With just two peach-colored $1,000 chips remaining, sitting in the big blind late on day three, it looked like Bill Edler would have to settle for another deep but disappointing finish in a
World Poker Tour event. After previously finishing 13th, seventh, and sixth, Edler had hoped that the inaugural
Gulf Coast Poker Championship would be his time to shine under the bright lights and cameras of the
WPT stage. It certainly would cap an already stellar year that included a
World Series of Poker bracelet and a deep run in the main event.
"I'm all in," Edler said jokingly as he emphatically shoved his remaining chip into the pot (after paying his $1,000 ante), prompting a laugh from the table and rail. Little did he know that what started as a joke would get serious very quickly, as his stack grew from nonexistent to dominant on his way to the title.
Day One - Survival of the Fittest
The Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi, is the only stop on the WPT located on the U.S. Gulf Coast, and it showed. Many of the tournament's 256 entrants were local players from the surrounding area who had won their seats through satellites and casino promotions. By the end of the day, only 131 hopefuls remained to battle down to the money.
Day Two - Playing Down to the Money
The day started just as the night before had ended, with players hitting the rail at a rapid rate. It wasn't until the player count hit 100 that the tournament came to a grinding halt, indicating that we were in for a long night. Due to the short four-day schedule, the money bubble would have to burst before the players broke for the evening. Like it or not, they would have to play down to the final three tables.
Many of the big-name professionals would bust out with nothing to show for their efforts, including David "The Dragon" Pham, Nam Le, Shannon Shorr, Eric "Rizen" Lynch, Jared "TheWacoKidd" Hamby, Chris Moneymaker, and Dewey Tomko. J.C. Tran and Mark Seif had built their stacks up considerably on day one, but most of day two went in reverse before they eventually headed home.
Shane "Shaniac" Schleger was looking to make his second final table of season six, but got extremely unlucky to bust out before the money. Schleger raised to $4,200 from the cutoff, and the button made the call. The flop came K
8
7
and Schleger led for $5,400. The button called, and the turn brought the 8
. Schleger checked and the button fired a $15,000 bet. Schleger calmly counted his chips, and then made a raise to $32,500, leaving himself with only $4,400 behind. After a few moments of indecisiveness, his opponent moved all in and Schleger called instantly. Schleger announced that he had the 8
7
for a full house, and his opponent tabled the K
J
, claiming he was drawing dead. As Schleger was correcting his opponent, stating that he still had two outs, the K
hit the river, surprising his opponent with the pot. Schleger shrugged his shoulders and quickly left the room.
Not everybody was as unfortunate, however, as the final three tables in the money had their fair share of star power. Those returning to battle down to the final TV table included Jonathan "FieryJustice" Little, Bill Edler, "Captain" Tom Franklin, Haralabos Voulgaris, Lee Markholt, T.J. Cloutier, Surinder Sunar, and Bernard Lee. Also cashing in the event was poker couple Chad Brown and Vanessa Rousso, who would spend many hours playing at the same table.
Day Three - The Comeback Begins
With 17 players remaining in the tournament and the blinds at $4,000-$8,000 with a $1,000 ante, Edler was crippled and down to his last two $1,000 chips. After paying his ante, Edler posted his last chip in the big blind, leaving it all up to the poker gods. He then proceeded to win a series of all-in pots, propelling him to not only a comfortable stack, but to the final table. Not since "Treetop" Jack Straus' performance in the 1982
World Series of Poker has a player come back in a major event from such a deficit.
Rousso once again missed the televised final table after making a move with the A
7
and running into pocket queens. She outlasted her boyfriend, Brown, but was ultimately able to generate only a 12th-place finish, earning her $28,035.
Once down to 10 players, Jonathan Little, a past
WPT champ, was the overwhelming chip leader, but he spent most of his time doubling up everyone else. Little was set to get it all back and end the night, but disaster struck. Tim Frazin moved all in from the small blind for $304,000, and Little quickly called from the big blind with the Q
Q
. Frazin showed the Q
8
, and started calling out for clubs. He got his wish when the flop came J
10
3
. The last two cards were the A
and 9
, giving Frazin an unnecessary straight flush to double up to more than $625,000 in chips and cripple Little. Little went out shortly afterward with pocket sixes against Hank Sitton's pocket jacks. He finished in seventh place, earning $93,451 and 312 Player of the Year points, vaulting him into fifth place overall.
Final Table
After three days of rapid-fire play, only six players remained. Among them were five southerners, representing Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, and northwest Florida, and the comeback story of the event, Las Vegas resident Bill Edler.
The chip counts and seating were as follows:
'Captain' Tom Franklin - Sixth Place
It wouldn't take long to lose the first player. As the chip leader, Franklin had a rough start to the day and lost more than a quarter of his stack on the first hand of play. Just three hands later, he would be out the door. Robbins raised to $90,000 and Franklin reraised him to $200,000 from the small blind. Robbins smooth-called and the flop came down 8
5
5
. Franklin led out for $210,000 and Robbins took a few moments before announcing he was all in. Franklin instantly called, showing pocket queens, but he was behind to Robbins' pocket aces. Franklin needed to catch a queen to stay alive, but the turn and river came K
and 10
, respectively, to send him to the rail in sixth place. For his efforts, the Gulfport, Mississippi, native, with more than $2.5 million in lifetime tournament winnings, took home $116,814.
Tim Frazin - Fifth Place
Franklin wouldn't be the only player to fall at the hands of Robbins. In a battle of the blinds situation, Robbins completed and Frazin checked his option. The flop came down J
6
3
and both players checked. The turn card was the 10
and Robbins checked again. Frazin shipped in his remaining $309,000, hoping to end the hand there, but he fell right into Robbins' trap, as he quickly called with pocket kings. Frazin's 8
7
had some outs with a gutshot-straight draw, but the river was the 6
, eliminating him in fifth place. The pizza maker from Texas earned $140,177 for his finish.
John Davidson - Fourth Place
Edler crippled Davidson to take the chip lead after fading a flush draw and a gutshot-straight draw. Soon thereafter, Davidson would get his remaining $35,000 in the pot against both Edler and Robbins, both of whom decided to check the board down. Edler showed a pair of fours and that was enough to bust out Davidson in fourth place, giving the satellite winner $163,540 for his performance.
Hank Sitton - Third Place
The action slowed down for the next 25 hands, but then a confrontation developed between Sitton and Robbins. On the 119th hand of final-table play, Robbins had the button and limped in for $80,000. Sitton raised from the small blind to $200,000 and Robbins made the call. The flop came A
K
J
and Sitton moved all in for his last $710,000. Robbins took his time and finally decided to call, showing the A
9
. Sitton showed his A
7
and there was a good chance that this would be a split pot. But the turn was low, bringing the 4
, and now Robbins needed to catch a deuce, 3, 5, 6, 8, or 9 for his kicker to play. The river was the 2
and Sitton walked off the stage as the third-place finisher, collecting $210,265
Heads Up - Bill Edler vs. David Robbins
The heads-up battle lasted 20 hands, with Edler showing most of the aggression and taking down many pots preflop. The penultimate hand came when Edler raised to $300,000 from the button. Robbins called and the flop came down A
10
2
. Both players checked to see the turn, which was the 6
. Edler bet $500,000 and Robbins moved all in. Edler called all in, showing the A
10
for top two pair. Robbins showed the A
7
and was drawing dead. The 10
on the river gave Edler an unnecessary full house and a dominating chip lead.
Robbins was crippled and down to $230,000, and decided to put it all in blind, even before the cards had been dealt. Edler called, showing the A
9
, and Robbins turned over the Q
7
. The board came 8
4
4
J
A
to give Edler the victory and cap off the greatest comeback in
WPT history.
Robbins turned a $500 satellite into a second-place finish that netted him $411,185 and the respect of his peers. "David played great. He must think we are all fools to believe that he has only been playing for a year. If that's true, then we are all in trouble," said Edler.
Edler earned his first
WPT title, $747,615, and a $25,000 seat in the
WPT Championship at Bellagio. In addition, his victory gave him 1,248 points in the 2007
Card Player Player of the Year standings, moving him into second place, just 714 points behind current leader David Pham.
"I got extremely lucky," said Edler. "All tournament long, whenever I needed a hand, I got one. I guess that was just enough to pull it out."
Revival of the Renaissance in Biloxi, Mississippi
By Ryan Lucchesi
Before Aug. 29, 2005, the town of Biloxi, Mississippi, was experiencing a renaissance.
After Harrison County, Mississippi, the county in which Biloxi sits, legalized casinos in 1990 (the first casinos in Biloxi opened in 1992), the number of visitors to this city boomed tenfold. Nearly 10 million people a year visit, and Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway estimates that more than a third of the city's revenue is generated from gaming, revenue that the city has used for investments in schools, education, and infrastructure. Biloxi, a city that had not commissioned a new school since 1960, has since built four since 1990.
With more than 10 casinos, Biloxi jumped to the third-largest gaming destination in the nation, trailing only Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The $800 million Beau Rivage, a casino owned by MGM/Mirage, was one of the casinos that played a large part in the success story. When the resort opened in 1999, it was the single-largest investment in the state of Mississippi's history.
Enter Hurricane Katrina. The storm caused more than $81 billion in damage and claimed more than 1,800 lives. Everyone witnessed its destruction, most of us through the media, but unfortunately for most Biloxi residents, they witnessed Katrina with their own eyes. It is hard to walk around the streets of Biloxi, even two years after the storm, and not happen upon a conversation with a local person that doesn't turn to the topic of the storm. Katrina has become their antagonist, their darkest hour, their rallying cry.
Total Destruction
When the storm hit, everything in Biloxi changed. More than 6,000 of 25,000 structures in the city were destroyed. The hardest hit area was Point Cadet, where many of the casinos were located and many were decimated. The 24-foot storm surge enveloped the Beau Rivage. Although the superstructure of the mega resort held, it was destroyed. Every one of its 4,000 employees was out of a job.
One of those employees was Dominick Gaeta, who is the assistant director of food and beverage at the resort. Gaeta was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He drove an hour and 10 minutes each way to work at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi. His house is located in St. Bernard Parish, one of the hardest hit during the storm. His home was left in 5 feet of standing water for more than two weeks after the storm. To make matters worse, oil tanks ruptured in the parish near his home, which polluted the flooded water.
"I had everything taken away from me … the American dream, the house, the car, the boat, just when everything's paid for … then everything's totaled," said Gaeta. He wasn't alone. Countless others were forced to board up their homes and evacuate. He chose to move in with a close friend in Bossier City, Louisiana, five hours north of New Orleans.
Helping Hands
The storm devastated the Gulf Coast. Fortunately, the gaming industry was able to help the community get back on its feet, both in the initial emergency relief effort and with long-term community rebuilding. It was now time for rebirth and recovery. Many casinos, including the Beau Rivage, aided the community in doing just that.
The immediate need was for the simple survival items. Food, water, and toiletries were in high demand. "The casinos, right after the storm … I mean, they gave food from their freezers, they gave truckloads full to the city," said Mayor Holloway. The Beau Rivage was one of those casinos. "We basically set up a recovery center," said Mary Cracchiolo, public relations director at the Beau Rivage. A Red Cross Resource Center was established on the premises, as well, after a partnership with the Red Cross was formed.
Beau Rivage helped its employees recover, as well. Full salaries were paid for three months after the storm, and all employees were guaranteed their jobs back when the property reopened. Out-of-state health insurance costs were waived, and employees were given jobs during the interim at other MGM/Mirage properties around the country. Many of the employees of MGM/Mirage from around the country helped their co-workers on the Gulf Coast, as well. After the company deposited $1 million of seed money into a relief account, employees were encouraged to donate, with the stipulation of a dollar-for-dollar match from the company. In the end, $4.1 million was raised.
Quick Rebuild
The decision to rebuild in Biloxi was almost as instantaneous as the initial relief efforts. For example, an aggressive timetable was established to rebuild and reopen the Beau Rivage in one year. That meant four months for cleanup and eight months to rebuild. On average, a hotel project the size of the Beau Rivage takes 18 months. More than $550 million was invested into reopening the hotel, and it came back bigger and better on the one-year anniversary of the storm. "This is like getting a second chance to make a first impression," said Cracchiolo. "Because we're the largest employer, and we put 4,000 employees back to work, we're putting 4,000 families back on their feet."
The town was battered and beaten, and even today is still recovering. But the casino industry has given the community a huge financial boost. "I don't know where we would be without the casinos. I think we would be in really, really bad shape," said Mayor Holloway. Everyone knew that the casinos were the lifeblood of the town, from longtime business owners to brand-new residents.
Today, the casino industry is not only back, but it's going to be bigger and, perhaps, better than ever in a few year's time. This is a result of new legislation that made it legal for casinos, which before had to be built on barges, to now be built 800 feet inland. Katrina swept many such barges from their moorings and deposited them far from their original embankments. "If the trend continues as it's going now, we will do over a billion dollars in gross revenue, just in the city of Biloxi," said Mayor Holloway of the new casino industry. "I'm predicting in 10 to 15 years that you're gonna see anywhere from 18 to 22 casinos in Biloxi." If the mayor's prediction holds true, Biloxi will be the second-largest gaming destination in United States.
As the town looks to the future, it also knows that some things will never be the same, that some of the scars will never be forgotten. Dominick still has no idea what to do with his home in St. Bernard Parish. So, he holds on to the property in hope of one day selling it after the value depreciated by three-fourths after the storm. "It's a challenge every day," said Dominick, who was back working at Beau Rivage as soon as it reopened. Hard times breed resiliency among the strong-willed, and like any tragedy, Katrina brought out the best and worst of human nature. The looting that took place after the storm is one example. And the local newspapers on the Gulf Coast still report about insurance fraud prosecutions stemming from Katrina. But, the storm also brought a community together and showed how big business can help a small town get back on its feet. "One positive for sure was the humanity that came to the forefront. So many people, out of heart, out of soul, just stepped up and helped everyone," said Gaeta, sitting in a back office at the Beau Rivage two years removed from the storm. "You talk about the best in people; it actually got better than the best in people."
