World Series of Poker

Metro Detroit's poker star proving resilient in Main Event

Tony Paul / The Detroit News

Metro Detroit's poker superstar went deep into the night Saturday still in the hunt for an $8.5 million first prize in the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas.

It didn't look so promising for Joe Cada earlier in the night, though.

Cada, 21, of Chesterfield Township, plummeted to a stack barely four times the big blind after calling Jeff Schulman's all-in on Hand No. 122. Cada was dominated before the flop, showing ace-jack to Schulman's ace-king. While the turn gave Cada on open-ended straight draw heading to the river, he didn't hit and was left with just 2.275 million chips.

That was, by far, the shortest stack at the time and he looked like he'd be exiting soon thereafter, and settling for the $1.4 million prize awarded to seventh place.

But an all-in here, a blind steal there, and Cada clawed his way back into contention. The highlights of his rally both came at the expense of Phil Ivey, who's regarded as the greatest poker player in the world today.

The first came at Hand No. 131, when Cada went all-in with pocket fours to Ivey's ace-eight. Community cards of 2-10-3-9-7 not only kept Cada in the game, they boosted his stack at 12.55M chips, leaving Ivey as the short stack at 10.4M.

Then, 17 hands later, they met again, Ivey calling Cada's pre-flop raise. No betting after the flop or turn, Ivey bet 1M chips after the river, Cada quickly called and his two queens was good for the win, leaving him at 15.15M chips on his way to 18.375 by 2 a.m. EST.

In other words, Cada multiplied his stack eight times in the span of 31 hands.

The players were scheduled to play through the night until the Main Event got down to heads-up -- or the final two players -- at which time the World Series was to be suspended until 1 a.m. Tuesday, or 10 p.m. Monday local time in Las Vegas.

Regardless what happens the rest of the Main Event, held at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino, just off the Strip, Cada already has beat massive odds. He's maneuvered his way through 6,494 entries -- each of whom ponied up $10,000 for a shot at the $8.5 million first prize -- to make the final table, or the "November Nine."

He's still in the hunt to become the youngest Main Event champion in World Series history. Last year's champion, Peter Eastgate, was 22.

The 2009 World Series began in July, and it took two weeks to get down to the final nine players. The tournament was suspended at that point -- with each player given the $1.25 million they were guaranteed and told not to make any plans for early November.

It was down to seven players at 2 a.m. Sunday, with Cada in fifth place. Kevin Schaffel, who started the day sixth in chips, and James Akenhead, who began the day as the short stack, were the first two players eliminated.

tpaul@detnews.com