VAN
PHAM SCORES TWICE IN A
ROW BY WINNING 7-STUD HI-LO
Vietnamese pro Van Pham unofficially ran
up two straight triumphs as he came from
behind to take down the sixth event of
L.A. Poker Classic XIII, $500 7-card stud
hi-lo. The night before he technically
came in second to Massoud Setayesh after
they played showdown, but he had locked
up the most money in an earlier chip-count
deal. Tonight's win also brought him the
points lead.
The
chip leader for almost all of this tournament
had been Victor Perches, a Vegas pro who
played a steady, conservative game to
accumulate a very big lead. Then, with
three players left and Perches still holding
a big lead, it all turned around. Showing
aces on fifth street, and catching a third
bullet on sixth, Perches kept betting,
even as Pham, who had made an 8-high straight
in five cards, repeatedly warned him,
"No good, no good." Pham scooped and suddenly
had two-thirds of all the chips.
There
was an interesting contrast in table demeanors.
While Perches was very quiet and businesslike,
Pham, John Phan and Reza joked and chatted
up a storm. Then there was Liz Heim, a
sergeant with the L.A.P.D., who sometimes
had to police the boys' behavior. One
time, low-chipped, she was heads up with
Phan, who asked her how many chips she
had left. She counted them out. On the
next card, he asked the same question.
"Three thousand less than last time,"
she replied acidly. Another time, Pham
checked his hole cards before betting
out against her. "Don't look back like
you have to make up your mind," she admonished
him as she folded.
The
final table started with $200 antes, a
$500 bring-in and $1,500-$3,000 limits,
29:15 left at that level. Chips were fairly
evenly distributed, ranging from $18,500
for Chioi Luong to $30,900 for Phan.
Thor
Hansen, who holds two World Series bracelets,
two European championships and two LAPC
titles, got in trouble on hand three when
he was dealt rolled-up deuces. "You have
to have a perfect card to beat me," Phan
cautioned as Hansen kept betting. Phan's
board of 5-Q-4-7 didn't look threatening,
but he turned up three babies for a wheel
scoop, leaving the Oslo, Norway native
with about $7,000. Hansen eventually would
go all in and survive an astonishing eight
times before finally finishing sixth.
First
out was Ken Berg, an investor who said
he hates stud and was only playing for
practice. With limits at $2,000-$4,000,
$500 antes and a $500 bring-in. He started
and ended with pocket 10s, losing to Hansen's
flush and Pham's 8-low. A few hands later,
the lady cop made a bust. She started
with low cards and made two pair to bust
Luong, who drew to both a flush and a
low on seventh street and caught a banana.
Perilously
low after barely escaping for the last
time when Pham quartered him, Hansen exited
after limits went to $3,000-$6,000. Showing
7-8-2-K, Hansen mucked and left after
Perches made aces and Pham an 8-low.
As
play continued, Perches neared the 100k
mark after scooping Heim with aces. Next
out was Phan, who got caught up in three-way
action. He was all in on fourth street
and finished fifth when he couldn't beat
Payvar's two aces or Pham's low. Phan,
who holds two World Poker Open titles,
also finished second in the $300 no-limit
hold'em event.
The
difference between Pham's freewheeling
style and Perches' controlled play became
apparent when Payvar, showing 9-5, bet
and was down to just one $1,000 chip.
Perches, with almost 100k, folded rather
than risk 4k to bust him.
With
limits at $5,000-$10,000 with $1,000 antes
and a $2,000 low card, Perches was still
the chip leader. He had 99k, followed
by Pham, 61k; Heim, 19k; and Payvar, 7k.
Three
hands later, Sergeant Heim was demoted
and left the game in fourth place. She
had a great start, (3-6)A-2, and went
all in on fourth street, but was then
hit with three bricks. Pham was a bit
luckier. He caught an 8d on the river
to give him a straight, a flush and a
low. Heim has made numerous final tables,
but has yet to win a tournament.
The
key hand came with Perches showing 5-A-A-A
and Pham with 7-8-4-Q. When he turned
up 5-6 for the straight, Pham suddenly
had $125,000 of the $186,000 in play.
After
hanging on and going all in a few times,
and building up to $29,000 with a river
flush against Pham, Payvar went out in
third place. He started with a promising
(6-7)5 and re-raised Pham. He went all
in after being dealt a 9 and a 7 and couldn't
make a low or improve his pair while Pham,
starting with split 8s, made two pair.
After
some heads-up play, Perches, folding with
a board of K-J-3-10 against Pham's J-3-5-7,
was down to 5k. On the next and final
hand, both players ended up with a pair
of treys, but Pham's king edged Perches'
10 for the win.
-- by Max Shapiro
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