With a bracelet to his name and career earnings fast approaching the $2.5 million mark, John Gale is perhaps European poker's biggest asset, his loose aggressive game garnering him result after result after result.And this week was no different as he added another $443,096 to the Gale kitty with a third place finish in the latest WPT $10,000 Event in Borgata.
Attracting a highly respectable field of 571, the $5,529,000 prizepool meant that there were plenty of spondoolies up for grabs, including a massive $1.6 million for the eventual winner.
But with Gale just one of those 571 vying for the big bucks, he had to be in tiptop form, especially considering the strength of the field. A star-studded event as per usual, anybody who is anybody in the world of poker was present. Erick Lindgren, Andy Black, Men the Master, Scotty Nguyen, Barry Greenstein, Ted Forrest, Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel – you name them, they were there, the list was truly endless.
Even 2006 WSOP Main Event winner, Jamie Gold, was present, fresh off his recent departure from former sponsors Bodog. Although second chip leader after Day 1, Gold couldn’t repeat his display from August, finally succumbing to eventual finalist, Michael Sukonik, when his A-8 failed to outdraw his opponent’s Pocket Knaves.
As we approached the money, a few big names in John Pham, Chip Jett (right), Victor Ramdin and Amir Vahedi were still plugging away, but whilst the latter of those four snapped up the bubble, the other three soon joined him on the rail. In fact, possibly the most familiar name to reach the latter stages was the ever consistent Padraig Parkinson, his 14th place finish being enough to earn the Irishman $55,387.But fear not, as John Gale remained in tact, and as he fought his way onto the final table, the Day 5 chip counts were as follows:
Joe Simmons -- $5,500,000
John Gale -- $4,830,000
John Hennigan -- $3,255,000
Chuck Kelley -- $1,630,000
Michael Sukonik -- $1,305,000
John James -- $535,000
After 30 minutes of play, the shortstack took 6th spot when Gale called his all-in re-raise (130k plus 410k more) with J-8, outdrawing K-Q when a cruel 8 hit the Flop.
Soon after, Sukonik followed suit, this time at the hands of Hennigan whose T-9 outdid his opponent's Pocket Eights.
Then Hennigan’s rich vain of form continued as he saw off Simmons in 4th, check raising on a Kc 9c 3d with 4c 3c, only to be called by K-J. A club on the River sealed victory for the two time bracelet winner.
Next it was the turn of the Englishman, once again at the hands of Hennigan – all-in on an Ace high Flop, Gale found himself outkicked, his A-6 no match for the American’s A-9. Out in third but yet another six figure score to add to his ever increasing record of successes.
And then, with just the two warriors remaining, Hennigan (left) took out his fourth man in a row in rather bizarre circumstances. With Kelley raising pre-flop and betting both the Flop and Turn on a 7-3-3-A board, he then revealed his hand (Q-7) and was subsequently informed that his cards were live, but could no longer raise. River came another 3, and Hennigan, in an interesting situation with his A-5, opted to move all-in, a decision that was justified when Kelley called with his inferior full house.And so, we had another WPT winner in John Hennigan. Quiet and reserved, the successful pro from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, can perhaps be pooled into the same group as Allen Cunningham and Lee Watkinson as one of poker’s most underrated characters.
Perhaps now, people will take note and realise that, like our own John Gale, he is one of the great players of the modern game.