On Tuesday night, ESPN aired the final two episodes of the 2014 World Series of Poker Big One for ONE DROP tournament.
The $1 million buy-in tournament started with 42 players and a $4,666,662 prize pool, and the last nine players were prepared to play for that money. Only eight would be paid, however.
Episode 5: Bubble Bursts, All but Three are Cursed
It all begins with an introduction of some of the players, with Daniel Colman already pointed out as the player “who doesn’t like the media,” while Daniel Negreanu is labeled as poker’s “golden boy.”
Tom Hall didn’t take long to move all-in with pocket tens for his 7.7 million-chip stack, and Negreanu moved all-in over the top with A-Q. That isolated the two players, and the board of J-A-5-4-2 eliminated Hall in tenth place on the bubble.
The rest of the table was then set to play in the money with these chip stacks:
Seat 1: Cary Katz – 7,850,000
Seat 2: Rick Salomon – 24,600,000
Seat 3: Christoph Vogelsang – 7,300,000
Seat 4: Daniel Colman – 20,850,000
Seat 5: Tobias Reinkemeier – 22,450,000
Seat 6: Daniel Negreanu – 29,600,000
Seat 7: Paul Newey – 3,375,000
Seat 8: Scott Seiver – 9,975,000
Paul Newey moved all-in with his short stack and A-J. Original raiser Negreanu called with K-9 and called the other 2.1 million chips. The board allowed the ace-high hand to hold for Newey to double.
He moved all-in again then with pocket nines against the A-K of original raiser Reinkemeier, and the latter called. The board allowed the nines to hold for yet another double-up for Newey.
Bustout alert: Katz shoved with pocket eights against the jacks of Negreanu, and the best hand held to eliminate Katz in eighth place for $1,306,667.
The build-up of Negreanu then began. He spoke to the cameras about being a poker ambassador, discussing integrity and longevity in the game. He believes he will continue to be a person always trying to better the lives of those around him.
Seiver raised with K-T and Reinkemeier just called with pocket aces. Seiver eventually moved all-in on the 4-Q-2-J board, and the two talked through the possibilities for Reinkemeier. Negreanu finally called the clock after nearly 10 minutes, and Reinkemeier folded. Both players were stunned by the other’s action.
Vogelsang then scored a double-up through Salomon with A-7 on an A-7-7-9-5 board against 8-7. That put Salomon in seventh place of the eight players and Vogelsang into the chip lead.
Reinkemeier risked his stack with A-J, and Newey called with K-Q. The inconsequential board gave Reinkemeier the double-up.
Bustout alert: Newey had little more than one million chips remaining and pushed with A-J. Seiver called with T-8, as did Salomon with A-4 of hearts. The 2-7-K flop with two hearts prompted a bet from Salomon and fold from Seiver. The queen of hearts came on the turn to eliminate Newey in seventh place for $1,418,667.
Colman raised with aces, and Reinkemeier followed up with an all-in reraise holding pocket fives and 17.05 million chips. Colman snap-called for his tournament life and doubled up, leaving Reinkemeier with less than two big blinds.
Bustout alert: Reinkemeier folded the button on the next hand, Negreanu got involved with J-3, and Seiver did with T-5 of diamonds. The flop brought two diamonds with 9-J-T, and Seiver bet. Negreanu moved all-in, and Seiver called all-in. No diamond came, however, and Seiver exited in sixth place for $1,680,000.
A few words were interjected about Colman after he won a hand. While categorized as a “legend” in heads-up poker per results and opinions of his peers, one of the bullet points next to his name read: “Has refused to speak to media during Big One.”
Bustout alert: Negreanu raised with Q-T of diamonds, Vogelsang called with A-T from the button, and Reinkemeier called all-in without looking at his cards in the big blind. The flop of 7-9-8 was all diamonds, and Negreanu bet. Vogelsang folded, and Reinkemeier looked down at J-8 of spades. Nothing changed, and Reinkemeier busted in fifth place for $2,053,334.
Bustout alert: Salomon then pushed his 12.9 million chips all-in with pocket eights, and Colman called with A-T. The board of T-3-T-7-Q eliminated Salomon in fourth place with $2.8 million.
The final three players lined up as follows:
Daniel Negreanu – 52,000,000
Daniel Colman – 49,250,000
Christoph Vogelsang – 24,750,000
Episode 6 (Final): Tale of Two Daniels a.k.a. Good Versus Bad
Negreanu started the action by extending his lead, but Colman took a big pot to take over.
The takedown of Colman then began by mentioning for the second time in five minutes that Colman didn’t want to talk to the media. But he did talk to ESPN about the charitable component of the tournament.
A clip showed Colman talking about the ability to raise more than $5 million from this event to provide clean water to people around the world. But when Norman Chad resumed commentary, he immediately mentioned that Colman has “ambivalent feelings” about taking money from people in poker.
As poker continued, Vogelsang pushed all-in with K-J for his last 8.9 million chips, and original raiser Negreanu called with K-T, and the board of Q-A-8-5-5 allowed them to chop the pot. Vogelsang then lost a pot worth nearly 10.5 million chips to Colman, though, which left the former with a dangerously short stack.
Bustout alert: Vogelsang risked those chips with A-4 of spades, and original raiser Colman called with K-Q. Negreanu also called with pocket fives. The 2-6-8-6-4 board prompted checks from both Daniels, and Negreanu took the pot. Vogelsang busted in third place with $4,480,001 to show for it.
Heads-up play began with Colman holding 68.55 million chips to the 57.45 million of Negreanu.
The focus on Negreanu continued with the importance of making time to talk to fans and help people from the platform that poker provides. He said that he feels like a role model for newer and younger poker players.
Back on the table, Negreanu nearly evened the stacks and then got involved with K-T versus the Q-J of Colman. The board of J-A-A-9-Q gave Negreanu a straight, but Colman bet into it with two pair on the river. The pot was at 35.4 million after Negreanu raised, and Colman correctly called Negreanu’s hand before folding. Negreanu then had 73.45 million chips and the lead.
The commentary then returned to Colman refusing to speak to the media. Clips began from poker’s “media-savvy pros” on the topic, where they opined that doing interviews with the media is a gracious thing to do, as well as an opportunity to discuss the benefits of poker. Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Maria Ho, and Jay Farber extolled the positives of being media-friendly.
Norman Chad added to the segment by saying that refusing to speak to the media “isn’t the end of the world” but then compared him to Howard Hughes. Lon McEachern brought some balance to the conversation by saying that Colman is only 23 years old and trying to figure out who he is and what he stands for.
The two players at the table exchanged the lead back and forth amidst friendly banter. But a big pot developed with Colman holding A-4 and Negreanu with K-Q. The board of 4-8-J-A-4 gave Colman a full house, and he was able to scoop a 60.4 million-chip pot after inducing a call from Negreanu.
Colman then limped with J-T of clubs, Negreanu raised with A-6, and Colman called. The flop came 6-J-9, and Colman bet. Negreanu check-called. The eight on the turn prompted the same action from Colman, and Negreanu folded.
Bustout alert: Negreanu then limped with A-4, and Colman raised it up with K-Q. Negreanu moved all-in, and Colman snap-called. The flop of J-A-4 gave Negreanu two pair but Colman the straight draw, and the ten on the turn delivered the straight for Colman. The river was a seven. Negreanu took second place for $8,288,001.
McEachern noted that Colman played “masterfully” in the heads-up battle on his way to becoming the 2014 Big One for ONE DROP champion. Chad had to get in one last jab about Colman being ambivalent about poker.
Even so, Colman DID speak to Kara Scott at the end of the tournament to say, “I think it’s really great what we were able raise for charity, going to a pretty worthwhile cause to bring water to parts of the world that just don’t have that.”
Colman won $15,306,668 for his ONE DROP victory.
