TONY
‘THE MAILMAN' DELIVERS
A $129,500 PACKAGE TO HIMSELF
Tony
"The Mailman" Tolentino picked up an official
$129,500 for winning the ninth event of
2004 California State Poker Championship,
$500 no-limit hold'em. The key hands came
when he twice doubled up against chip
leader George Haouzi.
Equally
important to him, however, was knocking
out David "The Dragon" Pham, the only
man he really feared at the table. He
did that by making a small trap raise
with pocket kings, luring the Dragon into
making an all-in re-raise. One hand later,
Tolentino made a chip count deal with
the other finalists, Tony Abesamis and
Scott Downes, to end the tournament.
This
is the biggest cash-out for the Norwalk
mailman who has prior wins at the Bike's
Mini Series of Poker and at Crystal Park,
along with a second at Legends. He said
he had felt confident ever since he won
his way into this event via a Friday morning
satellite.
The
10 finalists started playing with $300
antes and $1,000-$2,000 blinds, 30:33
remaining. Haouzi, who has played tournaments
at the World Series and in Paris, was
making his first final table as he arrived
with a substantial chip lead of $143,500.
On
the second hand, An Ha moved in for his
remaining $5,400 with A-K and lost to
Tolentino's pocket 9s.
Hand
five cost Haouzi dearly. He called Tolentino's
$6,000 raise holding Kh-10h and had a
straight flush draw when Qh-9h-8c flopped.
The Mailman, holding A-J for a gut shot
straight draw, bet $9,000. A fourth street
10 gave him the straight. He bet $20,000
and then moved in on the river for about
another $20,000 when an offsuit 5 fell.
Haouzi called with his paired 10 and was
down to about $85,000 while the Mailman
now had about $100,000.
On
the next hand, Scott Downes moved in for
$15,700 with 5c-5h. The Mailman, calling
with A-K, had him when an ace flopped
and a king turned, but a fourth club on
the river gave Downes an unexpected flush.
David
Pham later raised his usual opening bet
of triple the big blind and was not called.
Being in just average chip position, he
would continue to play a careful, conservative
game and avoid getting involved in big
pots. But he decided to call from the
small blind with K-Q when Tuan Phan moved
in on the button for $10,900 on an attempted
steal with Q-8. Phan, a Sacramento business
owner, finished ninth when all small cards
hit.
An
unusual situation developed on hand 13.
"Doodle," the young New Yorker making
his second final table, opened for 7k
with 9-9 and Haouzi called with A-6. Doodles
flopped a set when the board came Q-10-9.
Then a jack and king hit, putting a king-high
straight on board. Doodle, who couldn't
beat the board, bet. Haouzi, who now had
a nut straight, just called! Later asked
about this lapse, he explained that he
lost his glasses, was making do with a
off-the-rack pair from the gift shop downstairs,
and had trouble reading cards.
With
$500 antes and $1,500-$3,000 blinds, Partha
Datta, a professional online poker player,
moved in for $21,500 with 7-7. Tony Abesamis
called with 10-10 and then J.C. Tran moved
all in for about $35,000 holding pocket
kings. A 10 flopped to give Abesamis a
winning set. Tran finished seventh and
Datta eighth, while Abesamis' chip count
rose to about $130,000, against about
$140,000 for Haouzi.
Haouzi
then took two consecutive hits. The first
time he called Torentino's $25,000 raise
with A-K, then folded when the Mailman
bet all in on a 10-9-8 flop. The next
hand he raised to $8,000 with Qc-9c, then
called when Doodle, holding Ks-10s, bet
all in for $23,500 on a flop of J-10-9.
Haouzi missed his straight draw while
Doodle hit a third 10 on the river.
Pham
appeared to be getting out of line when
he opened for $9,500. That was $500 more
than his standard thrice the big blind
bet. What was he doing? We'll never know
because he wasn't called.
On the next hand, Doodle moved in for
$22,000 with K-J. He was in very bad shape
when Downes, a Washington state contractor,
called with Ah-Kh. Two kings hit the board,
and Downes' ace kicker left Doodle in
sixth place.
The
Dragon began to lose his fire on hand
39. He opened with his new standard raise
of $9,500. Tolentino called. Pham bet
$12,000 on a flop of 10-4-3 and again
Tolentino called. When a deuce turned,
Tolentino bet $20,000 and Pham folded.
Now
came the hand that propelled the Mailman
into a decisive chip lead. He opened for
$24,000, Haouzi came over the top for
$24,000 more and Tolentino moved in. Haouzi
called all in for about $60,000 more with
9-9 to Tolentino's Ad-Qd. The board came
Q-J-J-4-4, and Haouzi was out in fifth
place while Tolentino began stacking up
about $260,000.
Pham
managed to triple up his diminishing chips
when he moved in for $32,000 with A-5,
got called by Abesamis with 7-7 and Tolentino
with K-J, and won when he flopped a 5
and caught an ace on the river.
With
blinds at $2,000-$4,000, Tolentino led
with about $240,000 to $160,000 for Abesamis,
$75,000 for Pham and $50,000 for Downes.
Downes later doubled up against Abesmis
when he moved in with A-Q and Abesamis
called with A-3.
The deciding hand came when Tolentino
made a small opening raise to $8,000 with
K-K. Pham moved in for $31,000 with Ac-10c.
Torentino turned a set and three were
left.
One hand later the finalists counted their
chips. Torentino had $239,000; Abesamis
had $162,500; and Downes had $124,500.
After some discussion, a deal was reached,
and the postman posted his biggest win
ever.
-- by Max Shapiro
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