Our own Sallie Avino made it to Day 4 of the $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event 2012. Out of over 6,000 players, Sallie finished 523 and won $21,707! Her VIP Membership and victory in the $10,000 APC Main Event gave her the experience of a lifetime. Sallie’s face is in a perpetual smile and her advice is to become a VIP Member and if you win the Atlanta Poker Club $10,000 Main Event, don’t take the cash just come on out and play! Sallie had the best time ever and sends her thanks to everyone!
Sallie started Day 4, with 67,000 in chips and was pretty short and thinking that she would have a hard time to last until the cash. “I knew I needed to play hard and get more chips and I did.” She doubled up! Sallie was at a tough table with two online players and also Sam Holden (2011 WSOP November Nine). “I knew who the scary players were when I sat down. I must say that throughout the tournament I sat with a lot of big names who were courteous and welcoming and good ambassadors for the game.”
As Day 4 progressed Sallie knew she could make it into the money because she had doubled up. When they announce the bubble is reached for the money, the tables go hand for hand. The bubble came quickly and the first hand took a long time. Five tables had all ins and 4 players busted. The bubble person gets a free entry into the Main Event next year, so the four players tied for the bubble and split the $19,000 4-ways. Four players have lost and now they have to play a sit and go to determine who gets the free entry! A sit and go to determine who the real loser is…Sallie said the other players were laughing about how terrible that would be.
There was great camraderie at her table until an older guy sat down who was a mood dampener and really annoying. He corrected the dealer, he had the dealer recount the pots, raised consistently in early position and not mincing words, he was a real douche. The Douche, I mean Annoying Old Man raised in UTG+2 to 13,000. The blinds were 3000 – 6000 with a 500 ante. Sam was in late Middle Position and the raise was usually double plus a couple of chips which would have been 28,000, but instead Sam reraised to 32,000. Sallie was the button and looked down at A, Q of Hearts and she thought she had the best hand. She tought Sam was making a move against the early raiser and she knew Sam’s range of hands for that position was Aces, Kings, and A, K and she just didn’t think he was that strong. She 3-bet pushed. The original raiser folded and Sam called and had pocket Aces. It was a dry board with an Ace. “I couldn’t feel bad because if I hadn’t pushed pre-flop and the Ace hit the board, I would have done the exact same thing.” Just really bad luck for Sallie that Sam woke up with Aces! She had done the exact same play earlier in the day when she had Aces against Shaun Deeb’s friend and took Shaun’s friend out of the tournament.
Sallie, Joe and Chris celebrated last night at a restaurant called The Range…in honor of range of hands…the menu was No Limit…and the end was the Flaming Volcano dessert because they wanted to set something on fire.
Sallie says the WSOP is a wonderful event and just come out when it is going on as the pros are wonderful and you can meet them in the halls and they are happy to talk to you. There are lots of smaller events at the WSOP and next year she will play in some smaller events. Have a feeling there will be a lot more players from the APC to join her next year!
I’m not sure I fully understand the Last Man Standing that Sallie was in, but I’ll give it a shot. It wasn’t for money but for 1% of a company called 3 Bet. She doesn’t know how many players were originally in as it cost no money but you just had to sign up at a booth the company had. Antonio Esfandiari was in it too. She was the Last Woman standing and there were only six others left. Only in Vegas!
Sallie and Joe are Leaving for home today. They will play tomorrow night, Sunday, at the Wooden Nickel! Sallie Avino is the first ever Atlanta Poker Club Main Event Champion, and she returns home the winner we all know she is!
Congratulations to Sallie!
