Thursday, 28th March 2024 14:09
Home / Uncategorized / LAPT6 Colombia: Oh-so-close for Moscoso

If ever there was a player who visibly, demonstrably wanted to win the LAPT6 Colombia Main Event, it was Miguel Moscoso. He bucked the trend of the conservative, reserved final table today. He was energetic, he was loud, he was rambunctious and most of all he was active. He played lots of pots, put lots of opponents to the test, and was right there at the end with a chance to win it all.

It seems almost unfair, somehow, that he finished runner-up.

Moscoso started heads-up play with the lead. The first big pot he played against Weider Gutierrez, Moscoso went for the kill. After Gutierrez opened the button for 200k, Moscoso made a big three-bet to 1 million. Gutierrez shoved for 3.6 million and Moscoso snap-called with pocket 4s. He was behind Gutierrez’s pocket 8s and never improved.

That loss pushed Moscoso’s stack down to about 2.1 million in chips. He made another of his bold, aggressive moves a few hands later after Gutierrez opened the button with a standard raise. Moscoso shoved his stack in the middle with 8♣ 7♦ , presumably thinking he would induce a fold. Gutierrez instead called with A♦ 8♥ .

When an ace flopped, A♠ J♥ 6♦ , Moscoso motioned to high-five Gutierrez, perhaps conceding the hand and the tournament. Gutierrez reluctantly returned the high-five. Last year, he thought he was on his way to an LAPT Main Event win here in Colombia until a bad beat sidelined him in 4th place. He must have been feeling like he was falling down a rabbit hole when the board came 4♦ 5♦ to give Moscoso a runner-runner straight and new life.

LAPT President David Carrion brought out the trophy and set it on the table. Moscoso reached over and ran his hand down its length. Again, his desire to win was palpably visible. Yet just a few hands later the deck cruelly snuffed out his tournament life.

The two players took a raised flop of 6♥ 7♥ 2♣ and checked to the 5♠ turn. Gutierrez, first to act, checked to Moscoso, who bet 350,000. Gutierrez pondered for a minute, then reached for two stacks of white chips. He pushed 900,000 into the middle. Moscoso declared all in and Gutierrez snap-called.

Each man had a straight, but Gutierrez had the best straight. His 9♣ 8♣ made the nut 9-high straight and left Moscoso and his 4♦ 3♥ drawing dead.

Moscoso took the loss well. He hugged Gutierrez, then smiled for friends on the rail and gave them two thumbs-up. He collected his things and graciously departed the final-table set to collect his COP 155,243,000 and to give Gutierrez his moment in the spotlight.

Dave Behr is a freelance contributor to the PokerStars Blog.

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