Bill
Mullins' Pair of Queens Wins
Four Queens Limit Holdem Event
Bill Mullins, a semi-professional
poker player from Columbia, Missouri defeated
a strong field of 71 players and won the
20th event at the Four Queens Poker Classic.
Mullins arrived at the final table down
about 2 to 1 to the chip leader at the
time -- Danny "D" from Las Vegas. In fact,
it appeared Danny D. might win the tournament
in a cake walk, but then he got tripped
up mid-way through the final table and
could manage no better than a 4th place
finish. The remaining three players --
who all displayed great talent and perseverance
throughout the day -- then battled it
out of the top three spots, with Mullins
coming out on top in first place.
Play
began at $300-600 limit. Within just a
few hands, George DiCambio took a brutal
beat holding pocket kings against Paul
Westley's pocket aces. K-K versus A-A
is a terrible spot to be in, and DiCambio
dusted through most of his chips betting
on the hidden cowboys -- which were bucked
by the aces. That hand essentially put
DiCambio out of the tournament in 9th
place with a disappointing $140 payoff.
Texan
Walt Morrill was next to take a beat,
holding A-K. Low on chips, he made a raise
which was called by dangerous Danny D.
with Q-J. The final board came J-7-2-10-6
-- which gave Morrill several outs on
the turn -- but he could not close the
deal with a pair and went out in 8th place,
good for $170.
Limits
were increased to $400-800 and dangerous
Danny D. put his spell on Meg Patrick
next, when he won a big pot with a pair
of aces and a better kicker. Danny D's
domination continued as he called "Hank"
down with A-2 when the flop came J-7-2
(pair of deuces). Hank held A-K, which
meant he was down to just three outs (drawing
to the king). The miracle didn't come,
which knocked Hank out in 7th place with
$240.
Meg Patrick who came in second in chips
had been hurt by the earlier loss. She
was about to take an even worse beat when
she moved her remaining chips into the
pot with A-K and was called by Don Binford
with 9-8 suited. The flop came with an
eight, and Binford's middle-pair held-up
to eliminate Meg Patrick in 6th place
with $312.
Danny D. still appeared to be the big
favorite to win the tournament at that
point, but then he took his first serious
beat of the night when he was dealt K-K.
Bill Mullins held and ace in his hand
and spiked an ace on board to win the
big pot. Losing that pot seemed to spin
Danny D. into a frenzy as he continued
to play most of his hands and try to use
his large stack to try and intimidate
opponents. But when the cards turned,
the results were disastrous. Low on chips,
Paul Westley made a stand and caught an
ace on the river to take another $3,500
from Danny D. In a span of only about
15 minutes, Danny D. had lost his chip
lead and at least three other players
were now within striking distance of the
lead. One of those players was not Don
Binford, who couldn't generate much success
at the final table. With blinds and limits
escalating, Binford (in the big blind)
was forced to make his last stand with
J-4 when the flop came A-J-Q. However,
Joel Norris held an ace for top pair and
called Binford's bet. Binford failed to
catch either a jack or a 4 and went out
in 5th place with $380.
Incredibly, the next player to get wiped-out
would be Danny D. Slowly but surely, his
chips began to disappear when he played
hand after hand and appeared to miss most
of the flops and was forced to fold when
his opponent bet out. The main beneficiary
of Danny D's chip loss was Bill Mullins
-- who played his hands wisely and made
the most of his opportunities with selective
aggression. Unfortunately for Danny D.
his fate was sealed by the time he had
just barely enough chips to last another
round. He played his final hand of the
night when he got incolved in a big pot
with Paul Westley (K-K). The flop came
K-2-2 and Westley managed to make the
most of the opportunity, getting all of
Danny D's chips in the pot before revealing
the powerhouse full-house. Danny D. didn't
bother to show his hand and went out in
4th place with $480.
The most exciting part of the final table
took place when the action got down to
the final three players. Mullins had a
slight chip lead (21K) over Westley (16K)
and Norris (8K). At this point Joel Norris
became a changed man. He had been quiet
most of the time, only getting involved
in hands when he (presumably) had the
best of it. However, with just three players
remaining, Norris turned into a barracuda,
biting and sawing away at the larger stacks
with a slew of raises and re-raises. To
Mullins and Westley, it was like a horror
show -- watching the transformation of
Dr. Jeckyl into Mr. Hyde. Was this the
same player who sat unassumingly for the
first two hours of the final table? Perhaps
it was a rush of cards or perhaps it was
just a major adjustment in strategy (we'll
never know, many of his hands were never
seen). Whatever it was, the tactic worked
as Norris drew about even in chips with
Westley and Mullins.
However, the rush of good fortune would
not last. Westley made a straight against
Norris when his 8 played to a board of
9-10-3-J-Q, which ripped nearly half the
chips out of Norris' stack. He then took
another beat when Mullins (Q-K) got involved
in a hand and the flop came with a queen.
Norris tried to run a couple of bluffs
with A-J, but lost the pot at the end
when Mullins showed top pair. Just as
quickly as he accummulated chips, they
found a new home back in the other two
stacks and Norris was down to just $4,000.
He was dealt another strong hand (A-K)
and made a raise which was called by Westley
(A-Q). When the final board showed Q-9-6-7-9,
that meant the honeymoon was over. Joel
Norris from Ohio -- who was playing in
his first poker tournament ever -- took
third place and $825 in prize money. Quite
a performance.
Head-up
play started with Westley and Mullins
about equal in chips. But, Mullins would
prevail. The key hand of the night occurred
when Westley called a pre-flop raise by
Mullins and then flopped two pair. It
looked like it might be a big hand for
Westley, but Mullins held A-A. When the
board paired -- giving Mullins a higher
two-pair -- that defeat took the wind
out of Westley's sails. The final hand
of the night was dealt -- Mullins with
Q-J versus Westley with A-8. Westley's
last chips went into the pot after the
flop and Mullins was glad to take his
chances with the straigth draw and two
overcards. A blank deuce came on the turn.
It appeared Westley would win the pot
and get back in action, but then a queen
fell on the river which cracked Westley's
hand. Fittingly, it was a pair of Queens
at the Four Queens which was the deciding
hand of the night. Paul "Great Brit" Westley,
who is a native of London, England and
always adds a bit of dignity and good
humor to any event he enters -- took second
place and $1,585. Bill Mullins won first
place and $2,755.
Nolan Dalla
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