14
Shooting Star Bounties Claimed on the
First Day!
Fourteen
of the 15 bounties were knocked out on
day one of Shooting Star 2003. This is
the seventh year of this exciting and
increasingly popular tournament which,
despite its pre-pay structure, sold out
2-1/2 weeks in advance, the earliest ever.
David Sprinkle, who won last year's limit
hold'em event here and personally knocked
out two of the Shooting Stars, will go
into the second and final day tomorrow
as chip leader with $314,000.
The unique format of Shooting Stars with
its $1,500 bounties presents strategic
problems for the designated stars. They
know that players will be coming after
them at every opportunity because of the
increased pot odds. How does this change
their play?
"I try to bluff a lot less," says John
Bonetti. "I don't like going all in unless
I have the nuts," agrees Barbara Enright.
"You have to be very careful if you're
short-chipped, especially with players
behind you," says Phil Hellmuth. On the
other hand, it can present an opportunity
for the stars to pick up chips. "I'm on
the lookout for players who I feel have
weaker hands than mine, but who are calling
for the bounty," notes Vince Burgio. Also,
points out writer Andy Glazer, name players
are not concentrated at any one table.
Players started with $10,000 in tournament
chips. Blinds began at $25-$50 with 40-minute
rounds. The first Shooting Star blinked
out in 20 minutes. John Bonetti raised
with A-K. Bay 101 employee Ron Zuber called
with Q-10. Trying to trap, Bonetti checked
the flop of A-K-6, but then a turn-card
jack gave Zuber a straight. Bonetti checked,
Zuber bet about $400, Bonetti made a small
raise, Zuber moved in, and it was all
over.
One minute into the third level, John
Juanda limped with pocket 3s, as did several
other players. The flop was A-9-3. Juanda
checked his set, Paul Nguyen bet, Juanda
moved in, Nguyen called and collected
his tee shirt when a 9 on the turn filled
him. Bernard Ko, winner of the 2002 Shooting
Stars tournament, was next out when his
pocket 7s were beaten by Lloyd Fontillas'
pocket queens. The clock had just stopped
for a break after the third level when
O.C. Cogdil, a hotel/restaurant owner
who became a star by winning a freeroll
tournament, raised all in pre-flop with
pocket 10s. One player called and so did
Kathy Liebert. She had pocket jacks and
won going away when a jack turned.
Marsha Waggoner was eliminated at level
5 with blinds of $150-$300 and $50 antes.
Holding K-J of diamonds, Lent Lin raised
$1,100. Marsha went in for all her $1,850
with pocket 10s and lost when a king flopped.
Two world champions were knocked out in
quick succession at level 6 when blinds
were $250-$500 with $50 antes. First,
Tom McEvoy took a bad beat, A-Q against
Q-J. Before the flop, John Muntazir raised
$2,000 and Tom re-raised all in for $4,075.
A flop of A-K-10 gave Muntazir a straight.
Moments later, Phil Hellmuth, chip-depleted
after twice losing to flushes, went all
in with pocket 10s against Ravi Udayakumar's
A-K and flamed out on a board of K-10-4-8-7.
Near the end of that level, Loc Le opened
for $1,000 with pocket deuces. One player
called and Erik Seidel then pushed in
all his $6,400 with A-Q. A flop of K-10-4
gave Seidel two overcards and a gut-shot
straight draw, but the deuces held up
and Erik was the eighth star out. The
next bounty did not depart until five
levels later. Mike Sexton moved in for
$12,100 with A-K offsuit and Cuong Nguyen,
who had $12,800 left, called with 2s,
2x. A flop of A-5-3 with two spades gave
Cuong an inside straight draw. Instead,
two running spades gave him a flush to
end Sexton's chances. Immediately after,
Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, holding 8-7, moved
in for about 8k when an 8 flopped. But
Sprinkle was waiting with A-8, and Sprinkle
took the twinkle out of one more Star.
Perhaps 10 minutes later, "Miami John"
Cernuto looked down, found an ace and
decided to move in for about $6,500. Phi
Nguyen made an automatic call with pocket
jacks. Cernuto's other card was just a
4, but it was too late for the former
air traffic controller to change course,
and when no ace came, we were down to
four stars. Blinds were $1,200-$2,400
when Scotty Nguyen, another world champion,
moved in for about $14,000 after flopping
a set of kings. Lloyd Fontillas, with
A-7 of hearts, called with a flush draw
and hit it on the turn to collect his
second Star bounty.
Down to two tables, Sprinkle was the chip
leader with about 165k. Blinds were now
$2,000-$4,000 with $500 antes, costing
$10,500 to play each round. Very short-chipped
after her A-K fell to Maureen Feduniak's
pocket aces, Barbara Enright moved in
with A-Q. There was a call and Sprinkle
overcalled with A-6. Barbara was a 2.8-1
favorite over David, but when a 6 flopped,
he collected his second bounty and left
Barbara on the money bubble.
A
few hands later, a 6 also finished the
14th bounty, Vince Burgio. When a player
going by the name of "MC" made it $25,000
to go from the big blind with 8-6, Vince
moved in for $60,000 with A-9. A river
6 left Men "The Master" Nguyen as the
last remaining bounty.
The
final 10 regrouped at one table to play
down to nine. After seven minutes the
limits went to 3-6k with $1,000 antes.
Fifteen minutes into that level, Louis
Pires moved in for about $32,000 with
pocket jacks. Andy Gamboa called with
pocket kings. The board came 9-9-2-K-5
and Andy's full house set the stage for
tomorrow's finale of Shooting Star 2003.
Max Shapiro
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