Analysis: The First Fifty Hands
At the first break in heads up play for the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event Championship, we’ve seen a bit over 50 hands and a ton of chips moved back and forth across the table.
The chip lead, which at the start of play was firmly in Cada’s possession, has shifted back and forther several times. Moon had in by about 30m or so at one point, and Cada took it back and opened up a 50m or so lead on Moon at one point before Moon surged to draw back to even.
For all of those swings, the first part of this match has been a really even battle and the chip count at the break – virtually a dead heat with Cada holding a 99m to 95m edge over Moon – reflects that. What’s the story of the match so far?
CADA’S NOT LOOKING TO CLOSE QUICK
Cada had more than a few spots where he strung together a few wins and seemed to have Moon reeling. However, each time, Cada took his foot off of the gas and allowed Moon some breathing room. That’s a surprise, although it’s likely a sign of respect for the fact that Moon has no trouble overshoving massive stacks into the pot, especially when he gets frustrated. That said, if Moon does win this, Cada is probably going to look back at a few of the streaks he had in teh first fifty hands and ask himself why he didn’t try to cripple Moon when he could.
MOON HAD A PLAN
Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, but either way it’s working out. Moon started by playing very pasisvely preflop, giving Cada lots of walks, limping some buttons and not three-betting Cada’s incessant button-raises. Around 35 or so hands in, that shifted and Moon suddenly started blasting Cada with three bets and taking more pots preflop. Moon balanced that preflop tightness with post-flop aggression, showing Cada a variety of looks, with leads, raises and check-raises in different spots with different sizing. When we see the cards, it may just end up that Moon got hit by the deck, but if not he deserves credit for putting together a heads up playbook and executing very well in the early stages.
THESE GUYS APPARENTLY HAVE SOMEWHERE TO BE
When you see the WSOP on ESPN, you always assume some tank time has been edited out. That’s not the case in this match, where decisions are being made faster than Effel can announce them over the PA. Out of 52 hands, there were maybe 4 points where either player took more than 10 seconds to make a decision.
Maybe when the blinds pop up a bit and elimination is a more real risk with every pot, that will change, but as it stands this is some real turbo-poker being played at the final table of the WSOP.
Other notes: The Vince Neil “shuffle up and deal” was a massive fail. Your high-note days are over, dude. I actually don’t think, now that I remember Shout at The Devil, that you could ever hit them.
Not much chatter between the guys, just a little table talk here and there.
The crowd seems more in it for Joe than for Moon, but that’s probably just a function of Joe’s average fan age being about 22 years younger than Moon’s.
Maybe 32, actually.
Submit Your Email to Create a PTP Rewards Account