Cantu Takes WSOP Event No. 2

Published: Friday, June 30, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

CANTU TAKES WSOP EVENT NO. 2

Coveted bracelet and $757 839 in prize money for winner of 3-day $1,500 No Limit Hold'Em tournament

Brandon Cantu is the second big winner in a World Series of Poker 2006 match, walking away in the top spot from the final table at the second event in this year's mammoth WSOP tournament at the Rio in Las Vegas, the 3-day $1,500 No Limit Hold'Em event.

After fighting his way through three days and a total starting field of 2,776 poker players, the champ entered the final table this week in seat number 1 tied with Lee Padilla with a chip stack in excess of three quarters of a million dollars each. Other players around the table included Mark Ly, Drew Rubin, Brent Roberts, Don Zewin, Ron Stanley, Mark Swartz and Carlos "The Matador" Mortenson.

The blinds started at $8,000-$16,000 with $2,000 antes, which allowed for relatively tight play, and despite being a favourite of many spectators "The Matador" Mortensen was the first player to bust, finishing in ninth place ($71 617).

Mark Swartz was the next to go when his offsuit KJ met Brandon Cantu's pocket tens. Swartz picked up $88,668 for his eighth place finish.

Two seats went on the next hand when Ron Stanley moved all in preflop for his last few chips and Don Zewin re-raised all-in. Lee Padilla had both players covered and called. Stanley showed A9, Zewin turned over 88 and Padilla flipped over the AJ. Zewin was ahead and the flop of Q62 was no help to the other players. But when Padilla spiked a jack on the turn, his delight was clear and the crowd seemed to share it. He made the flush when the 7 fell on the river and knocked out both Stanley ($107 614) and Zewin ($126 940) in that one coup.

It was another three hours before the next player hit the road. Brandon Cantu called when Brent Roberts moved all-in. Roberts turned over pair of sevens and Cantu flipped up AQ. When the queen hit and the turn and river offered no relief Roberts busted in fifth place ($151 570).

It was Padilla's turn next as he exited in fourth place with $176 579 prize for his trouble. His A3 was dominated by Mark Ly's A10. The board didn't improve Padilla's hand and then there were three players. Just over an hour later Drew Rubin called Brandon Cantu's all in with A-6 offsuit and faced pocket eights. The board didn't pair Rubin's aces and after pocketing $226 597 Rubin on his way home in third place.

As Cantu faced Ly in the grand finale the tension mounted in a series of moves that culminated in Cantu coming out fighting and betting, Ly moved all in and Cantu called. Cantu fliped over AK and Ly showed J4, giving Cantu the lead with a pair of aces over Ly's pair of jacks. When the river hit a blank, 8, Cantu actually jumped up and ran into the crowd in excitement. It was only a matter of hands before Cantu took Ly's few remaining chips when his Q5 hit two pair against Ly's 102 with a board of A54Q8 and eliminated Ly in second place ($416 816).

The elated Cantu picked up the winner's cheque for $757 839 and the second of this year's much-prized WSOP bracelets.