David Zemel Survives the Bubble with a Chip and a Chair

Photo: David Zemel in the small blind at the start of hand-for-hand play on the Money Bubble.

This is the tale of David Zemel (pictured), who was severely short-stacked on the Money Bubble of the biggest tournament he has ever played.

Back when there were 102 players remaining (two spots away from the money), Dongjun Ji raised UTG+1 to 14,000, the button moved all in for 61,000, and it folded to Zemel in the big blind. Zemel started the hand with 16,000, and with 1,000 donated to the ante and 6,000 out as the big blind, he had only 9,000 left. And he was conflicted about what to do.

Zemel said, “This is the biggest tournament I’ve ever played.” Then he rechecked his cards and said, “I don’t know what to do.”

Zemel thought for a little bit longer before somebody called for a clock. About 10-15 seconds later, Zemel folded, leaving himself with just 9,000 in chips. Ji called with , saying, “Okay, let’s gamble. The button turned over , and needed that hand to hold to stay alive. The board came , and the button paired his ace to win the pot and double up in chips.

Zemel said, “I would’ve lost that hand, so I’ve got that going for me.”

At that moment, a player busted from one of the other tables, leaving the field with 101 players and ready to start hand-for-hand play on the Money Bubble. Sitting in the small blind with 9,000 in chips, Zemel would be able to fold the next five hands before he would be forced all in for the ante.

Zemel looked to one of the nearby WPT TV cameras and said, “Sometimes you’ve got to nit it up.”

In Hand #1 of hand-for-hand play, Zemel folded his small blind, leaving himself with 5,000 in chips. At the other end of the tournament area, there were two all-in-and-a-call situations, but both times, the short stack doubled up. Zemel was still at risk.

Hand #2: Zemel folded his button, leaving himself with 4,000 in chips.

Hand #3: Zemel folded from the cutoff, leaving himself with 3,000 in chips.

Hand #4: Zemel folded from the hijack, leaving himself with 2,000 in chips.

It’s worth noting here that the Borgata tournament rules state that if two players are eliminated during the same hand on the Money Bubble, they do not chop the prize money. The money would be awarded to the player who started the hand with more chips. Zemel would be forced all in on Hand #6 (likely against multiple callers), and if he busted, he would go home empty-handed even if another player busted during the same hand.

Hand #5: Zemel folded from middle position, leaving himself with a single 1,000 chip. He literally had a chip and a chair. All he could do is wait, and hope that somebody else in the tournament busted on this hand.

Across the room, there was an all-in-and-a-call situation between Ralph Wong and Ko Maddock. Maddock was short-stacked with , and he needed to improve to stay alive against Wong’s . The board came , and Wong won the pot with a flopped full house to eliminate Maddock on the Money Bubble in 101st place.

But Maddock’s loss was Zemel’s gain. Zemel received high fives and congratulations from everyone at his table as he made the money with just a single chip in the biggest tournament he ever played.

The field took a short break before play resumed, and when they returned, Zemel would be forced all in from middle position.

So in the first hand after the break, with Zemel forced all in, Dongjun Ji raised from the button to 15,000, and everyone else folded. Ji showed , and Zemel had a fighting chance. He hadn’t looked at his cards yet, and slowly turned them over.

The first card was the , and the second card was — the . Zemel was dominated.

The board came , and Ji turned a ten-high straight to win the pot and eliminate Zemel in 100th place. But Zemel was all smiles as he cashed in the first WPT event he ever played, earning $6,575.

Dongjun Ji  –  500,000  (83 bb)
David Zemel  –  Eliminated in 100th Place  ($6,575)

Throughout this situation, Zemel was seated next to Darren Elias, the reigning champion who won this event last year. And Elias, like many people in the field, was rooting for Zemel to make the money. Elias tweeted this shortly after the Money Bubble burst:

In the money @WPT Borgata. Nobody happier than this guy next to me-made it with 1 ante chip pic.twitter.com/4W9QumH20d

— Darren Elias (@DarrenElias) September 23, 2015