2002 Bellagio Five Diamond
World Poker Classic
Friday,
December 6, 2002
Event #5
No Limit Hold'em
BUY-IN:
$1,000 + $60
Players: 231
Prize Pool: $224,070
1
Hon Le Bell Gardens, CA $89,628
2 Aidan
Bennett Dublin, Ireland $44,814
3 Surinder Sunar Wolverhampton,
England $22,407
4 Jason Lane Chandler, AZ
$13,444
5 Peter Vilandos Houston,
TX $10,084
6 Jack Duncan Las Vegas, NV
$7,842
7 Harley Hall San Juan Capistrano,
CA $5,602
8 Brian Green San Jose, Costa
Rica $4,482
9 Jesus Caampueed Las Vegas,
NV $3,585
10 David Chesnoff Las Vegas,
NV $2,689
11 David Levi Pacific Palisades,
CA $2,689
12 David White Midland, TX
$2,689
13 Jeff Shulman Las Vegas,
NV $2,465
14 Marc Magazu Las Vegas,
NV $2,465
15 Reza Payvar Tarzana, CA
$2,465
16 Humberto Brenes San Jose,
Costa Rica $2,240
17 Brad Daugherty Las Vegas,
NV $2,240
18 Daniel Barnett Capistrano
Beach, CA $2,240
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TOURNAMENT
REPORT
Some
of the 231 players in the
field must have felt like
they had been hit by one
of those fierce winter storms
in the Bellagio poker room
during the No Limit Hold'em
event of the Bellagio Five
Diamond World Poker Classic,
but it turned out to be
Hon �Kamikaze� Le, who was
aggressively firing away
chips on his way to the
title and first place prize
money of $89,268.
Le, a professional player
from Bell Gardens, CA, demonstrated
how he has earned his �Kamikaze�
nickname by almost recklessly
shoving his chips into the
middle of the table time
and again, even when he
still needed must-have hit
cards.
A
long-time student of world-class
player Men �The Master�
Nguyen, Le played very well
but also seemed to had some
key hits when he needed
it. It became very evident
early in tournament play
for the 44-year-old former
construction worker when
he raised all-in on a flush
draw that hit, giving him
nearly $90,000 in chips.
He never looked back.
Le
moved to the U.S. in 1982
from Vietnam but didn�t
start playing poker until
1989. It was in 1996 that
his stepfather asked The
Master to help Le refine
his playing skills. Although
at times his hard-hitting
betting style worries his
coach, Le has become a formidable
tournament competitor. His
2002 tournament credits
include second in the Bicycle
Casino�s Legends of Poker
No Limit Hold'em championship
event, first in the Northern
California Classic�s Limit
Hold'em event and eight
other top 8 finishes in
events at major tournaments.
Two
Europeans got the next two
spots in the Bellagio No
Limit Hold'em event, with
Aidan Bennett of Dublin,
Ireland, winning second
place money of $44,814,
and Surinder Sunar of Wolverhampton,
England, taking third place
and $22,407. Jason Lane
of Chandler, AZ, was fourth
($13,444), and Peter Vilandos
of Houston, TX, fifth ($10,084).
Finishing
out the top 10 were 6-Jack
Duncan of Las Vegas, NV;
7-Harley Hall of San Juan
Capistrano, CA; 8-Brian
Green of San Jose, Costa
Rica (who won Wednesday�s
Pot Limit Hold'em event);
9-Jesus Caampueed of Las
Vegas, NV; and 10-David
Chesnoff of Las Vegas, NV.
A
total prize pool of $224,070
was generated by the 231
entries for this $1,000
buy-in event.
��
Jim Sherwood
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