Berda Zap'd

[user46392]

You have to feel for Tomer Berda.

Just a little while ago he was in contention for the Climber Of The Day award - he'd gone from just 40,000 to over 300,000 in the first half of the level. Then, of course, his queens proved no match for Victorino Torres' sevens - and just now he found another big pair, and once again got, for want of a better word, screwed.

Berda opened for 25,000 and Victorino Torres flatted behind in the hijack, before Kirill Zapletin pushed for 87,000 from the cutoff. Back to Berda, who flat called, and after a moment Torres called too.

There was a brief pause as the dealer counted the calls and informed Berda that he was 5,000 short. "Are you sure?" Berda asked, "I counted." But as it turned out, he was short, and once he had called the outstanding 5,000, he had just 27,000 left to his name.

The flop came down {10-Clubs} {5-Diamonds} {3-Clubs} and Berda put his last 27,000 in the middle. Torres called, and all the cards were turned over.

Berda: {k-Clubs} {k-Hearts} for an overpair
Torres: {a-Spades} {j-Clubs} for ace high
Zapletin: {5-Hearts} {5-Spades} for a set

While Zapletin shouted, "YESSS!!!" repeatedly and clapped a lot in a somewhat ungentlemanly fashion, the {8-Diamonds} turn and {10-Hearts} river failed to change anything. Zapletin tripled up to 270,000 or so, Torres took a hit to 435,000, and while Berda picked up the side pot, he is right back down to 54,000.