Bruce almighty in third leg of Welsh Poker Series

Bruce Jones

Former Aberystwyth student Bruce Jones beat James Baker heads-up to take leg three of the Welsh Poker Series at the G Casino in Cardiff.

Jones was the sole survivor from a field of 155 players, who generated a total prize pool of £21,750 for the third event of this year's WPS, scooping a top prize of £6,430.

Baker, who turned up in Cardiff on Saturday intending to play the regular £20 freezeout, only to find it was cancelled in favour of the WPS, was more than happy to have paid the extra money to take part in the event as he pocketed £4,220 as runner-up.

The players entered heads-up play with Baker on about 2.8m chips to Jones' 1.5m, with blinds at 25k-50k and a 6k ante, but Swansea Grosvenor regular Jones' meticulous strategy soon saw him move in front and all the chips went in on a 9-4-7 flop with Baker holding 10-8 for an open-ended straight draw and Jones with J-9 for top pair.

A jack on the turn saw Baker move in front with a straight but it also improved Jones' hand to two pair, with another nine on the river providing a sick exit for Baker as Jones hit his full-house.

As 60 players returned to the G Casino for Day 2, Jones was in 10th position on 123,800, with Robert Cowen the chip leader at the start of proceedings on 197,200. Josh Veasey was in second place on 164,100 and Robert Quinn in third with 161,900. Baker began the day in 14th place on 96,700.

Of those five only Jones and Baker made the money, with Puffapoker editor Steve Harrison the unfortunate bubble boy busting out in 18th place as 17 reached the money.

Mike Lock picked up £280 for 17th place, with Richard Berryman finishing 16th, Robert Pac 15th and Keith Thomas 14th.

It was unlucky 13 for Jason Kemp and there was only one Anthony Jones to reach the money, finishing in 12th place. The final table bubble burst with Chris Phillips' exit in 11th place, which earned him £390.

With blinds at 8k-16k and a 2k ante, Arron Bowen was a big chip leader going into the 10-handed final table on 1.2m, with Baker now in second spot on 750,000, Luke Sampson third on 535,500, Jones and Michael Oddie on 305,000 and Aditi Bhardwaj on 277,500, after returning at the start of the day as one of the short stacks on 26,500.

Mik Grosvenor took 269,000 with him to the table, with Dean Davies on 272,000, Mark White on 231,500 and Nicolas Risdale now the short stack on 199,500.

The fireworks started immediately with Bhardwaj losing most of her stack in the first hand on a 7-6-10-6-2 board with pocket jacks against Risdale's pocket kings.

And she became the first to exit when she shoved the remainder of her chips in with K-10 and Davies called with A-7, hitting two pair on the A-4-7 flop... the three on the turn and two on the river offering Bhardwaj no help.

Risdale finished in ninth place, moving all-in for 90k with blinds at 10k-20k and an ante of 2.5k. Bowen called with A-Q, Risdale holding J-8. The Q-6-7 flop put Bowen way ahead and the six on the turn confirmed Risdale's demise.

White busted out in eighth place, raising to 95k on a J-Q-K flop with Grosvenor shoving all-in with A-10 for a flopped straight. White made the call with K-J for two pair but he failed to improve with a nine on the turn and 10 on the river.

Sampson busted out in seventh place, shoving all-in with K-10 but running into Oddie with A-K. The 2-8-3-6-8 board sending Sampson to the rail.

Grosvenor was the man to exit next, moving all-in for 134k with K-J and being looked up by Davies with Q-9. The Q-2-2 flop saw Davies jump ahead, a two on the turn and four on the river sending Grosvenor to the slot machines delighted with his sixth-place cash.

Down to five the action slowed appreciably until Oddie shoved with pocket fives and ran into Baker with fishooks... the 10-10-A-9-3 flop making Oddie the man out.

The clock stopped at this point for deal negotiations but Jones was keen to play on although he might have been regretting that decision soon after with several beats reducing his stack by almost 50 per cent as Davies moved up from fourth spot to chip leader with a card rush sending a sequence of big pocket pairs his way.

But the poker gods have a habit of toying with poker mortals and, after Baker raised to 100k and Davies called, a 10-6-Q flop saw Baker continue for 125k, which Davies was happy to go along with.

Both players checked after a three on the turn and Baker led out to 330k when a seven landed on the river. Once again Davies was happy to just make the call, flipping over Q-5 suited for top pair, with Baker revealing pocket sevens for trips on the river to decimate his stack.

Now the shortest of the stacks again, Davies soon moved all-in for 770k with 9-6 and was called by Jones with K-Q. The 2-Q-9 flop gave both players something but sevens on the turn and river were bad news for Davies and he exited in fourth place.

That left Bowen as the man to miss out on the heads-up duel, when he called Baker's all-in move after he'd initially raised with pocket fours. The 10-K-6 flop kept Bowen in front but Baker had plenty of outs, holding A-J, and the queen on the turn made Baker's straight and Bowen was out in third.

The final leg of the Welsh Poker Series will play to a conclusion on 30 November in Swansea, with Day 1A taking place in Cardiff on 28 November and Day 1B in Swansea the following day.

Satellites are already up and running in Swansea, with a three-seat guaranteed freeroll on Monday nights, with £5 rebuys. Satellites will begin in Cardiff on 16 October, with Thursdays becoming the night for a £15+£5 rebuy satellite with five seats guaranteed.

Welsh Poker Series, Cardiff (26-28 September)
1 Bruce Jones £6,430
2 James Baker £4,220
3 Arron Bowen £2,650
4 Dean Davies £1,810
5 Michael Oddie £1,200
6 Mik Grosvenor £890
7 Luke Sampson £710
8 Mark White £610
9 Nicolas Risdale £530
10 Aditi Bhardwaj £450