Teacher cashes in at World Series of Poker

    WASILLA -- Palmer's Brandon Blake claimed $71,454 for first place at a World Series of Poker circuit tournament event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Sunday.

    Blake, a physical education teacher at Palmer High School, bested 507 other players to win the two-day, no-limit Texas hold ‘em event, which had a $500 buy-in.

    “It was an incredible feeling,” Blake said Tuesday.

Blake’s previous best tournament finish in Las Vegas was a 22nd-place performance at a 2006 World Series of Poker $1,000 buy-in hold ‘em event that earned him an $11,701 payday.

    For winning the circuit event, the former PHS boys’ varsity basketball coach also received a diamond ring to commemorate his victory. Though not one of the coveted WSOP bracelets given out during regular WSOP events, Blake said he’s plenty happy to have the ring on his finger.

    “It’s not a World Series bracelet event, but it’s still a World Series event,” he said.

    Blake is a longtime poker player who said he hones his game in charity poker events run by the Alaska Poker Association or by making a couple trips to Vegas each year. Although he said he was confident heading into the weekend, beating such a large field is no easy matter.

    “I wouldn’t call it a crap shoot, but you’ve gotta get lucky a time or two,” he said.

    But it’s not just luck. Blake said poker is a game of skill that has required years of patience and practice for him to master.

    “I’ve put a lot of time and effort into the game, and feel like I definitely have an opportunity based on the time I’ve put in,” he said.

    Blake was among 19 players to survive into the tournament’s second day Sunday, and he arrived at the final table as one of the smaller stacks. But in no-limit hold ‘em, players can push all their chips into the middle of the table at any time, meaning big swings are possible.

    After sitting back and watching other players go out ahead of him, Blake was able to “double up” a couple times at the final table, eventually ending up head-to-head with retired bricklayer Anthony “Big Boy” Romanelli of Valley Stream, NY.

    With a slight chip lead over Romanelli, Blake looked down and saw an ace and a 10.

    In no limit hold ‘em, players are dealt two “hole” cards which remain unseen by the other players. After the first round of betting, three “flop” cards are dealt on the board, after which follows a second round of betting. Then a “turn” card comes, with another round of betting, followed by the fifth and final “river” card -- and a final round of betting. Players use their two cards, as well as the five on the board, to make the best possible five-card combination.

    With only two players in the game (”heads-up”), Blake said ace-10 is typically a very good starting hand.

    “Heads-up that’s a huge hand,” he said.

    At this point in the tournament, each player had more than 700,000 chips each. After the cards were dealt, Blake said Romanelli raised the minimum amount, 80,000 chips. Figuring he likely had the best hand, Blake re-raised by 150,000 chips. Romanelli called the bet.

    The flop cards came eight-10-jack, meaning Blake had a pair of 10’s. Romanelli checked -- meaning he declined to bet -- and Blake pushed his remaining 590,000 chips “all-in.”

    Romanelli called, flipping up his hand to reveal an ace and a nine.

    Although Blake’s pair of 10’s was the better hand, Romanelli had a possible straight, with an eight, nine, 10 and jack.

    “I had to sweat the queen or the seven,” Blake said.

    The turn card was a four, and when a harmless five came on the river, Blake found himself holding all the chips.

    “The only way I can explain it is it’s like winning a championship,” he said.

    With the big win, Blake said he can now afford to play more WSOP events, and said he’s already planning a return trip to Vegas.

    “I’ll definitely head back down to the World Series in June,” he said. “Obviously, that chunk of change is going to help my bankroll.”

    Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com