The ten gold bracelet events of the 2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific are within the books, and as someone who was there I WILL BE ABLE TO inform you it was three weeks of intense poker action. From Junzhong Loo becoming Malaysia’s first bracelet winner to Jeff Lisandro capturing his sixth bracelet; from George Danzer winning his third gold bracelet of 2014 to Scott Davies taking down the AU$10,000 Main Event; there has been no shortage of story lines to follow.
However, one among my favorites that was lost within the fray was Mike “SirWatts” Watson’s runner-up finish to Sam Higgs in Event #5: AU$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha. Usually folks that are available second are quickly forgotten, but I’ll never forget Watson’s performance for one reason and one reason only — he never gave up. It was the nearest I’ve come to a real “chip and a chair” story in all my years reporting tournament poker.
The tournament, which attracted 80 players and created a prize pool of AU$376,000, was right down to the general 16 or so players on Day 2, and with only eight of them slated to receives a commission the strain was high. In Level 13 (1,000/2000), I watched a hand begin with Brian Roberts of 2 Months $2 Million fame raising to 7,000 from the cutoff and Watson three-betting to 23,000 from the small blind. Roberts responded by four-betting all in for 30,600, and Watson called, leaving himself just 1,500 behind.
Watson: 
It was the old kings-versus-aces situation, and the simpler pair held after the board ran out 
“You still wish to maximize whatever small chance you could have of running it up, but obviously I’m not very optimistic at that point,” Watson told me once I asked him concerning the situation afterwards. “Even should you double it up once or twice you’re not likely back in contention. You definitely still wish to attempt to give yourself any small edge you'll of running it back up.”
Brian RobertsI stuck around looking to catch Watson’s elimination, nevertheless it didn’t come as he folded the following few hands. As we take a brief detour from hold’em this week to discuss pot-limit Omaha, remember there aren't any antes in PLO, which gave Watson a little bit more space for patience together with his short stack. Soon Watson strung together a couple of quick doubles and within 20 minutes he was as much as 47,000.
In the following level, Roberts got his last 17,000 or so all in preflop against Watson, and this time SirWatts would get the job done.
Watson: 
The 
“I guess after the third double-up I USED TO BE back as much as the starting stack, so at that time I'VE like 5 or 6 big blinds. For those who play tournaments so much you are making comebacks from that stack quite a few times, so at that time I ASSUMED maybe I'LL do this,” Watson said once I asked when did he think he had an opportunity making a return. “When I got to 25,000, I ASSUMED it will possibly be something that might happen. It happened pretty quickly, pretty wild.”
As mentioned, Watson would go directly to finish in second place — the third time he has in a WSOP bracelet event — for a AU$79,099 payday. Not too shabby considering he was at the verge of elimination.
“I can’t feel too bad about it. Obviously turning that small stack right into a pretty big cash is a brilliant result. I'D have loved to win, but on the end of the day second is a smart finish,” Watson concluded.
It goes to turn you that regardless of how bleak things may seem, regardless of how short your stack, there’s always an opportunity of creating a comeback. Stay strong, play your game, and it just might happen to you.
Do you've gotten a “chip and a chair” story? Let me know by reaching out to me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway.
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