Would a Legend Win the Legends of Poker?

In 2003, the World Series of Poker main event started with 839 players, and they were forced to play in two heats and start on different days. It was unheard of for a poker tournament.



What a difference two years makes.

Day One (Two Heats): Echoes of Moneymaker
The 2005 Legends of Poker championship event at The Bicycle Casino attracted 839 players (a new record for the World Poker Tour), and they were forced to play in two heats and start on different days. Not only that, but this field was actually a little smaller than some had expected (there were 667 players a year ago).



While the field size was the same as that of the 2003 WSOP, this event had a buy-in of only $5,000, so nobody would be taking home Chris Moneymaker money. With this buy-in, first place would take home a little less than half ($1,125,000) of what Moneymaker won. But, a million dollars is still a million dollars, regardless of what Dr. Evil says in the Austin Powers films.



Doyle Brunson was the defending champion, which was entirely appropriate since the event is called the Legends of Poker, and he's the biggest legend in the game today. Unfortunately for those fans hoping for a repeat, Brunson was eliminated about four hours into the contest.



The chip leaders coming out of those first two heats were Luong Nguyen Trinh ($108,675) and Kevin O'Donnell ($102,275). Could they carry the momentum forward, or would they fall victim to the dreaded "Curse of the Day One Chip Leader"?

Day Two: Combine the Fields, Play to the Money

There were 333 players who returned to a combined field on the official day two, and play would continue down to the final 72 players, who would be finishing in the money. The field quickly thinned during the day, but some of the big names who made it to day three (and the money) included Paul Phillips, Andy Bloch, Jennifer Harman, Max Pescatori, Kenna James, Padraig Parkinson, Carlos Mortensen, Cyndy Violette, Can Kim Hua, and Jim McManus.



The chip leader heading into day three was Alex Kahaner ($581,600), with Paul Phillips a distant second ($401,400). O'Donnell stayed strong, finishing in third place on the leaderboard, while Trinh lost a lot of chips and found himself short-stacked (but still alive) in 62nd place.

Day Three: Down to the Final Six

The schedule called for day three continuing until there were just six players left for the TV final table. But since the day started with 72 players, that meant they had to lose more than 91 percent of the field. It was shaping up to be a long day.



Trinh succumbed to the "curse" early in the day, earning $7,500 for his trouble. O'Donnell stayed competitive, and ultimately reached the final table of 10 players, still hoping to make the TV final table.



It took five hours of play just to get down to three tables (27 players), and it didn't get down to a single 10-player table until after 1 a.m. Play tightened up as the players neared the TV bubble, and it was looking to be a long night.

It took more than an hour for the first elimination (down to nine players), but it was another three hours before it was down to the final eight. It was approaching 5 a.m., and there were still two players yet to be eliminated. Fortunately for those who enjoy sleep, Eriberto Soto (eighth place) and Dao Bac (seventh place) were eliminated fairly quickly, and the final TV table was finally set after 5:30 a.m.

Day Four: The Final Table

The final six players who would play for more than a million dollars the next day in front of the WPT cameras were:

1. Todd Phillips $1,900,000 Seat 2

2. Alex Kahaner $1,855,000 Seat 6

3. Kenna James $1,540,000 Seat 1

4. Jake Minter $1,525,000 Seat 3

5. Tim Phan $1,085,000 Seat 5

6. Kevin O'Donnell $500,000 Seat 4



There would be no legend of poker winning the tournament this year, as Kenna James was the only recognizable pro among them. Tim Phan will be far more recognized once his 24th-place finish in the WSOP main event is televised on ESPN. Todd Phillips, the chip leader, is the Hollywood writer/director who made the popular films Old School (starring Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughn) and Starsky & Hutch (starring Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, and Snoop Dogg). The other three players were unknowns in the poker world, and Alex Kahaner was actually playing in his first tournament.



O'Donnell doubled up early to strengthen his short stack, and after two hours of play, all six players had between $1 million and $1.6 million. There were no dominant chip leaders, nor were there any desperate short stacks. But that equilibrium couldn't last forever.



It's hard to call it a curse when you reach the TV table and walk away with $208,500, but O'Donnell was eliminated in sixth place after pushing all in with A-6 on a flop of A-10-4 rainbow. Kenna James called with A-9, and no help came for O'Donnell, crippling him down to a single $5,000 chip (just half the ante). He was finished off by James on the next hand.



That elimination set a record for the WPT: It was the longest that any final table has gone before losing its first player (58 hands over a period of two hours and 20 minutes). James had taken the chip lead, and with the steadily increasing blinds, the action was looking to speed up.



In hand No. 71, Phillips raised from under the gun and was called by Kahaner and James from the blinds. The flop came 10-5-3 rainbow, James bet $250,000, Phillips raised all in, and James immediately called. (Kahaner quickly folded after the all-in bet.) Phillips showed pocket sevens, but James had pocket threes for a set. Phillips couldn't catch a set of his own, and he was eliminated in fifth place, earning $250,200.



Four hands later (hand No. 75), short-stacked Tim Phan moved all in from the button for about $560,000, and James called from the big blind with the A 7. Phan dominated him with the A J, and was looking to double up through the chip leader. The flop was uneventful, falling Q 9 6, but the 8 on the turn was tough for Phan. That card gave James a straight draw (but only a 5 would be a winner, as a non-club 10 would give Phan a higher straight) and a flush draw, and he now had 15 outs to eliminate Phan. The river card was the 7, and James had hit his kicker to win with a pair of sevens. Phan was eliminated in fourth place, earning $291,900.



James had consumed half the final table, and accumulated a big chip lead (more than half the chips in play) as a result. In hand No. 85, Kahaner raised to $300,000, James reraised to $1 million, and Kahaner immediately moved all in. The crowd leapt to their feet, assuming that James had called.



He hadn't.



With the crowd waiting for action, James carefully considered the situation. There was $3,380,000 already in the pot, and James had to call only another $1,215,000. After a few minutes, James reluctantly mucked his cards, to the dismay of the crowd. James may have gone on tilt at that point (he was clearly shaken by that hand), but he was fortunate that a 15-minute break was scheduled, giving him a chance to cool off and realize that he was still the chip leader with three players remaining.



The blinds skyrocketed to $100,000-$200,000 ($20,000 ante) after the break, costing the players an average of $120,000 per hand. Here were the chip counts at the break:

1. Kenna James $3,680,000

2. Alex Kahaner $3,380,000

3. Jake Minter $1,320,000



Rather than going on tilt, James increased his chip lead after the break, coming back to again hold more than half of the chips in play ($5,200,000).



In hand No. 112, Kahaner raised to $500,000 from the button, Minter moved all in with A-5, and Kahaner immediately called with A-9. Minter was dominated, never improved, and was eliminated in third place, earning $333,600.

Heads Up For more than a Million Dollars

Kahaner gave himself a shot by picking up Minter's chips, and the chip counts going into heads-up play were:

1. Kenna James $4,600,000

2. Alex Kahaner $3,780,000



Play was relatively quiet until hand No. 129, when James raised to $600,000, Kahaner reraised to $1.5 million, and James stared him down before reraising all in. Kahaner paused, as he was clearly hoping to win the pot with his reraise. But with a "what the heck" look on his face, he made the call, showing the J 10.



James was stunned, wondering how Kahaner could make that call. And he was clearly frightened, because with his A 4, he was only a slight favorite. James had correctly read weakness in Kahaner, but assumed he could force a laydown with an all-in bet; right read, wrong result.



The flop came Q 9 2, and Kahaner became a slight favorite with an open-end straight draw. The turn card was the K, and James was drawing dead. Kahaner doubled up to become the dominant chip leader, with about $7 million in chips to James' $1.4 million.



Nearly seven hours had passed since play began, and the blinds would quickly be forcing some big showdowns.



In hand No. 131, both players were all in with A-9 suited, but Kahaner flopped two diamonds for a freeroll flush draw. James slumped down in shock and disbelief, hoping merely to stay alive. The poker gods gave James a brief reprieve, bringing two clubs to finish off the board.



Kahaner moved all in on the next hand, and James called with pocket sixes. This was the same hand he used to eliminate Kevin O'Donnell hours earlier. Kahaner showed K-J, and it was a race situation. The flop was 5-4-2; James was still in the lead with his pair of sixes and had picked up a gutshot-straight draw. The turn card was a 9, and James would double up with anything but a jack or a king.



The river card was the K. It was the second time Kahaner had caught a king to take a hand away from James.



James stood for a moment in disbelief, wondering how it happened, as Kahaner celebrated with friends and family. When he snapped out of it, he shook hands with the dealer, and gave announcer Linda Johnson a big hug and a kiss on her cheek. When Kahaner finally escaped from the hugs of his friends, he shook James' hand and accepted his congratulations.

Alex Kahaner (seated) celebrates with WPT hosts (left to right) Mike Sexton, Courtney Friel, and Vince Van Patten

Alex Kahaner won the trophy, the seat in the WPT World Championship, and the $1,125,000, but Kenna James walked away with a lot more than the $588,210 he received for second place.

Once this episode airs on the Travel Channel, James is certain to steal the show. Other than his unfortunate luck against Kahaner, James owned this final table with his friendly banter and excellent play. He is a good-looking cowboy with a larger-than-life personality that should play very well on television. In between hands, he often sang or cracked jokes, keeping the crowd and the table relaxed. While some of his best material will end up on the cutting room floor, he's still sure to shine in the public eye.



Alex Kahaner played strong for four days to win the tournament, but Kenna James was the real star of this show.



Final-table results were as follows:

1. Alex Kahaner $1,150,900

2. Kenna James $588,210

3. Jake Minter $333,600

4. Tim Phan $291,900

5. Todd Phillips $250,200

6. Kevin O'Donnell $208,500