"The poker room at the Mirage in Vegas is the center of the poker universe. Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth, the legends, consider it their office." - Mike McDermott, Rounders
A mirage suggests the unattainable, a misleading paradise shimmering in the desert sun - unless that desert happens to be Las Vegas, where the Mirage Hotel and Casino is a poker paradise. The Mirage was the steward casino of the "big game" in the '90s, and it's a place where poker has always been featured as prominently as the craps tables and roulette wheels. In this poker paradise, a player by the name of Little rose above 308 others to become a big-time player, and the newest
World Poker Tour millionaire at the 2007
Mirage Poker Showdown.
Day One - Chock-Full of Talent
The small number of entrants in the
Mirage Poker Showdown championship event (about a hundred fewer players than recent
WPT events) made for a strong field, all vying for the $1,066,295 first-place prize. Nearly all tables were stacked. As an example, halfway through day one, David Singer, Chip Reese, Kirk Morrison, Jonathan Little, and Jared "TheWacoKidd" Hamby were joined by Robert Mizrachi and John "The Razor" Phan at table No. 43.
One player in this sinister seven was on the brink of history, but he now had a major roadblock. Kirk Morrison had cashed in the previous four
WPT events, which tied him with his good friend Daniel Negreanu for the all-time record. A finish in the money here would give him the record. "It's a tough table, but I play for blood, baby," said a joking Morrison as he chuckled through a break-time interview. His quest took two early hits when he picked up kings twice in the first five hands and lost with them both times. Unfortunately for Morrison, he was eliminated in the late stages of the day.
As the day moved forward, the chip stacks of Daniel Alaei, Shannon Shorr, Darrell "Gigabet" Dicken, and David Matthew climbed toward $100,000. Fate would have it that Shorr and Dicken were moved right next to each other before action ended. It was Matthew, though, who emerged as the chip leader from this top group, and all of day one, with $156,625.
Day Two - No Man's Land
The remaining field of 144 players returned on day two in an attempt to make the final-table mirage that loomed in the distance. Table No. 37 quickly became the table of the day. Phil Ivey, Michael Binger, Nam Le, Juan Carlos Alvarado, Steve Sung, and Alex Prendes faced off to start things out, and later in the day, Amnon Filippi and John D'Agostino were added. Sung and Ivey battled throughout the day and were especially aggressive preflop. Sung showed no fear in the face of one of the most intimidating players in the game, and induced Ivey to fold on consecutive hands with reraises. Ivey had the last laugh, though. Sung busted out in level nine, while Ivey finished the day in second place ($284,900).
Little was the comeback kid on day two. He started the day with just $4,800, and was able to build his wounded stack back to an astonishing $225,400 by the end of play, good for ninth place.
Dicken, running hot off two final tables in Mirage preliminary events, took a commanding chip lead late in the day and finished as the chip leader with $501,900.
Day Three - The Bubble Bursts, but Play Continues
The fortunes of lady luck led the 40 remaining players down different paths during day three, but Gigabet remained the king of the mountain.
Tommy Garza was knocked out on the bubble, Rene Angelil was the first player to finish in the money, and once three tables remained, all eyes focused on the one that featured two of the largest chip stacks, Dicken and Ivey. Alan Goehring made it $12,000 to go and was called by Ivey and Dicken. The flop came 10
9
4
and Dicken checked. Goehring checked, as well, and Ivey bet $25,000. Dicken and Goehring called, and the turn was the 10
. Dicken and Goehring both checked again, and Ivey bet $60,000. Dicken and Goehring both made the call, and the river was the 7
. The action was checked around, and Dicken turned over the A
10
. Goehring and Ivey both mucked their hands, and Dicken now held $750,000. Gigabet was the only player to reach $1 million ($1,167,000) on day three.
Day Four - Ivey Takes the Lead During a Tumultuous Day
Eighteen players started day four, and en route to the final table, D'Agostino, Nam, Shorr, and David "The Dragon" Pham were eliminated in succession.
Once every remaining player in a tournament is finally placed at the same table, certain people tighten up more than a rusted bolt on a piece of neglected machinery. It's like the poker gods have decided to pull the emergency brake on the pace of play, while overbearing visions of television fame dance through players' heads. This moment in a tournament presents a tremendous opportunity for a player willing to pounce on the occasion.
These circumstances had no effect on Dicken, who started the day as the chip leader. He built his stack to $1.4 million, but then he was tested - first when Filippi picked up $288,000 off him with A-Q when an ace hit the board, and second when David Peat doubled up with two pair against Dicken's pocket tens. Dicken was down to $830,000 after the mayhem, but he wasn't out. He put together a nice run to end the day, aided by the same pocket tens that had forsaken him earlier, and finished with $1,203,000.
"Timing is everything, especially in poker tournaments. It comes down to when you get the hands," said Ivey. Timing would come into play for Ivey in a very big way on day four. He bet $450,000 and Filippi raised $200,000 more, which was enough to put Ivey all in. Ivey calmly made the call and showed the table the A
A
. Filippi turned over the K
K
. The board (Q
7
3
5
9
) improved neither player and Ivey doubled up to $530,000. "If the cards were reversed, I'm out. That's why timing is so important" said Ivey.
Ivey then shifted into fifth gear and poured on the aggression to end the day. He picked up $300,000 off Cory Carroll a few hands after he doubled up, and another $255,000 off Little near the end of the day to grow his stack to an impressive $1,395,000.
While Ivey and Dicken continued to march forward, the rest of the field played slowly. Randy Holland was eliminated in ninth place, Jon Friedberg was eliminated in eighth place, and, finally, David Peat was eliminated in seventh place.
Day Five - A Familiar Little Star Finds His Oasis
The chip counts at the start of the TV final table were:
1. Phil Ivey - $1,395,000 (seat No. 4)
2. Cory Carroll - $1,235,000 (seat No. 3)
3. Darrell Dicken - $1,203,000 (seat No. 5)
4. Jonathan Little - $956,000 (seat No. 2)
5. Richard Kirsch - $810,000 (seat No. 1)
6. Amnon Filippi - $571,000 (seat No. 6)
Periods of fast-paced action, and droughts when flops were in short supply, defined the final table. Things started quickly out of the gate, and the first contestant was sent to the rail on the second hand. Filippi bet $70,000 and the action was folded to Carroll, who called. Ivey also called. The flop came K
J
10
and Ivey checked. Filippi bet $135,000 and Carroll raised $220,000 more. Ivey folded, and Filippi moved all in. Carroll called and showed the A
7
. Filippi turned over the mortal nuts, the A
Q
, but after the turn and river cards were dealt 6
2
, Carroll had caught his flush to eliminate Filippi in sixth place ($100,865).
The atmosphere was electric after this quick exit, but play soon slowed considerably. Before the first break, it was not uncommon to go eight hands in a row without seeing a flop. After the first break, things only got worse. In the first 25 hands after the players returned, only four went to a flop. Then it was time for another shift.
On hand No. 55, Little bet $120,000 and Ivey called. The flop came 8
8
3
and both players checked. The J
hit on the turn and Little bet $150,000. Ivey moved all in and Little called. Ivey showed the Q
2
, Little turned over the A
8
, and Ivey, who was seated at his seventh WPT final table, was a 77 percent favorite to double up. However, the river card was the A
and Ivey was eliminated in fifth place ($129,684). The next player would make his exit, stage left, a mere four hands later. On hand No. 59, Kirsch moved all in and Little called. Kirsch showed the A
10
and Little flipped over the A
J
. The board was dealt K
9
2
3
9
and Kirsch was eliminated in fourth place ($172,912).
There were now only three players remaining, and Dicken jumped into the chip lead after taking down a million-dollar pot off Carroll. The turning point began when Little came back from the dead, in the same phoenix-like fashion that he reincarnated his tournament life on day two. He doubled up in two of the next three hands and parlayed the five-minute stretch into a $2.5 million stack.
Carroll would ultimately be the kiss of death for Dicken; he doubled up through Gigabet and busted him three hands later. Carroll limped in from the small blind and Dicken checked. The flop came K
4
2
, Carroll bet $100,000, and Dicken moved all in with the 5
3
. Carroll called instantly with the K
J
and the next two cards came 9
7
. Dicken failed to hit his straight draw and was eliminated in third place ($259,369).
Action was now heads up and the chip counts were about dead even:
1. Cory Carroll - $3,125,000
2. Jonathan Little - $3,050,000
During the first 20 hands of heads-up play, Carroll took control of the match and induced Little to lay down to large reraises on three key hands. When they returned from a break, it looked as if Carroll might run away with the title. That was when Little found a little more double-up magic. On hand No. 126, Carroll raised to $300,000 and Little moved all in. Carroll called and turned over the A
8
. Little showed the 5
5
. The board finished 10
10
7
K
10
and Little doubled up with a full house. Little had been all in for $1.58 million and he now held a $1 million advantage over Carroll. The tables had turned.
The finale of their heads-up match had an eerie feeling of déjà vu. Each time that Little had Carroll cornered on the brink of extinction, Little held the dominated hand. On the first of these hands, hand No. 134, Carroll limped into the pot and Little moved all in preflop. Carroll called and turned over the A
9
, while Little turned over the A
6
. The board was dealt Q
J
8
8
2
and they chopped the pot.
Two hands later, Carroll raised to $480,000 and Little moved all in again preflop. Carroll called with the A
7
and Little showed the A
2
. The board came 10
5
2
2
Q
and Little seized the day with trip deuces. Carroll was eliminated in second place ($561,369), and Little had won the $1,066,295 first-place prize and the 2007 Mirage Poker Showdown championship title. He also received a $25,000 seat in the season-six
WPT Championship. "I feel great. Words can't describe how great I feel," said Little.
With the win, Little continued his hot run and rocketed up to second place in the
Card Player Player of the Year race. In 2007, he has made six final tables, including the
PokerStars.com Caribbean Adventure, where he finished fifth, and has won more than $1.6 million.
