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#070 – Heads-Up Championship Part VI – The Jimmy Chu Game
I took my seat in the corner of the bleachers by table 3 for the diamonds bracket, the fourth heat of the day. There were no shortage of interesting match-ups by I wanted to watch Clonie Gowen and Kristy Gazes play close up. The Storm vs. The Gaze. It was a Tilt Eat Tilt world, like much of the fourth heat. Don Cheadle and Phil Ivey, the feature table, were both wearing the Tilt logo. So were Howard Lederer and Brad Booth. And so were Chad Brown and Yosh Nakano.
My seat in the corner was in great demand. A couple of Clonie fans camped out at my feet, though they found seats in the second row before the match. Katie Lindsay and Shannon Elizabeth were both standing next to me during the match. Clonie and Kristy, I noticed, were both wearing identical shoes, silver glittery high heels.
It turns out they did some post pairings-party shopping last night and ran into Isabelle Mercier. They bought identical Jimmy Chu shoes, and Clonie and Kristy decided that the loser of their match would buy another pair for the winner.
It was a tough match for Clonie. Kristy won a big pot off the bat and it seemed every hand Clonie played to the turn had to be folded to a bet or raise by Kristy.
The game ended on hand 29, right after Scott Fischman had eliminated Chris Ferguson. (Ferguson lost almost all his chips a few hands before with Q-9 for two pair against Fischman’s higher two pair, Q-T.)
The board was 8h-Qc-8c-2h-5c.
Clonie bet the river and Kristy went all-in, putting one of her shoes on the table. After thinking about it a long time – and while the camera crew sorted out an all-in at another table – Clonie called.
Kristy put her other shoe on the table and insisted Clonie do the same. As Kristi was straightening the shoes (they were still waiting for the cameramen before turning over their cards), Clonie said, “She looks too happy. I want to take it back.” She knew Kristy had a flush, which she did.
Kristy had Kc-3c. Clonie had a queen, and it was over.
Clonie went across to Kristy and, as they shook hands, immediately started asking about some of the hands she folded to Kristy’s aggression. It sounded from what I overheard like they were pretty smart folds.
I asked Clonie if she was sticking around town or leaving. She was considering going to LA for the WPT celebrity invitational. “I’m not sure. I feel like I just had bad sex.”