Full Tilt Poker pro Gavin Smith was the executioner of “Face the Ace” contestant Don Topel on Saturday night in the $1 million match; Topel walked away with nothing. The NBC poker show returns on September 12th.
A spoiler posted on Poker News Daily last week stated that Topel picked the door marked with the ace of clubs, which turned out to be Gavin Smith. Sure enough, Topel selected the ace of clubs and the World Poker Tour (WPT) Player of the Year during Season 4 strolled out. On his opponent for the monumental $1 million match, Topel commented, “I like Gavin. I like the way he plays. We’re one in the same. I’m expecting a tough match.” Blinds began at 2,000-4,000, with Topel and Smith starting with stacks of 500,000.
Smaller pots between Smith and Topel characterized play in the early going. In one hand, Topel picked up pocket queens and raised to 30,000. Smith looked down at Q-10 and made the call. The flop came 10-8-K and the action went check-check. An ace hit the turn, a scare card for Topel’s queens, and the action once again went check-check. The river was a seven. Smith led out for 35,000 and Topel remarked that he thought the Full Tilt pro had a pair of 10s and made the call. “Face the Ace” commentator Ali Nejad called the move “a great read and a terrific play.”
Topel folded 2-9 pre-flop in a hand where Smith held pocket kings to avoid disaster. However, the Canadian sensation made his stand shortly thereafter. Topel picked up Q-9 pre-flop and called, while Smith checked his option with Q-10. The flop came 5-Q-10, giving Smith top two pair and the challenger top pair. Smith checked, Topel bet 15,000, Smith put in a check-raise to 43,000, and Topel called. The turn was a three, leaving Topel drawing dead. Smith led out for 86,000 and Topel quickly released his hand. Smith asked whether Topel wanted to see one or both of his cards and flipped up the winning hand.
An segue to commercial called Smith a “dream crusher,” a title he held true to after putting Topel all-in with A-6 against K-5. Nejad came to the table to explain the situation as “Face the Ace” host and former “Sopranos” star Steve Schirripa watched intently. The flop came A-3-4, leaving Smith as an 82% favorite to win the hand. A nine on the turn and four on the river didn’t change the situation and Topel departed with nothing. On his opponent, Smith commented, “I think he played great. I got hit on the head with the deck. I wouldn’t miss. If you always have the best hand, it’s hard to lose.” Topel defeated Erick Lindgren and Howard Lederer last week to set up Saturday’s match against Smith.
Marcia Owens was the third contestant to take to the felts on “Face the Ace.” An ER nurse from Troy, Illinois who played poker live and online, Owens selected the ace of diamonds, Gus Hansen. By the way, Hansen was voted one of People Magazine’s sexiest men of the year in 2004, something new I learned today. In the defining moment of the $40,000 match, the overly star-struck contestant put in min-raise with A-10 against Hansen’s pocket tens pre-flop. The flop came 3-3-10 and the action went check-check. The turn came a six and Owens bet 4,000. Hansen made the call with a boat and the river was an ace, improving Owens to aces-up. Owens bet 4,000, Hansen made it 10,000, and Owens called, leaving herself with just three big blinds.
After a double-up with A-8 against Hansen’s pocket fives, Owens was all-in with Q-8 against Hansen’s A-4. The flop came K-6-6, leaving Owens calling for a queen or an eight. However, the turn and river fell a nine and six, respectively, giving the $40,000 match to “The Great Dane.”
“Face the Ace” will now take a one month hiatus, returning to fill an afternoon timeslot on September 12th at 2:00pm ET. Here’s a look at the remaining schedule for NBC’s “Face the Ace”:
September 12th, 2009 – 2:00pm ET
October 31st, 2009 – 3:30pm ET
November 14th, 2009 – 3:00pm ET
December 12th, 2009 – 3:00pm ET
January 2nd, 2010 – 2:30pm ET