Allen Kessler has proven something of a top pick for fans of mixed games on PokerStake in recent months. Backed by many at the World Series of Poker is Las Vegas this summer, Kessler, known as ‘Chainsaw’ to his many fans, has banked a lot of profit for PokerStake investors in Las Vegas. This week he headed to Illinois in an attempt to win his Fifth WSOP Circuit Ring… and came so close to doing so.
We spoke to Chainsaw after he cut through the opposition in The Prairie State.
Grabbing the Grand
While many of the events up on PokerStake feature tournaments known all around the world such as major bracelet events at the World Series of Poker, along with massive World Poker Tour events, European Poker Tour tournaments and the Triton Poker Series, there are a plethora of less well-known events up on sale that appeal to investors with a smaller bankroll.
One of those events took place this week, as the Grand Victoria Casino in Illinois welcomed players who love mixed games to their series of events. A certain Allen Kessler put 25% of his action on offer at a markup of 1.20 to the 10th event of the series, the $400 buy-in PLO8 tournament.
A rollercoaster day took place as the final wrapped and at the conclusion of play, Kessler finished as runner-up for a score of $6,306 – a return on investment of 1,576%! As we learned from Chainsaw himself, while he eventually ended up in second place, it wasn’t smooth sailing as he very nearly lost out before the final table itself.
The Tale of the Tape
“I hung in there and doubled twice, the second double up against the chip leader.”
As the final table loomed, Kessler wasn’t in contention to make the last table in the tournament, let alone a podium finish.
“I literally had crumbs right before the final table,” says Kessler. “I somehow kept surviving and ended up bagging 190,000 chips. We returned for day 2 and there were some quick eliminations.”
Down to five players, Kessler was the rank outsider, fifth in chips and in sight of the door, in his own words being ‘out-chipped by a huge margin’. Everything changed very quickly.
“I hung in there and doubled twice, the second double up against the chip leader,” Kessler describes. “All of a sudden, I had half the chips in play four-handed.”
Four-handed action lasted some time, but Kessler, while not dominant, was impossible to shift. Play moved three-handed then heads-up and Kessler was just one player away from his fifth WSOP Circuit Ring.
I held a small chip lead at that point (heads-up), then the ‘Poker Gods’ went against me. One hand I recall there were two low diamonds and two high spades going to the river. The diamonds were 
and 
. I had both flush draws, so half the deck, and the 
for a straight and wheel low draws as well.”
As you might imagine, Kessler missed all of those draws instead of hitting to take the title.
“I lost a good chunk of chips when the tournament could easily have been mine on that hand,” he says. “There were several other hands where I got rivered, or was just out-carded. A pivotal hand near the end I had an eight-low and a flush and lost to a boat with a slightly better low. These are both very strong hands heads up in PLO8, and I was on the wrong side of several of these.”
Kessler Continues Terrific Run on PokerStake
“The cards just didn’t fall right for me to win my fifth ring.”
After a great run in the event, Kessler’s result was celebrated not only by him and his friends, but also other PokerStake players as the community of buyers and sellers waded in with congratulations (or in some cases ‘congratudolences’ in the words of Joe Stapleton).
“I was very happy with my play,” Kessler admits. “The cards just didn’t fall right for me to win my fifth ring.”
‘Chainsaw’ may have been blunted at the last on this occasion but with four previous WSOP Circuit Rings, and earnings of over $2.3 million at the World Series of Poker, he remains an immensely profitable player in WSOP events. In PokerStake events alone, Allen Kessler has won a total of $480,008, with frequent individual events that have returned over 1000% on Pokerstake backers’ investments.
With more events listed in WSOP and Wynn events in the near future and a heavy schedule all year round, Allen Kessler is one of PokerStake investors favorites and it isn’t hard to see why after his latest, and 252nd, cash in World Series of Poker Events. Want to invest? Head to Allen ‘Chainsaw’ Kessler’s PokerStake page and do so today!
