PokerStars Team Pro Bertrand Grospellier, better known in the online realm as “Elky”, has ripped through the live poker circuit in 2008. Grospellier began the year with a victory in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure EPT Main Event for $2 million and has followed it up with several massive scores all over the world.
His most recent feat came at the WPT Festa al Lago tournament in Las Vegas at the end of October. “Elky” entered the final table as the chip leader and knocked out all five players, including Nenad Medic, Adam “Roothlus” Levy and Nam Le, en route to his first WPT title and a payday of $1,411,015. Grospellier beat Le heads up when his pocket tens outraced Le’s Ace-Queen.
While that proved to be the dagger, it was a hand that Grospellier played on Day 4 of Festa al Lago that gained the most attention from poker enthusiasts. With 26 players remaining, Grospellier got involved in a pot with well-respected online player Joe “ender555” Ebanks that would land him the chip lead.
“(This) is the hand that, in hindsight, I’m the most proud of,” said Grospellier. “Not only did it enable me to win a lot of chips at a critical stage of the tournament, but I also think it may simply be the best hand I’ve ever played, to date.”
Grospellier shared his thoughts on the hand with Poker News Daily. Here’s how it all played out:
Blinds: 5,000/10,000/1,000 ante
Action folds around to Joe Ebanks on the button and he puts in a raise to 26,000. Oddie Dardon calls from the small blind and Bertrand Grospellier calls from the big blind with 7s 6c.
Grospellier: I started the day 5th in chips with 1.15 million. At the time of this hand, I have around 1.05 million. Everyone folds to the player on the button, who has a stack of approximately 600,000, and raises to 26,000. The small blind calls, which makes it an easy call for me with the pot odds. The pot is now 77,000.
The flop brings Jc 7d 5d. Dardon and Grospellier check over to Ebanks, who bets 44,000. Dardon folds and Grospellier calls.
Grospellier: Because I played a lot with him the previous day, I know the player on the button is very aggressive, not afraid to 3-barrel on a bluff. The small blind checks and I check behind to the button, who makes it 44,000 to go. The small blind folds. Right then, I believe that I’m ahead with my pair of 7’s. However, due to the texture of the board, I think a check-raise in such a configuration with a marginal hand may be a dangerous move, potentially costly. Therefore, I flat call, in order to control the pot size.
The Qs falls on the turn and Grospellier checks again. Ebanks bets 90,000. Grospellier thinks for a moment and then decides on a check-raise to 255,000. Ebanks makes the call.
Grospellier: I check, and he bets 90,000. My read is that my opponent is on some kind of a draw. Indeed, I don’t think there are too many hands with which he could lead out twice. I believe he would likely check a medium pair like TT or 88, or Jx. Of course, he may also have QJ, AQ, KK, AA, or a flopped set. But my gut feeling is that my read is right, that his double-barrel means he’s on a draw. I decide to check-raise to 255,000, which would leave him with 300,000 should he call. By check-raising the turn after check-calling the flop, I am representing a very strong hand. Such a check-raise should be sufficient to make my opponent fold a semi-bluff, even a medium-strong made hand. He thinks for a long time, and finally calls. This confirms my hypothesis that he is drawing. Indeed, given the size of the pot at this point and the many possible draws, my opponent’s only move to protect a made hand would be to shove. My plan is now to check-call any river that will not connect the board.
The river brings the 2s and Grospellier checks over to Ebanks for the third time. Ebanks moves all in for his last 300,000. Grospellier calls instantly.
Ebanks shows King-Ten for king high while Elky flips over 7s 6c for a pair of sevens.
Grospellier: The best possible card to implement my plan! I check and he shoves very quickly. I snap-call. He turns over King-Ten for a busted straight draw, and the entire table is stunned to see me show down 3rd pair to win such a big pot! This hand and the quality of my read gave me a ton of confidence for the rest of the tournament. Additionally, I gained a ton of respect and fear equity from my opponents, who thought twice about bluffing me for the rest of the day!
