Following hours of intensive heads-up battle, Blair Rodman beat out Amato Galasso in $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em.
The author of the Phil Hellmuth-busting bible "Kill Phil" has been playing in the World Series of Poker for twenty-five years, and he was exhausted when PokerListings.com caught up with him after his first WSOP win.
It was a long battle. How did it look from your perspective?
When we got to heads-up, I had a big chip lead. I tried to get a line on what he was doing; and had a feeling he kept making hands on me. He kept raising me and playing back at me - I was going crazy assuming he was just making hand after hand.
I had to use discipline and try to wait. I spent all day trying to trap him; and he trapped me with the flush draw, when he moved me in. I got very lucky; and I think he got a little bit tilty.
When I got the tens and he picked up the fours, that was a key hand - a big swing. I just kept trying to grind him - I got a little more aggressive. I had my foot on his throat; and then he trapped me again with the A-K; and I got lucky.
You can't get through 2,000 people without getting lucky; and I had some breaks in this one. I played well at points. I was tired - this entire tournament was an incredible drain. I played four fourteen-hour days in a row this week, before I made this final table; and I had to fight to focus all day.
I kept my cool, I didn't get over-aggressive; and I'm proud of the way I hung in there. I can't wait to watch it and see what was really going on.
You often talk about the necessity of evolving play - did yours evolve today?
This game is changing so fast that it's kind of come full circle, which is funny. If you can make hands in this tournament, you'll be paid off because no one ever believes you have a hand, unless you play late.
Not with Amato so much - it was a chess match with him. I spent all day trying to trap him; and I finally got to the hands. The two tens was the biggest pair I had. I tried every trick in the book; and I couldn't get it to work.
I was making plays where I thought: "If he's got this hand, I can't call," and he'd raise me every time. I was just talking to him and he said he kept making gutshots. I would try a stop-and-go and bet on fourth street and he'd make a pair and call me; and it was driving me crazy, it really was.
It was very frustrating. I just stayed disciplined, and it worked out for me. I've had second place in a lot of big tournaments. This is the first big one I've won; and I was thinking: here it goes again - I'm getting another second place.
I didn't lose faith. I was way down there; and somehow I came back and won this thing. I'm very, very happy - and I'm sure as I get a little sleep and recover it's going to sink in.
Amato said the chess match was just what he was hoping for. Was that the way you wanted it?
It was - against him. I didn't want to get into big races with him; or pick up two nines and get all the money in and play against A-K for the title. I wanted to do some poker playing. Even though I wrote "Kill Phil," which is about moving in, that's not how I play.
There was a ton of chips, with the blinds - once we got two- and three- handed - and we had time to play. It was silly to play your hands and get trapped in a spot where you didn't need to. He played very, very well. It really was a battle. I don't know how long it lasted, but it seemed like forever.
It may have seemed like forever; but you started playing in the World Series of Poker in 1982. Was this twenty-five years in the making?
In the old days I didn't play that many tournaments. No one really did - we played a lot of cash games. I played a lot recently because there's so many players; and I got some breaks. I've played better tournaments in my life - I was very tired.
I played very well in spots, and I made some mistakes. I don't want to blame it on being tired; but I really was. It's hard to stay on top of your game at the end of the month when you've played every day. You're playing fourteen hours, it's uncomfortable, it's hot, cold - there's a lot of stuff going on here.
I understand you weren't even going to play this event, originally.
I was going to play in it; but I led the Omaha Eight-or-Better tournament for the best part of a day-and-a-half. Then I ran real bad in that; and I got knocked out about 11:30 or 12:00 on the second day. If I'd been there another half-hour I probably wouldn't have played this tournament.
I was able to go home, get some sleep; and I was mad. I really was. I said: I'm coming back; and I'm going to play this tournament hard. And I did. You know, things happen for a reason - I got knocked out of that one and I came back and won this one.
Thank God you busted.
Yeah, I know - it worked out. So I'm not mad about that any more.
A couple of weeks ago you were playing in the World Series of Golf. What was that like?
I love the World Series of Golf. It was a great tournament; and Rhett Butler came back and beat me. He was at the [Main Event] final table last year. He's a super-nice guy and he played good golf. I love golf more than anything; and I love the World Series of Golf. I'll definitely go back.
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The man just can't get enough World Series excitement. He'll be back for the Main Event after a few days of well-earned rest; and PokerListings.com will be there to follow his every move.
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