On Thursday, UB.com pro Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin took down the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Los Angeles Bounty Shootout for $134,000. It marked Baldwin’s third live score of $100,000 or more of 2010 according to the Hendon Mob and he edged out a talented field of live and online poker pros.
The first elimination of the Bounty Shootout final table went to European Poker Tour (EPT) champ Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee, who was bumped in ninth place. MacPhee committed his chips with A-K and was well ahead of the K-7 belonging to Clint Coffee. However, Coffee spiked a seven on the flop and no help came on the turn or river for MacPhee, who picked up $20,000 for making the final table and $3,000 in bounties.
November Niner Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi exited in eighth place just moments after doubling up. He was all-in with pocket fives, but ran headlong into the pocket tens belonging to Justin Young. Neither player improved and Mizrachi fell short of the trophy once again. The Full Tilt Poker pro took fifth in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event earlier this month for $2.3 million.
Team PokerStars Canada pro Pat Pezzin hit the rail in seventh place after 3betting all-in before the flop with A-J. Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania made the call with pocket sixes and the race was on. Charania hit the jackpot on the flop, which came 6-8-8 for a boat, and Pezzin was drawing dead by the turn. Pezzin picked up $20,000 for making the final table of the NAPT LA Bounty Shootout and earned another $2,000 in bounties.
Coffee was eliminated in sixth place after his pocket sevens could not draw out on Young’s pocket tens and picked up a total of $23,000 for his run in the 81-player poker tournament. Thirty minutes later, NAPT Venetian Main Event winner Tom “Kingsofcards” Marchese was shown the door in fifth place. Marchese got his chips in with Q-7 on a flop of K-7-4 with two hearts for middle pair and was ahead of David Williams’ 9-3 of hearts for a flush draw. Marchese hit two pair on the turn when the queen of diamonds fell, but a heart on the river gave Williams a flush.
Charania was bumped after shoving pre-flop with A-7 of hearts and failing to draw out on the pocket tens of Williams. The reigning World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship winner flopped a set and Charania was quickly drawing dead. He picked up a total of $25,000, which included five $1,000 bounties.
Williams was shown the door in third place from the NAPT LA Bounty Shootout. He was all-in with A-Q and facing the pocket tens belonging to Young. However, the only card higher than a ten onboard was a king and that was all she wrote for the PokerStars pro. Young locked up the most number of bounties in the NAPT event at six and, as a result, received a seat in the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Bounty Shootout.
Baldwin doubled up early in heads-up play. On the final hand of the tournament, Young was all-in with A-Q and ran into Baldwin’s pocket kings. No suckout was in store and the UB.com pro was crowned the NAPT LA Bounty Shootout champion. Young took home $26,000 and a seat in the upcoming Bounty Shootout in the Bahamas, while Baldwin collected $134,000 for the win, $20,000 for making the final table, and $3,000 in bounties. Here’s how the final table cashed out in the winner-take-all event:
1. Eric Baldwin – $134,280 + $20,000 + $3,000 in bounties
2. Justin Young – $20,000 + $6,000 in bounties
3. David Williams – $20,000 + $4,000 in bounties
4. Mohsin Charania – $20,000 + $5,000 in bounties
5. Tom Marchese – $20,000 + $4,000 in bounties
6. Clint Coffee – $20,000 + $3,000 in bounties
7. Pat Pezzin – $20,000 + $2,000 in bounties
8. Michael Mizrachi – $20,000+ $4,000 in bounties
9. Kevin MacPhee – $20,000 + $3,000 in bounties