For those of you following the $1,500 NLH event in Tunica a few days ago, below is the official WSOP report. The hand Todd went out on really was a bummer — particularly since he is arguably one of the best set-floppers in Dallas. Skipping to the good part:

We were now playing with blinds of 4,000/8,000 and 1,000 antes. Two hands into the new level, Todd “Tiny B” Phillips suffered a heart-breaker. After Williams moved in, Phillips called for his last 48,000 with pocket aces and flopped a set. But the flop also contained two hearts. A third one turned, and Williams, with Ah-2h, broke Phillips’ heart and left him in fifth place, which paid $19,904. Phillips, a 35-year-old real estate broker from Dallas, learned poker in a “great home game” in his city.

Click below to read the full story of how everything shook down …

More…

Todd’s tourney is over. He got 5th place (out of 225) in the $1,500 NLH event. Still don’t have a payout yet, but estimate is 19k. (Over/under?)

Says he went out via cracked aces. That’s all I know … oh, and that by making a non-second-chance WSOP circuit final table, he’s the first Batface to get CardPlayer P.O.Y. points.

(Congratulations, Todd! Seriously, you were due — have been playing great. Getting big pairs busted never bothers you, either.)

NOTE: Just discovered some quality semi-live coverage over at the BFs. Missed it all day and night … for some reason, the page wouldn’t (and still won’t) update upon refresh in Firefox. No prob with IE, however.

So Todd is apparently playing some damn good poker. From what I understand, he’s never been too much more than an above-average stack … in fact, he’s been mostly low, but a little more than tiny, stackwise that is.

Anyhow, there are five players left, and he’s fourth in chips. Successfully made “the real money”. Here’s the payouts he’s competiting for:

Er … can’t find them anywhere. But when Todd was a “sorta short stack” with seven players left, we learned that 7th place paid out $13k. So my guess is that he’s already guaranteed about $20k, if not more. Will let you know.

They’re down to 17 in the $1,500 NLH event. Todd is sitting with 29k, compared to an average stack of 38k. He says: [emphasis added]

—–Original Message—–
From: Todd Phillips
Sent: Sun Oct 01 03:33:47 2006
Subject: Still Alive-ish

Thanks to Tulsa and TBRs reporting, you know I’m hanging in the tunica tourney. You have to finish in top 8 or so for any real money, so I’ll need to double up early tomorrow. My last double up came when I moved all-in with Q9(the comstock) on the button after it was folded around to me. The big blind made a very good and expensive call with KJ(the Shane). I felt relief as everyone knows that comstock always defeats Shane. So, after a jack flopped, I wasn’t surprised to see runner runner club to make my Q high flush. The qualility of play and the quality of people playing has been spectacular… Something I’m not used to in Dallas. We resume at 2PM tomorrow. I’m going to go to bed now. As always, go batfaces.

Just got a text message from Tiny B:

48 left in 1500. I have 15k in chips, a little above par. Top 27 get paid. I expect coverage.

So there you have it. Go Big Todd!

8400, coloring greens. 100-400-800 now. 34 left. Time to double up.Agoin … go Big Todd. (But how will he handle it if someone makes a “bad” play?

UPDATE: Nearing the bubble …

Doubled up with AQ vs. JJ. 17k now. 33 left

And indeed, looks like he crossed it. Todd texts:

in money, in decent shape.

By the way, I have to go out. Seriously … one of those drinky things that involves a guy who’s involved with the Native American casino interests — hopefully he’ll give me some inside scoop on the legendary Winstar Tribe’s role in Poker’s getting Double-Fristed. Anyhow, if you need Todd updates, you can find them here at my personal watchdog site. Kinda funny, especially looking at Todd’s pre-game posts:

from The Batfaces

1500
I’m at dinner break in the $1500 NL in tunica. 48 players remain of the original 225. The top 27 make the money. I have 15000 in chips, which is a little above par. Darling and Hong Kong played as well, but have not lasted. So unfortunately for some, I’m not offing myself. Winner takes home 101K.
posted by Tiny B at 7:31 PM | 0 comments

Tunica 2
Darling up.
Hong Kong up.
Tiny B… Fuck cards.
posted by Tiny B at 7:04 AM | 0 comments

Friday, September 29, 2006

Tunica live blog 1
Hammered. Go first class!

Honk Kong Sue, Darling and I just landed in Memphis. Aycock is waiting on us at The Grand. You fuckers will be sorry you missed this one. $1500 tomorrow at noon. If I don’t win the last-longer, I’m offing myself.
posted by Tiny B at 7:32 PM | 0 comments

TUNICA RESORTS, MS — Rounder Club regulars Frank Nasufi and Tim Staraveci made the money in WSOP Circuit Event No. 3 ($300+$40) Wednesday. Tim was still going strong with a decent stack and four tables left as of 10 p.m. Frank, who has knocked out the Minnow more than once, came in 42nd. Word has it he played aggressively. First place is worth $51,902. Congrats, gentlemen.

OH YEAH: The Minnow finished in the 160s, out of el dinero. An over the top all-in did not fly.

UPDATE: Tim finished 24th, cashing nearly a G.

TUNICA RESORTS, MS — After nearly going out on the bubble Tuesday night, Angel Word of Bowdon, Ga., came back to win the $500+$40 Event No. 2 Wednesday. The 30-year-old took down the ladies event at the World Poker Open last year and has cashed in three other major tournaments. She split the first- and second-place money to take home $58,005, then played for and won the ring. Nani Dollison, who has three WSOP bracelets, finished fourth. Go, ladies!

TUNICA RESORTS, MS — Eric Crain, the 22-year-old who knocked me out Monday, won the $300+$40 first event Tuesday evening with 6-2. After sustaining repeated all-ins from his opponent, the Murphysboro, IL, online high-limit Omaha pro pushed back and caught a 2 on the river. The second-place finisher (didn’t catch his name) had J-8. The board came 5-5-10-A-2. Eric, who’s been quite the subject of controversy on the poker forums, won $63,105. He also has his own blog. Thanks to Harrah’s Mark Shapiro for details on the heads-up play.

Meanwhile, Event No. 2 ($500+$40) was nearing the payout level at 10 p.m. last night (54 places). The final table or whoever is left at 2 a.m. finishes up Wednesday afternoon.

Yours truly plays in Event No. 3 (another $300+$40) Wednesday after winning my way in in a $45 satellite. That’s what I call a cheap flop.

TUNICA RESORTS, MS (thanks Poker Shrink) — First, let me say the Gold Strike has the nicest looking poker room I’ve seen so far, and the friendliest staff. Now normally I don’t play rebuy tournaments because they draw too many sucking out donks and the real play doesn’t start until after the rebuy period is over. But what the hay, I’m on (poker) vacation. Entry fee, two rebuys and a double add-on later ($120 total), I’m sitting in the big blind (1,000 with 75 ante) with about 5,000 chips (under average) when a guy in late position raises to 3,000. I call with A-7 suited, the flop misses me, I go all-in and the raiser calls me — with A-4 offsuit! He also has hit nothing. Yes, he was priced in but why did he raise in the first place? Because this is a non-deep-stack, quick-blind-structure sitch, like so many poker tournaments all over.

Compounding the problem is the weirdness of the rebuy structure. Let see if I can explain it without writing an encyclopedia. First hour, you can rebuy as many times as you like: $20 for 1,000 chips if you get below the initial 1,000 that cost you $40. Or if you bust out, you can buy 1,000 for $20 or 2,000 for $40. Then at the hour break, you can add on 2,000 chips for $20 or 4,000 for $40. Correct me if I’m wrong but it sounds like the thing to do is not even show up the first hour (or play extremely carefully) and take the value add-on(s) at the break.

Back at the hand: You guessed it. The raiser sucked out, hitting a straight on the river.

NEXT UP: More gambling. No, not poker but a trip to “beautifully restored” downtown Tunica.

ALT HED: mannysbadbeats.com

TUNICA, MS — They’re goofing on my poker playing (again) over at my former employer’s blog. Well, at least the inimitable Mr. Dallas is. When I played in a World Series event in Las Vegas this summer, the site had record traffic due to my entries and the hilarious reactions of my colleagues (aided by DanM’s link from here). Here’s hoping my other friends at the Death Star weigh in at my expense this time too. (Any more pix of a monkey at the table, Anne?)

Full disclosure: Mr. Dallas and I have made a few trips to The Vegas, where we engaged in event dining and witnessed the mating rituals of Baccarat Bar workers.

I think I’m headed to the Gold Strike for an 11 a.m. $40/$20/$20 despite my aversion to rebuy tourneys. Another option: A satellite at the WSOP circuit to line up tomorrow’s $300 tournament. I’ll report later on the final table(s) of the Monday-Tuesday $300, which starts at 4 p.m., and today’s nooner $500.

TUNICA, MS — What an odd place. If not for the nonstop casino billboards along Hwy. 61, you could drive through this part of the world and never realize it’s a gambling haven. Fields of flowers are only occasionally broken up by specs in the distance — Horseshoe, Gold Strike and the rest miles off the main road like spaceships from the planet Prefab.

But that’s not why you called. Like me, you want to know what’s what at the WSOP circuit thingamajig at the Grand Casino, a series of tournaments that starts with a $300+$40 no-limit event tomorrow and ends with the $5,000+$150 main event Oct. 2-4.

Info on small sit-and-go satellites that feed the $300 and $500 tourneys is nonexistent on the Web, so I’ve tracked it down at the source. The cheapest way in is a $35+$10 that pays the winner a $300 tournament voucher and 50 in cash. There is also a $55+$10 ($500 voucher plus $50 to first place) and a $110+$10 (Two $500 vouchers and 100 cash).

Plenty of guys have been lining up for them since this morning, including yours truly who finished fourth in a $35+$10 after my 9-9 was rivered by a stealer with K-Q. Got my chips in with the best hand yada yada. (He raised my $50 BB to $150, I went all in and he called, as did a donk with something like J-8. Lady came on the river.)

I’m headed back for more. Stay tuned.