2010 Spring Break Poker Classic
$2,400 + $100 Main Event (2 day)
April 10-11, 2010
Total Players: 147
Total Prize Pool: $336,625
2010 Beau Rivage Spring Break Poker Classic Main Event Winner Tyler Smith
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino was the proud host of the 2010 Spring Break Poker Classic. Eighteen events kicked off on March 26, culminating with the $2,500 championship event April 10-11. The Spring Break Poker Classic is one of five major tournaments held each year held at MGM MIRAGE Mississippi resorts, and the first in the series at Beau Rivage.
Action began Friday, April 10 for the $2,500 championship with 147 players. On the first hand of the tournament, two players went all-in with both players holding a set, but only one would win. From then on, the field slowly whittled away until the end of day one with 20 players at three tables.
On day two, the play picked right back up. In fact, once players made it into the money, two players were lost simultaneously with no need for hand-for-hand. It then took just two levels of play to reach the final table of ten.
The final table’s first victim came when Natasha Barbour and Rusty Moorer were all-in with Barbour’s shorter stack. Barbour held pocket 10′s and Moorer held A-K. The flop came J-9-5 with Barbour still in the lead. The turn and river were both aces and Moorer knocked Natasha Barbour of Tampa, Florida,out in 10th place, earning $4,713.
A very short-stacked Ben Mintz moved all-in on the button and got called by Chris Conrad. Ben had Qs-9s versus the A-10o of Conrad. The flop was Js-4s-3d, giving the flush draw to Mintz. The turn was the useless 4d and the river was the Jd. Ben Mintz of New Orleans, Louisiana, finished the day in 9th place, earning $6,733.
Matthew Leecy was just hoping to pick up blinds and antes when he shipped with K-9o. The problem was that Michael Benton woke up with pocket 9′s and called. The board didn’t produce any kind of help for Matthew Leecy from Ottawa, Kansas, who finished 8th earning $10,099.
Action moved around to Richard Hill, who raised the action from 8k to 28k. Everyone folded to Tyler Smith in the big blind, who moved all-in. Hill insta-called and tabled A-Q, which was behind the A-K of Smith. The flop 2-8-2 and the turn gave Smith a K. The river Q was useless for Richard Hill from Valdosta, Georgia, who finished 7th, earning $13,465.
Action folded around to Pyke Babin in the small blind and he raised to 24k. Fuad Razavi looked down at his cards and moved all-in. Babin insta-called and tossed out A-K versus the 9′s of Razavi. The flop kept Razavi in the lead with the 10-4-2. The turn was a 4. But, the river K gave Babin the upper hand and Fuad Razavi of Atlanta, Georgia, finished 6th, earning $16,831.
Rusty Moorer moved all-in under the gun with 160k and action folded around to Pyke Babin, who called. Tyler Smith called, but realized that Pyke still had chips. The two saw a flop of K-6-5 and Babin moved all-in. Smith insta-called with K’s for the set, Babin had pocket 10′s and Moorer held pocket 9′s. Rusty Moorer of Crestview, Florida, finished 5th, earning $20,198, and Pyke Babin from Gonzalez, Louisiana, finished 4th and earned $26,930.
Chris Conrad and Michael Benton got all-in with Michael being the shortest stack. Conrad held pocket 3′s versus the A-K of Benton. The flop kept Conrad in the lead when it came 6-10-9. The turn card was a J and the river was a 7. Michael Benton of Lafayette, Louisiana, finished 3rd place, earning $33,663.
The heads-up battle would last into the wee hours of the morning. The two players would battle back in forth like two heavyweights in the middle of the ring. Finally, the two players decided on a deal, which meant that Chris Conrad of Tallahassee, Florida, was our 2nd place finisher. Our champion was Tyler Smith of Smithdale, Mississippi. Not only does Tyler get the champion title, but also he received the trophy and the $5,000 main event seat to the Gulf Coast Poker Championship in September 2010.
“MGM MIRAGE Mississippi’s five high-stake poker tournaments provide an opportunity for poker enthusiasts of all levels to compete in a variety of events at both Beau Rivage in Biloxi and Gold Strike in Tunica,” said Ken Lambert, Jr., MGM MIRAGE Mississippi regional director of poker operations. “The tournaments grow in buy-ins and lead up to January’s World Poker Tour Southern Poker Championship and a chance to win a $25,500 seat in the WPT World Championship at Bellagio in April 2011.”
Place Player Winnings
1 Tyler Smith/Smithdale, Ms. $111,083
2 Christopher Conrad/Tallahassee, Fl. $61,266
3 Michael Benton/Lafayette, La. $33,663
4 Pyke Babin/Gonzalez, La. $26,930
5 Rusty Moorer/Crest View, Fl. $20,198
6 Razavi G./Atlanta, Ga. $16,831
7 Richard Hill/Valdosta, Ga. $13,465
8 Matthew Leecy/Ottawa, Ks. $10,099
9 Ben Mintz/New Orleans, La. $6,733
10 Natasha Barbour/Tampa, Fl. $4,713
11 Bryne Wilson/Tuscaloosa, Al. $4,713
12 Kenneth Eunice/Columbus, Ga. $4,713
13 Steve Nussrallah/Alpharetta, Ga. $4,040
14 Bob Woodward/Jacksonville, Fl. $4,040
15 James Payne/Picayune, Ms. $4,040
16 Adeeb Harb/Long Beach, Ms. $3,366
17 Barbara Smith/Houston, Tx. $3,366
18 Richard Hensarling/Lafayette, La. $3,366
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