'I just didn't care anymore': Unlikely comeback yields first WSOPC ring

Alex Cruz went from the short stack to the tournament champion with five players left to take home his first WSOP Circuit ring, the $241,412 first-place prize, and a $5,000 package to The Bahamas in December for WSOP Paradise. 

Cruz beat 968 entries to win the WSOPC Choctaw Main Event for a new career-high score. He has two previous six-figure wins from victories in Colorado and South Dakota. 

The champ was the clear short stack with just seven big blinds when they returned from break with five players, but after Marcus Dickey ran ace-queen into Alex Rindone's ace-king the second hand after break to finish in fifth place for $56,535, there was no pressure for the 31-year old from Midland, Texas. 

"I was texting my buddies (on break), like I don't know if I should go for the win here or go for the roughly $20,000 pay jump," Cruz told us. "Thankful (Dickey) got knocked out. Once he was gone, I just didn't care anymore." 

Cruz picked up his third six-figure score and a new high mark.

Joe Giron/Poker.org

Cruz takes the lead

With the pay jump secured, Cruz found himself all in with ace-seven of spades for his last roughly 3,000,000 in chips, and once Eliaan Pilo called with ace-queen, it appeared like a run to the title was done for. The flop fell nine-high one spade, leaving Cruz with little hope, but when the turn and river came up spades, he went from both feet in the grave to the nut flush to secure the unlikely double. 

Then, on the next hand, Cruz four-bet shoved for six million and change, and after a deep tank chip leader Rindone tossed calling chips into the middle tabling ace-queen. 

Cruz tabled the ace of spades once more, but instead of the seven of spades, it was paired with the ace of hearts, as Cruz was on the right side of the cooler four-handed, and when the board ran out, jack-high, Cruz secured the double to second in chips.

Cruz entered the final eight in third place before falling to the back.

A few hands later, Pilo was all in with ten-nine off for 1,600,000, and with his newfound chips, Cruz looked him up with king-deuce from the big blind. A king on the flop secured the knockout for Cruz, and Plio hit the rail in fourth place for $78,692, and just like that, the chip lead was Cruz's. 

With the chip lead in hand, Cruz started to open things up a bit and found himself once again needing to come from behind in a big spot. After opening to 700,000 from the button, Peter Clive called in the big blind to see a flop of queen-ten-nine two diamonds. 

Cruz moved all in for 2,600,000 effective, and after a brief moment, Clive tossed in the rest of his stack, tabling king-three of diamonds to put Cruz's jack-six of diamonds in rough shape. The turn three of hearts gave Clive a pair, and it looked like a double was imminent before a black eight rolled off on the river, giving Cruz the queen-high straight to send Clive to the rail in third place for $111,537. 

"Obviously, I ran really hot, not a lot of skill there," Cruz said of his run to the chip lead. "That was so sick, though, right? Poker is a lot of luck. Anyone can win a tournament, people who are out there that want a big bink, just keep playing, and you will eventually run hot."  

Rindone comes back

With another unlikely pot going his way, Cruz took roughly 70% of the chips in play to start the heads-up match against Rindone. However, the match was far from over as Rindone would score a double with ace-ten against Cruz's ace-five to move within striking distance of the chip lead. 

Then, with the blinds escalating, Cruz ripped the big blind for roughly twelve million chips effective after a limp from Rindone on the button. Rindone went into the tank and eventually found the call with pocket sixes to be in a flip against Cruz's ace-jack. The board ran out queen high, and all of a sudden, it was Rindone who held the chip lead. 

Alex Rindone couldn't stop the Cruz comeback.

The chip lead was short-lived, however, for Rindone as Cruz battled back with a pair of shoves to pull nearly even before getting a huge semi-bluff. The hand started with Cruz opening to 1,100,000 on the button before Rindone three-bet to 3,000,000 from the big blind. 

Cruz called, and the flop fell ace-eight-eight two diamonds, giving Rindone the green light to continue for 2,600,000. Cruz called to see a seemingly meaningless four of clubs hit the felt on the turn. 

Rindone fired a massive barrel of 7,200,000, and after about a minute, Cruz moved all in over the top for approximately 15,000,000 effective. Rindone swiftly sent his cards into the muck, and Cruz confidently tabled five-four of diamonds for a flush draw that turned into a pair. 

'I didn't think he had it'

"(The heads-up match) was tough, he is a very tricky opponent and it was hard to range him," Cruz said of Rindone's play heads-up. "Honestly, though, I kind of had a read on him from playing with him yesterday, and I think that read helped me out on the (five-four hand). An ace, I am just screwed, but I didn't think he had it and had to go with the shove." 

With the chip lead back in his favor, Cruz whittled down Rindone to just a few big blinds, and the last of the chips ended up in the middle with Rindone holding jack-ten against the queen-four of Cruz. The board ran out ace-high, and Cruz rivered a pair of fours to send Rindone home in second place for $160,932. 

When the four hit the river, Cruz secured his largest career payday to date of $241,412 and couldn't help but thank his friends and especially fellow Midland poker area grinder, Braxton Dunaway. 

"I think that guy really sets the path for the people in the community. When I see him do well, it inspires me to start playing tournaments again." Cruz said of Dunaway's impact on the local Texas scene. " Last time he won a bracelet, I went out and won an MSPT title. Now his third place in the Main Event really lit a fire under me. Also, a shoutout to all the guys I play poker with; their trickiness and all their styles help me grow as a person, because I have to be exposed to certain styles. Feels great to win."

WSOPC Choctaw Main Event final table results