now that jack is out i am pulling for this guy.
Bravest's competitive fire
FDNY's Hayden chipping away
Patrick Hayden displays cool - as well as his FDNY affiliation in Prospect Park, Brooklyn - at table.
LAS VEGAS - Proud to let everyone know where he's from and what he stands for, Patrick Hayden has not donned his paradisepoker.com T-shirt in his quest to win the World Series of Poker.
Instead, he has been tossing $10,000 chips into the pot while displaying the insignia of his home base, Ladder 105 of the New York City Fire Department.
"I'm doing great, obviously better than I expected," says Hayden, 25, wearing a baseball hat and T-shirt adorned with references to Engine 219 and Ladder 105, located on Dean St. in Prospect Heights in Brooklyn.
"It's been kind of wild," Hayden says. "Even if I don't win, I'm still going to have fun."
As people come up to shake his hand and wish him and all New Yorkers back home well, Hayden thinks of his firehouse and his co-workers.
"It's the best job in the world. You can't beat it," he says. "You go to work every day with a great group of guys. It's obviously dangerous work, but I enjoy it."
While he still seemed level-headed and realistic yesterday, Hayden had to admit his life would change drastically if he became world champion. As dedicated to saving lives as he is, the Rockaway Beach, Queens, resident had to admit: "It would be tough because $7.5 million is a lot of money."
He started out wanting to make it through only the first round, which he accomplished on Saturday, but with only $7,200 left in chips. "Once I got in there, though, I've been taking it level by level."
On Monday morning, when 564 players of the original 5,619 players were competing for 560 paid spots, Hayden didn't flinch when he drew pocket kings. He tossed his entire $60,000 into the pot all-in. "The other guy folded, so it was fine," he said.
Family and friends, including his parents, have been flying in to offer support.
Patrick's father, Chief of Department Peter Hayden, is the highest ranking uniformed official in the FDNY. The elder Hayden and his wife, Rita, watched their son for the start of the tournament over the weekend.
Patrick kept winning, but the chief had to return to New York. His mother, Rita, extended her stay, first one day, then two, before also returning home.
Back in Brooklyn, the crew at Ladder 105 on Dean St. has been receiving updates every two hours, when the players get their break.
"We're not surprised he's doing well out there. We're all rooting for him," Captain Dennis Murphy of Ladder 105 said via telephone. "He's a real good guy. He's very bright, he's very sharp. You can tell he's on the ball."
With 186 players remaining at the start of play yesterday, Hayden was guaranteed $39,075 in prize money. He made it through the next prize level, which guarantees $46,245.
"That's about what I'm making now in a whole year," the 18-month FDNY veteran said with a wide grin.
After six hours, Hayden was guaranteed $65,360. He held $611,000 in tournament chips. Holding king-queen soon after the dinner break, he went all-in after flopping a second king. His opponent showed pocket aces. The turn brought a queen - two pair for Hayden. The river brought a harmless jack, and Hayden's stack suddenly stood at more than $1.2 million in chips. With two hours of play remaining for the night, Hayden had added another $100,000 in chips and was guaranteed to win at least $91,950.
To earn more, though, a tough road lay ahead. With 82 players remaining, even with the big winning hand, Hayden had only twice the average chip stack.
Except for a brief assignment to a table with pro Paul Darden, Hayden hadn't played "with the big shots." For hours, he sat several seats away from pro Ralph Perry, who frequently plays at the highest stakes cash games in town at the Bellagio. But after Hayden's table was split up and moved, Perry busted out, in 104th place.
Hayden started playing Texas Hold'em poker about two years ago in $20-$50 home tournaments with friends, coupled with an occasional trip to the Borgata or the Taj in Atlantic City.
He began playing online less than a year ago on paradisepoker.com. He won entry into the WSOP $10,000 buy-in Main Event back in April, by beating about 330 other players in a $20 qualifier tournament (he bought two re-buys for a $60 total).
That qualified Hayden for a $1,000 paradisepoker tourney where he bested about 25 players to win the WSOP seat, plus $2,000 for airfare and hotel.
Approached late in the day by a paradisepoker representative, Hayden agreed to drape a T-shirt bearing the site's Web address across the back of his chair. But he wasn't about to lay down his FDNY attire.
"It looks like Patrick has a lucky shirt on there. He's in good standing," said a company official.
In between playing in the tournament for up to 16 hours a day, Hayden also has found time to "enjoy the town. Vegas is great. You can't beat it. It's a fun place."
Bravest's competitive fire
FDNY's Hayden chipping away
Patrick Hayden displays cool - as well as his FDNY affiliation in Prospect Park, Brooklyn - at table.
LAS VEGAS - Proud to let everyone know where he's from and what he stands for, Patrick Hayden has not donned his paradisepoker.com T-shirt in his quest to win the World Series of Poker.
Instead, he has been tossing $10,000 chips into the pot while displaying the insignia of his home base, Ladder 105 of the New York City Fire Department.
"I'm doing great, obviously better than I expected," says Hayden, 25, wearing a baseball hat and T-shirt adorned with references to Engine 219 and Ladder 105, located on Dean St. in Prospect Heights in Brooklyn.
"It's been kind of wild," Hayden says. "Even if I don't win, I'm still going to have fun."
As people come up to shake his hand and wish him and all New Yorkers back home well, Hayden thinks of his firehouse and his co-workers.
"It's the best job in the world. You can't beat it," he says. "You go to work every day with a great group of guys. It's obviously dangerous work, but I enjoy it."
While he still seemed level-headed and realistic yesterday, Hayden had to admit his life would change drastically if he became world champion. As dedicated to saving lives as he is, the Rockaway Beach, Queens, resident had to admit: "It would be tough because $7.5 million is a lot of money."
He started out wanting to make it through only the first round, which he accomplished on Saturday, but with only $7,200 left in chips. "Once I got in there, though, I've been taking it level by level."
On Monday morning, when 564 players of the original 5,619 players were competing for 560 paid spots, Hayden didn't flinch when he drew pocket kings. He tossed his entire $60,000 into the pot all-in. "The other guy folded, so it was fine," he said.
Family and friends, including his parents, have been flying in to offer support.
Patrick's father, Chief of Department Peter Hayden, is the highest ranking uniformed official in the FDNY. The elder Hayden and his wife, Rita, watched their son for the start of the tournament over the weekend.
Patrick kept winning, but the chief had to return to New York. His mother, Rita, extended her stay, first one day, then two, before also returning home.
Back in Brooklyn, the crew at Ladder 105 on Dean St. has been receiving updates every two hours, when the players get their break.
"We're not surprised he's doing well out there. We're all rooting for him," Captain Dennis Murphy of Ladder 105 said via telephone. "He's a real good guy. He's very bright, he's very sharp. You can tell he's on the ball."
With 186 players remaining at the start of play yesterday, Hayden was guaranteed $39,075 in prize money. He made it through the next prize level, which guarantees $46,245.
"That's about what I'm making now in a whole year," the 18-month FDNY veteran said with a wide grin.
After six hours, Hayden was guaranteed $65,360. He held $611,000 in tournament chips. Holding king-queen soon after the dinner break, he went all-in after flopping a second king. His opponent showed pocket aces. The turn brought a queen - two pair for Hayden. The river brought a harmless jack, and Hayden's stack suddenly stood at more than $1.2 million in chips. With two hours of play remaining for the night, Hayden had added another $100,000 in chips and was guaranteed to win at least $91,950.
To earn more, though, a tough road lay ahead. With 82 players remaining, even with the big winning hand, Hayden had only twice the average chip stack.
Except for a brief assignment to a table with pro Paul Darden, Hayden hadn't played "with the big shots." For hours, he sat several seats away from pro Ralph Perry, who frequently plays at the highest stakes cash games in town at the Bellagio. But after Hayden's table was split up and moved, Perry busted out, in 104th place.
Hayden started playing Texas Hold'em poker about two years ago in $20-$50 home tournaments with friends, coupled with an occasional trip to the Borgata or the Taj in Atlantic City.
He began playing online less than a year ago on paradisepoker.com. He won entry into the WSOP $10,000 buy-in Main Event back in April, by beating about 330 other players in a $20 qualifier tournament (he bought two re-buys for a $60 total).
That qualified Hayden for a $1,000 paradisepoker tourney where he bested about 25 players to win the WSOP seat, plus $2,000 for airfare and hotel.
Approached late in the day by a paradisepoker representative, Hayden agreed to drape a T-shirt bearing the site's Web address across the back of his chair. But he wasn't about to lay down his FDNY attire.
"It looks like Patrick has a lucky shirt on there. He's in good standing," said a company official.
In between playing in the tournament for up to 16 hours a day, Hayden also has found time to "enjoy the town. Vegas is great. You can't beat it. It's a fun place."
