Quick
Win for Ex-Auditor!
Short.
That's the best way to describe the fourth
event of Winnin' o' the Green 2003. The
final table of the $50 limit hold'em event
lasted a mere 17 hands when the seven
remaining players agreed to a chip-count
deal. Holding the most chips was a retired
auditor for the Department of Defense
named Robert Bakovic, who had $153,000,
or 30 percent of the $510,000 in play,
nearly twice as many as second-place finisher
B.J. Behboudi. Bakovic is a local recreational
player who took to playing mid-limit tournaments
following his retirement.
There were two poker dealers at the final
table. One of them, Jan Somchub, started
with a chip lead of $89,000. The other,
Jan Williams, was in the third spot with
$67,000. So, for a while, it seemed as
if the fourth straight event of Winnin'
o' the Green might be won by a casino
employee, but it was not to be, even though
both dealers were among the seven finalists.
The final table got there after Marcus
Pruitt finished 11th. He had A-K and called
all in for $2,000 on a flop of Q-9-6.
Tony Bigdali had A-Q and caught a superfluous
third queen on the river.
The last table began with blinds of $3,000-$6,000
and limits of $6,000-$12,000. The first
six hands were identical: one raise and
nine folds, and it wasn’t until hand 7
that a flop was dealt. On that deal, Lalaine
Manalo, a dietary supervisor, made it
12k to go with A-9. Bigdali flat called
with pocket kings from the big blind.
On a flop of K-J-10, Tony bet his set
and Lalaine called all in, escaping when
a queen on fourth street gave her a straight.
The colorful and voluble Fran Pinchot,
who took up poker after retiring as a
high school basketball coach, had been,
as usual, talking up a storm. The room
became a lot quieter when he suddenly
departed on hand 10, just after blinds
had increased to $5,000 and $10,000, with
$10,000-$20,000 limits. Announcing he
had aces, but actually holding Q-J, Pinchot
splashed in his last $10,000. Bigdali
decided to call with 7-5 of clubs. The
board came 8-4-2-7-K, and the paired 7
put Fran out of business. Tenth spot paid
$385.
Pat Waters is a retired major league baseball
player who played first base for the Detroit
Tigers and Chicago White Sox and whose
daughter is a Lakers cheerleader. To this
point he had been throwing hard, putting
in the most raises. On hand number 12,
Somchub looked at pocket aces and raised.
Waters, with pocket 7s, three-bet it to
put her in. When the board showed 8-4-3-2-Q,
Somchub doubled up.
The next hand was the big one. Bakovic
raised with pocket 9s and Waters called
from the big blind with Q-10. The flop
of 10-9-5 gave Waters top pair. He check-raised
and then Bakovic made it three bets with
his set. When an 8 turned, he bet and
Waters folded. Bakovic now had about $150,000
in chips.
On hand 16, Manalo raised all in for $16,000
with A-6. In the big blind, Bigdali called
the 6k raise with just 6-4. A board of
9-5-7-5-3 gave Tony a straight, and the
nutritionist cashed out in ninth place
with $460.
The next hand was the last. In three-way
action, Bakovic raised with Q-10, Shig
Nekeyama, who is in sales, called all
in for his last $20,000 with pocket aces,
and then Waters called with pocket 4s.
On a flop of 7-6-6, Waters bet his last
$8,000. A queen on the turn paired Bakovic
and a river 5 changed nothing. Shig won
the main pot, Bakovic the side and the
ex-ballplayer took a third strike and
cashed out for $570. The players now accepted
a chip-count deal, and that brought the
festivities to a close.
BIOGRAPHY
Robert Bakovic, 56, spent 28 years
with the Department of Defense, auditing
defense contractors on the West Coast.
He had played poker all his life, almost
entirely in home games, and started playing
medium-limit tournaments for recreation
when he retired about 18 months ago. “I
play almost every day, but just for the
fun of it,” he says. “I’m glad to break
even.” He’s won six or eight little tournaments,
but this is his first major win.
His game of choice is hold’em, both limit
and no-limit. He describes his style of
play as tight/aggressive. Tonight, he
said, he was in pretty good shape most
of the way through, though he did go all
in a couple of times in the late stages.
The big break, he agrees, came when he
flopped a set of nines and took over the
chip lead.
Max Shapiro
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