Event #1 at WSOP Council Bluffs

Brent Glantz

"Hey Buz!  Instead of going on break, I need you to push into Table 19.  It's that final table up front."

Event #1, a $350 buy-in tournament that began the day before with 355 entrants and a total prize pool of $103,305 had worked its way down to the final two players, Brent Glantz and Michael Nellis.  The table was set up at the front of the Horseshoe's Whiskey Roadhouse which is normally a bar and restaurant but now our WSOP Circuit Tournament venue.  The table is set up for live streaming video with one camera on the cards and another viewing a wide shot of the players at the table.

I dealt for about a half an hour pushing small pots back and forth when Brent broke through and won a sizable pot from Michael.  The very next hand Brent raised and Michael re-raised all in.  After a long deliberation, Brent called the bet.  Michael showed Ace-Queen off suit and Brent tabled a 9-8 suited in diamonds.  I put out the flop.  A Queen in the door had Michael screaming, "Yes! Yes!"  But then he realized that the next two cards were a nine and another  nine.  "Nooooo.." he groaned.  The Turn and River cards did not produce the Queen Michael was begging for and Brent captured the title with his Three-of-a-kind Nines.

For his excellent play and good luck, Brent received $23,764 and the champion's solid gold WSOP ring provided by the WSOP sponsors.

While this was not my first final table, I dealt finals before at the WSOP and at several circuit events, this was the first time I had ever dealt the absolute final hand of a major tournament ring event or bracelet event.