‘Fat
Boy' Gets Fatter with $19,555
Payout in First Tournament Victory
Just
call him "Fat Boy." He's only been playing
poker professionally for a year, he's
a bit publicity shy, and that's the moniker
he wants to go by. Whatever you call him
(and "Fat Boy" is somewhat of a descriptive
exaggeration), he finished first in the
11th event of Hustler Casino's Grand Slam
of Poker Tournament III, $300 limit hold'em.
It ended in a four-way chop, Fat Boy had
a substantial lead and his official payout
was $19,555.
He
came to the final table with a very slight
chip lead ($27,000 to $26,500 for Eddie
Yade) after taking down a very big pot
and knocking out two players at the second
table. In that key hand he had J-9, Randy
Holland had K-J, and a third player had
pocket 4s.
A
flop of Q-10-4 gave open-end straight
draws to both Fat Boy and Holland, and
a set to player number three. A king turned,
giving Holland top pair and Fat Boy his
straight. His two opponents went all in
and Fat Boy, who had earlier been all
in himself at the table, busted both of
them.
Fat
Boy, only in his fourth or fifth tournament,
plays mainly side games, limit hold'em
between $8-$16 and $20-$40, and $600 buy-in
no-limit.
The
final table started with blinds of $1,000-$1,500
and limits of $1,500-$3,000, 32:29 remaining.
Though it started with 10 players, the
official payout included only nine. Technically
on the bubble, though he was voted a share,
was Freddy Legaspi, who started second-lowest
chipped with $9,000. On hand six he was
all in on fourth street with Ac-5c, drawing
to both a straight and flush. He called
for a four of clubs, but got an offsuit
six, missing and losing to Eric Nakahara's
A-10.
The
most dramatic hand at the final table
came down four hands later. Fitoussi Stephane
raised with pocket kings, Ron Miller re-raised
from the button with pocket 10s and Nakahara
called the bets under the gun with A-Q.
A flop of Q-Q-2 gave Nakahara trips. He
slow-played and let Miller bet it, then
bet out when a 9 turned. Then a river
king gave Stephane top set. He check-raised
when Nakahara bet his three queens, and
Miller, all in, finished ninth.
John
Bessent, a retired realtor who decided
to become a poker player in 1990, and
with a couple of tournament wins at Commerce,
finished eighth. He had pocket kings and,
not giving Fat Boy credit for an ace when
one flopped, re-raised after Fat Boy bet
out on the flop, and then kept betting
until he was all in. Fat Boy showed A-8
and we were down to seven players.
Right
after blinds went to $1,000-$2,000 with
limits of $2,000-$4,000, Gioi Luong, making
his third final table in Grand Slam III,
went out on a very bad beat. On a flop
of A-8-6, he was all in with A-J against
Fat Boy's J-9 and was close to a 95 percent
favorite. A 10 turned, and then a 7 on
the river gave Fat Boy an unlikely straight,
and Luong finished seventh.
As play continued, Fat Boy added to his
lead when he started with Ah-Kh against
Stephane, and made a flush on fourth street.
Up
until hand 32, Jae Cha had only been able
to play a single hand. That time, he had
raised under the gun with A-Q and got
no action. Still, despite being blinded
off with no play, he had managed to outlast
four other players. Now it was his turn.
He was very short-chipped in the big blind
holding a reasonable A-J, and called Eddie
Yade's raise. A flop of Q-10-5 gave him
a straight draw with an overcard and he
called all in when Yade bet. A fourth
street ace gave him the card he had wanted.
Unfortunately, Yade, with a K-J, had hit
his open-ender for a Broadway straight,
and a frustrated Cha had to settle for
sixth place.
A
couple of hands later, Nakahara got back
some of the chips he lost when Stephane
made three kings to beat his three queens.
He was in the small blind with J-5 of
clubs and made a flush.
The
tournament ended with still another very
bad beat. Sheldon Hayashi had pocket aces
and was nearly a 93 percent favorite against
Yade, who had A-8. A flop of 8-8-7 gave
Yade trips. Suddenly the tables were completely
turned as Yade became the favorite by
better than 95 percent. Hayashi was dead
to the case ace. A trey turned and a jack
came on the river. Hayashi bet and Yade
put him in for his last $1,000.
There
were now four players left, and, as has
been routinely happening throughout this
tournament series, a chip-count deal was
suggested. Fat Boy led with $71,000; Fitoussi
was second with $47.000; Yade was third
with $41,000; and Nakahara was in fourth
place with $36,500.
After
the usual negotiations, a deal was struck,
and the players cashed out as per their
chip totals.
Fat
Boy now had enough money to keep him in
hamburgers for a long time to come.
Max Shapiro
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