Joe Cada has taken the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event Bracelet, finally raining victor in a battle that began in July of this year. Joe Cada found himself seated across from Darvin Moon in the Penn and Teller Theatre in Las Vegas Nevada when Heads up play began Monday night at 10:00 P.M.
The tournament started when Vince Neil of Motley Crue was brought into the Las Vegas Rio by two beautiful Vegas showgirls, where he first thanked all of the players that raised monies in a recent charity tournament Vince Neil’s 5th Annual Off The Strip Poker Tournament.
Vince Neil then kicked off the Heads up portion of the WSOP Main Event ‘singing’ Shuffle up Deal!
Cada was in the lead from the get go. Moon began final table play in the lead, but enjoyed a helluva roller coaster ride which involved taking players like Phil Ivey out of the WSOP, generally with the second best hand preflop.
Moon gambled, and he won, until he gambled and lost. Ending the first day of play second in chips, with a slue of new stories to tell his grandchildren, and roughly the same chipstack he showed up with.
The line at the door was more than 200 yards long, as spectators tried to get inside to watch the heads up action.
Anything Can Happen – Said Joe Cada, who plans to play a small ball heads up poker strategy tonight.
Cada, a 21 year old online poker player started heads up play with 136,925,000 in poker chips, wheras Moon began with 58,875,000 in WSOP tournament chips.
The deck started out cold as ice, when Moon was dealt a couple of pretty ladies. Cada showed up preflop with a couple of 9’s, and the trips were pretty much evened up.
Before the tournament, ‘Cada the internet kid’ was clearly the favorite. He mentioned a low ball strategy, and he seemed pretty confident that there wasn’t even really a contest here. On his way in he did say that anything can happen, which many took to mean, he was the better player, but… sometimes bad beats do happen.
However, we really saw some tricky play from Darvin Moon. He played just like a playground bully that found himself a little punk kid to pick on.
Cada began heads up play consistently opening with 2.5 million on the button. Moon began heads up play consistently stealing Cada’s preflop raises.
An hour later, Cada’s puttin’ money in, Moon appears to be whippin’ him like a red headed step child and takin’ the money.
70 hands in, Cada’s got 1/3 of the tournament chips. Moon’s callin’ raises, he’s making excellent reads, he’s pushing back after the flop.
When Moon raises, if he misses, the pot gets checked down, Cada makes no effort to steal.
The 70th hand was a big one..
Cada raises, moon reraises, Cada shoves, moon sits back, he asks for a count, and he.. rubs his belly while he waits for the count.
You might say, Moon looked like he was about to eat him a poker opponent for dinner. He stood up, which according to Phil Laak who was watching the game with the folks from Ultimate Bet and Bluff Magazine, makes him 8% more likely to call.
Moon lays it down.
Players on Twitter wonder if Moon was perhaps standing to see Cada’s reaction, others kibitz that perhaps Cada’s waiting for a spot, setting a big fat trap.
Moon re-raises Cada’s 3 million bet after a 10c-5d-9h flop and 10d turn…Cada thinking.. the clock ticking.. three minutes go by..
The bet was called.
The turn is another 10.
Cada makes a big bet. Moon insta shoves. All of his chips, with a 2/3 chip lead into the pot.
Cada really struggles.
Three minutes go buy.
Cada finally makes the call!
Moon opens up his hand showing nothing but an open ended straight draw. He needs a jack or a six to win the WSOP right now.
Cada shows second pair with Jack 9. He has to avoid those two straight cards to double up, and as luck would have it…. Cada was holding one of Moon’s outs, which he was sure to point out verbally.
The river is a brick, and Cada turns this game around.
Not ten hands later, in the 88th hand of the 2009 WSOP, Cada raises. Moon re-raises. Cada shoves his entire chip-stack towards the middle of the table. Moon makes the call!
Cada shows a pair of 9’s. Moon has a couple of suited overcards!
Cada’s heart must have been beating! The flop was all small cards: 8c 2c 7s, no change. The turn’s a king of hearts, again no change, and the river a brick! The seven of clubs brought no help to Cada.
Cada became a 21 year old World Series of Poker Champion! Great for poker, terrible for education!
Earlier in the tournament:
Cada took out Antoine Saout in third place while Moon managed to take down three of the final table players. Phil Ivey was eliminated by Moon in seventh place, Steve Begleiter was eliminated in sixth and Eric Buchman was eliminated in fourth by Moon.
World Series of Poker Final Table Payouts
- $8 546 435
- $5 182 601
- $3 479 485
- $2 502 787
- $1 953 395
- $1 587 133
- $1 404 002
- $1 300 228
- $1 263 602
Congratulations to Joe Cada, who walked away with $8.5 million in cash. Darvin Moon, the second place finisher took home $5.2 million.
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