“Last Time I Checked Kings Are Better Than Tens”
Level 5: 500/1,000 (1,000)
Entries: 197/270
It was a bad run for Philip Pearson during his final two hands of his second bullet on Day 1b which led to him firing his third and final Day 1b bullet moments ago.
He first ran into a spot of bother against Pavle Pecelj. Pecelj bet 2,000 into a pot of around 40,000 with the 10♦2♦A♦4♥10♠ on the board after the turn. Pearson jacked it up to 12,000 and Pecelj tanked for a few minutes before he called.
Pearson tabled the 10♣8♣ for trips but was behind the entire way after Peclej tabled the Q♦6♦ for a flush to win the hand.
“I am never folding there,” Pecelj said to Pearson.
Pearson didn’t appear to believe him but the next hand went far worse against a player he was pretending to be to the media in Kevin Houghton, who we know quite well from all his visits to the Malta Poker Festival over the years.
Houghton opened for 2,800 with tens. Pearson jacked it up to 7,000 with kings and Houghton called. Houghton checked the nine-seven-deuce rainbow flop. Pearson bet 5,000 before Houghton jammed for more than the 40,000 Pearson still had in his stack.
Pearson called and was in amazing shape. But fate was not on his side as Houghton hit his two outer with a ten coming on the turn and eliminated Pearson after a blank river.
“As far as I know, kings are better than tens,” Pearson said with a smile while reliving the hand.
“Preflop, yes,” responded Houghton.
The two players obviously have battled before and Pearson held no hard feelings about his horrific bad beat delivered by Houghton.
Kevin Houghton – 200,000
Pavle Pecelj – 100,000
Philip Pearson – 50,000
