playing with Patrick Martorella, a man who he plays with a decent amount back in New York. “I’m terrified of Patrick, I stay away from him back home. But in the end I was lucky. All luck, no skill. It takes two years to get this lucky.”
Medrano was supported by a steady and large rail of supporters throughout the whole tournament. “I love all of you! I really do! I played my game, I hit my cards. I told myself, if I win I win and if I lose I lose.”
