5
FINAL TABLES, POINT LEAD
& POT-LIMIT WIN FOR 'KIWI'
Graeme
"Kiwi" Putt is emerging as the
superstar of the first annual St. Maarten
Open. Tonight the man from Melbourne,
Australia made his fifth final table (and
four in a row) out of the nine buy-in
events thus far, arriving as the all-around
points leader. Starting below average
in chips, he made a late surge, roared
to victory in the $150 pot-limit hold'em
event, collected an official $13,965 and
added to his points lead.
Milking
players, the retired dairy farmer has
decided, is a lot more fun than milking
cows.
Putt
already holds titles in stud and hold'em
in events at Slovenia, New Zealand and
Australia. When he got heads-up tonight,,
he had $210,000 to $120,000 for the UK's
Steve Jelinek and the two quickly made
a deal.
For
most of the tournament, it seemed as if
a Russian would rush off with the tournament.
Oleg Shamardin of St. Petersburg started
with the second chip lead behind Jelinek,
quickly took charge and used his chips
as a cudgel to bully the table. With five
players left, he had $135,000 of the $330,000
in play against only $16,500 for Putt.
But Shamardin then took three big hits,
got low-chipped and ended up fourth.
The
final table commenced with blinds of $1,200-$2,400,
15:19 left. On the second hand, the flop
showed 7-6-4, all diamonds. David Alimi
bet $2,400 and Kerry Small, one of two
players at the table from New Jersey,
moved in from the big blind holding 6-3.
A turn-card five gave him a straight,
but he was drawing dead because Alimi,
with 9d-8d, had flopped a flush.
Next
out, on hand nine, was Donna Morris. Before
the flop, David Michelson raised to $2,400.
Poker player Steve Vladar moved in for
$8,400 with pocket kings. Jelinek called
with A-Q, Morris called with Q-10 and
Michelson got out of their way. Five rags
hit the board, and the dealer from the
UK was dealt out of the tournament.
Blinds
increased to $1,500 and $3,000, permitting
initial raises of between $6,000 and $10,500.
Carol Everton, winner of an earlier no-limit
event, was the second woman at the table.
She found herself all in with A-7 on hand
28 against Shamardin's pocket fours. The
British interior designer couldn't catch
anything and finished eighth.
Shamardin
continued to pick up chips with heavy
raising. Then, after blinds went to $2,400-$4,000,
he went against Steve Vladar, a British
pro making his fourth final table. Shamardin
made a maximum raise to $14,000 with pocket
10s and Vladar moved in for $23,500 with
A-J. The board came K-6-2-3-K, Vladar
was finished, and Shamardin, who listed
his occupation as logistics, now had about
$140,000.
Michelson,
making his third final table, departed
five hands later. Holding J-10, he tried
a maximum raise to $14,000 on the button
holding J-10. Alimi came over the top
for $26,000 more with 9s-8s and Michelson
called. A flop of Qs-9h-5s gave Michelson
an open-end straight draw and Alimi a
flush draw. An ace of spades turned and
Michelson bet all in for $10,000. He was
glad to see a 10 on the river, then realized
that Alimi had a flush. It was the second
time that Alimi had flushed away a player.
The
Parisian Alimi is an artist, but his girlfriend,
constantly at his side during these tournaments,
filled out his bio sheet and listed his
occupation as "boyfriend."
When
blinds went to $3,000-$6,000 on hand 56,
Shamardin was still way ahead with $135,000.
In his wake were: Alimi, $73,000;Jelinek,
$55,000; Robert Nappe (the other New Jersey
resident), $49,500; and Putt, $16,500.
Now
Kiwi started to make his move. On the
first hand, he doubled up with A-K against
Nappe's K-J suited. Later, he raised to
$19,000 with Kd-10d and Nappe moved with
Ad-Qd. When a 10 flopped, Kiwi doubled
through again and Nappe was left with
just $4,000. He lost that on the next
hand and finished fifth when Shamardin,
with A-9, paired an ace on the river.
Now
Shamardin began his slide. Just before
blinds went to $4,000-$8,000, he took
his first hit. He made a $15,000 raise
from the small blind, then folded when
Jelenik bet 15k into a board of 9-8-5-3.
On hand 91, he absorbed a second blow,
and this one stung. Alimi went all in
with a raise to $27,000 holding Kc-3c,
and Shamardin called from the button with
A-10 offsuit. With the board showing 7-7-6-Q,
it looked like Alimi was on his way out.
Then a river trey saved him. "That's
the game," Alimi said soothingly
after Shamardin banged his chips on the
table in frustration.
On
the next hand, Shamardin was down to $38,500
after he called Jelinek's $17,000 raise,
and then folded when Jelinek moved in
on a flop of J-7-7. One more hand, and
Shamardin was gone. Kiwi raised to $20,000
with A-Q, and he called with A-10. The
flop came K-8-2 and Shamardin made an
all-in move for his last $18,500. Two
rags came, and Kiwi's higher kicker played.
Kiwi
now had $148,000 to $128,000 for Jelinek
and $54,000 for Alimi. Two hands later
it was all over. Kiwi raised with As-Kc
and Alimi put in his last chips with Ac-Qc.
A board of J-6-5-9-2 didn't change anything.
The tournament was heads-up and ended
immediately with a deal.
-- by Max Shapiro
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