The $8million Dollar Bluff Runs Into Eights

(Photo: Kingspokernews.com)

Main Event history is full of amazing bluffs – and some not so amazing, as those who remember JP Kelly’s 2011 king-high triple barrelinto Kenny Shih’s flopped quad queens – and last night saw another one to add to the annals as Vojtech Ruzicka’s bracelet hopes ended amid a barrage of eights!

(Photo: Cardplayer.com)

Those who read my ‘final table sweat’ from last night will know that the Czech pro had played brilliantly on day 1 at the Penn and Teller Theater in Vegas’ Rio casino, hauling himself up from 6th place to a temporary chip lead, and finally ended the day in 3rd spot out of 5 returning to battle it out for the $8million and the winner’s golden bracelet.

Day two, however, saw the King’s Casino man hit the rails only 8 hands into play, despite winning the first two hands of the evening and taking over 2nd spot with 73million chips, equal to 73BB.

So what went wrong for the 30-year old from Liberec?

The first signs of trouble appeared in hand number 5, Ruzicka raising to 2.5million under the gun with A♣ 10♣ and finding Cliff ‘JohnnyBax’ Josephy coming along for the ride on the button with pocket 8’s.

The flop of Q♣ 8♠ 4♣ saw Ruzicka continue for 3.75 million, and once again Josephy called. The 3♦ turn didn’t slow the Czech down, an 8.95million bet once more getting a call from the older man and his flopped set, but when Ruzicka checked the 7♦ river it was Josephy’s turn to ramp up the heat – a 22million river bet forcing the Czech man to give up on the hand.

♥ ♣ ♦ ♠

Down to 58BB shouldn’t have been a problem, but just 2 hands later Ruzicka imploded – and in style. His small blind re-raise of Vayo’s 2.3 million button bet was fine – his A♠ K♦ expecting to be best much more often than not against a normal steal, but this time it was Vayo who had the 8’s, and when the flop came Q♣ 8♦ 3♣ Ruzicka set himself up for his fall from grace with more aggression.

Just over 6million from the Czech saw Vayo flat-call and the turn of 7♥ didn’t change much, Ruzicka once again leading out – this time for 11.5million.

With the pot at over 50million chips, and a river card 5♠, the one-time chip-leader and my own bet to win the event couldn’t stop himself from triple-barrel bluffing – a 27.85million bet getting a quick call from Vayo with his flopped set of eights. The deed was done and Ruzicka’s Main Event dreams were shattered – not even a paltry 1BB left in front of him.

"And Ruzicka with the bigger stack is going to be left with crumbs as Vayo shows another set of 8’s,” was Lon McEachern’s spiel in the commentary booth as the Czech turned to his rail in despair. “A stunning mis-step from Vojtech Ruzicka.”

And there was to be no ‘chip and a chair’ comeback, as his all-in on the very next hand with A♦ 7♠ coming up against Nguyen’s A♥ Q♥, and despite a short sweat on a straight draw, the river bricked and Vojtech Ruzicka hit the rails - eliminated in 5th place for a whopping $1,935,288, but it could have been so, so much better for the talented pro.

The online forums watching the play unfold could barely believe their eyes, a mixture of omg’s, horror at the bluff and praise for the Czech in equal measure.

“Ruzicka just showed so much heart, blocked ak aq and only gets snapped by 88. Unfortunate, takes a lot of heart,” was Little Goliath’s summation on 2+2, while Doug Polk tweeted…

It makes you appreciate the true level of variance in the WSOP main event. 9 days of playing poker and then 2 hands and you are GG #WSOP2016

— gN Doug Polk (DougPolkPoker) November 1, 2016

…defending Ruzicka’s play where others saw a blow-up of epic proportions.

Back on 2+2 namisgr posted: "The line separating genius and insanity has always been a fine one,” and had Ruzicka’s bluff worked he would have been hailed as the latter and likely on his way to a top 3 finish with a massive chip-stack.

When questioned straight after his exit by Kara Scott, the Czech explained ruefully but still smiling:

"I tried to play the hand right and it didn’t work - Gordon did a great job to trick me, and that’s it. It was an amazing experience,” Ruzicka explained of his remarkable Main Event journey from the King’s Casino in Rozvadov to the Rio in Vegas. “It’s a lot of money, I met many new people which I would never have met without getting there, so…I’m very grateful to be here but right now it hurts, but yeah…I will be even stronger next year!”