CAR
DEALER IN HIGH GEAR
STREAKS TO NO-LIMIT WIN
Today's
$200 no-limit hold'em event, the fifth
in the 2003 Four Queens Poker Classic,
was pretty much a one-man show. Cleve
Haley, a used-car dealer from San Antonio,
Texas, arrived at the final table with
a sizeable chip lead, personally knocked
out six of his nine opponents, and streaked
across the finish line like Haley's Comet.
This
has been a very good year for Haley, who
plays mostly at a private club in Texas.
Playing in only six Vegas tournaments
this year, he also won a $1,500 no-limit
tourney at the Bellagio and split a no-limit
event at the World Series, cashing in
for $160,000, his biggest win ever. He
also won a $1,000 no-limit event here
six or seven years ago. Haley, describing
himself as a "very aggressive"
player, was by far the most aggressive
in today's event.
Final-table
action started with $800-$1,600 blinds
and in four minutes went to $1,000-$2,000,
with $300 antes. Johnny Donaldson busted
out a few hands later. He was on the button
with Q-J, and Haley had K-10. With a flop
of A-10-3, Donaldson called Haley's $5,000
bet and then threw in his last couple
of chips on the turn without making anything.
Daniel
Mui arrived with only $1,200. He hung
around until hand 11, posting his last
chips in the big blind with Ks-2s. Pro
player Anthony Tran, in the small blind,
broke him with ace-high when the board
missed both players.
Two
more players gave up their seats in the
next six hands. First to go was Pete Kaufman,
a retiree with a WSOP final table this
year to his credit. Brian Gray, a software
developer, raised and put him in with
K-Q. Kaufman had K-9, couldn't hit anything
and Gray polished him off with a river
queen. A hand later, Hamy Wahjudi moved
in for his last $4,200 with A-10. Brent
Spencer, an air traffic controller playing
his first tournament, took control by
calling with pocket eights and stranding
Wahjudi in seventh place when the board
showed K-J-7-2-7.
Oscar
San Miguel, an Austin, Texas trial lawyer,
started with a modest $11,400 and had
gone in a couple of times already, but
then made a big comeback. With a flop
of K-9-A, he bet 25k holding A-4 and doubled
through when Jeff Crabdree, a wrestling
coach, called with K-Q.
Blinds
now went to $1,500-$3,000, with $400 antes.
"Every time it's my big blind, the
limits go up," Haley complained.
"It must be working," replied
tournament assistant Jody Ivener. "You've
got all the chips."
A
few hands later, Gray found himself in
the blind with all his chips committed.
He had A-10. Tran went after him holding
Kh-4h and caught three hearts to cut the
field to five.
When
the players took a short break a few hands
later, the field consisted of three big
stacks and two small. In the first category
were Haley with about 65k; Tran with 59k;
and San Miguel, with around 54k. The have-nots
were Spencer with 16k and Crabdree with
9k. As play continued, Haley turned up
the heat with unanswered raises and all-in
moves as he continued to expand his lead.
One
small stack evaporated on hand 38. Spencer
had much the better hand, K-10 to Haley's
Q-10, but Haley hit the flop when a Q-9-7
came and bet $12,000. Spencer called,
missed his inside straight draw and finished
fifth.
The
other small stack, now a little bigger
at $6,600, went in on hand 43 with Crabdree
holding Q-5. "Leave the dirty business
for me, huh?" said Tran. He called,
a nearly a 3-1 favorite with Q-J, but
the wrestling coach broke the hammerlock
when a five flopped. By the time the stakes
had gone to $2,000-$4,000 blinds with
$500 antes, Haley had zoomed to just over
100k. Tran had 47k; San Miguel 37k and
Crabdree was still bringing up the rear
with 16k.
Six
hands into the new level, the wrestling
coach was pinned to the mat. With his
big blind coming up next, he moved in
for about $10,000 with K-8. Haley saw
him with Ad-9d and made a full house when
the board came 10-9-4-10-10. Haley, with
a huge lead of 123k to 44k for San Miguel
and 37k for Tran, now agreed to a chip-count
chop and 10 more minutes of play for the
points and title. "Time to go crazy
now, right?" Tran said.
With
money no longer at stake, the betting
indeed got much wilder. Tran bet $20,000
with A-2. Haley moved him in holding A-J
and broke him when the board changed nothing.
A hand later, San Miguel went meekly in
the big blind with 6-2, losing to Haley's
Jc-8c as the car dealer roared across
the finish line.
Max Shapiro
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