MATH
TEACHER HUTYRA
GETS HIS NUMBERS RIGHT
The
game was 7-card stud hi-lo, and all three
finalists, Fred Clayton, Randy Holland
and Thomas Hutyra, were both high and
low at various stages as chips went back
and forth. "You've got me in a corner,
but I've been there before," warned
Hutyra, as he put in his last $2,500 at
one point. True to his word, he won with
three eights and climbed steadily up from
there. In the end he ran over the table
to capture the sixth event of the 2003
Four Queens Poker Classic, 7-card stud
eight or better. "We should have
kicked him when he was down," Holland
observed later.
By
all rights, Clayton, a retired pilot for
United Airlines with seven WSOP cash-ins,
should have won. He had piled up a big
chip lead and had momentum. But then he
couldn't seem to find a hand he didn't
like, played seemingly every pot, squandered
chips and eventually finished second.
Hutrya
taught math in high school and college
in Texas for 30 years and. began playing
poker when still in college. He likes
the excitement of tournaments and finds
side games boring. He's won a few other
tournaments, but the highlight of his
poker career was playing at Hugh Briscoe's
home game while still in school, facing
the likes of Bobby Baldwin, Doyle Brunson
and Amarillo Slim.
There
were two empty seats on the bus when the
final table got underway after three players
got knocked out in the same deal with
two tables left. At one table, Clayton
disposed of two players when he made a
flush. He left Roland Fenning in seventh
place and Pete Kaufman in eighth. Meanwhile,
at the other table, Randy Holland caught
trip treys to finish off Ray Rumler.
The
final table began with $200 antes, a $300
low-card bring-in and limits of $800-$1,600,
with 31:29 remaining. It looked like travel
agent Jan Theskin would be soon traveling
herself because she arrived with only
$900. But the lady proved resilient. She
quickly went all in and scooped, in three-way
action, with queens-up. Three hands later,
again all in, she scooped once more with
a full house.
Instead,
it was noted pro Vince Burgio, starting
second-lowest with $6,600, who was next
out. He started with a promising (2-6)3
and then caught three paints in a row,
ending up with just two treys. In the
same hand, John Robertson had rolled-up
eights and got in a raising war with Clayton.
He failed to fill and Clayton scooped
with a 10-high straight.
Four
hands after the limits rose to $1,000-$2,000
with $200 antes and a $400 bring-in, the
players went on their 7:45 dinner break.
Clayton, who started the final table in
third place, just behind Hutyra and Holland,
now had a big lead of $40,000. Hutyra
was second with $23,700, Holland third
with $14,200, Theskin had moved up a notch
with $7,100 while Robertson, stung by
Clayton's straight, trailed with $5,400.
After
missing draws to both a straight and flush,
Robertson was down to $1,400. But he rallied
and outlasted Thesken who had already
gone all in four times. After limits went
to $1,500-$3,000, with $500 antes, she
missed a wheel draw, made two small pair
and lost to Clayton's queens-up. Robertson
followed her out on the next hand. On
sixth street, he had 10-J-Q-K-8-2 and
only had to beat two fours, but it was
his lowly deuce that got paired.
It
was now three-handed, and Clayton was
still in the lead. He seemed unable to
pace himself, but he was catching cards.
Just before the limits went to $2,000-$4,000,
with $300 antes and a $500 bring-in, Hutyra
hit bottom, then started bouncing back
after his trip eights escape. He then
put a big hit on Clayton with two pair
after Clayton missed draws to a flush
and wheel and ended up with two kings.
By the time limits went to $500-$1,000
with $300 antes and a $600 bring-in, Clayton
had dipped down to $1,2500 while Hutyra
had zoomed to $46,000 and Holland had
$33,000. Holland finally finished off
Clayton. He started with (A-4)5 and made
a full house while Clayton began with
(3-3)7 and made a flush.
The
two finalists now made a deal and continued
to play. On the fourth hand heads-up,
a 61k pot developed. "Aces-up,"
said Holland. "Aces and what?"
replied Hutyra. It was the last thing
Holland, with just aces and fours, wanted
to hear. He never recovered after losing
to Hutyra's aces and eights. On the final
hand he was down to $3,000. He started
with (3-3)4 and made queens-up. Hutyra
started with split 10s, and won it all
when he ended with kings-up.
Max Shapiro
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