Guru
Badger Wins Omaha/8!
Steve Badger, the noted player/writer
Omaha guru, though not getting many hands
until late in the tournament, skillfully
maneuvered his way to one more victory
in his specialty, Omaha hi-lo, in the
seventh event of Winnin’ o’ the Green
2003. Official payout for first place
was $9,030. Badger, whose varied Omaha
victories include a World Series bracelet,
had a 4-3 chip lead when he got heads
up and agreed to a deal. His final opponent
was James “Postman” Belcher, one of two
Lake Elsinore dealers at the final table.
Second place paid $4,635.
However, the real story of this tournament
was how Max Shapiro, poker’s most underrated
player, performed brilliantly in tonight’s
event and made the second table, but then
was forced to dump his chips off because
he had to get ready to do this tournament
write-up.
At the second table, after Scotty Nguyen
was all in with a straight, Joe DeNicola
caught a back-door flush to leave the
World Series champ in 11th place. The
final table started with blinds of $1,000-$2,000,
playing for 2-4k. Alec Garcia arrived
with only $2,500 and lasted but one hand.
He went the same route that Scotty did:
holding A-5-Q-10, he made a straight,
but then Nurhan Mayis busted him with
a river flush. In early going, full-time
players Raymond Davis and Joe DeNicola
seemed to be in every hand. Davis, who
won a limit hold’em event at the Hustler
Casino 10 days ago, got low-chipped when
his A-2 low got quartered. On hand 12
he was all in against Fred Wolf and Dino
Medina. With a board of 8-8-7-5-7, Wolf
had A-2-6-J for the nut low while Medina,
holding 2-3-4-8, took high with a third
8. Davis, collecting $475, mucked his
hand without showing.
After the blinds went to $1,500-$3,000
with $3,000-$6,000 limits, the second
Elsinore dealer was dealt out. In four-way
action, Ruben Vera committed all his chips
after he made a straight, but lost to
Mayis’ bigger straight. Eighth place was
worth $595. On hand 25, Ted Rone, retired
as a computer system developer, ended
up seventh, earning $715. Rone, who’s
now made four money finishes in four Omaha
tournaments in Winnin’ o’ the Green, put
in his last $500 with a board of Q-J-4-6.
He missed his wraparound straight draw,
losing to Wolf’s two pair. At this point,
Mayis had a slight chip lead of $54,000,
followed closely by Wolf with $51,000.
Mayis later jumped into a big lead when
Wolf kept betting his trip 9s while Mayis
called him down with a flush.
DeNicola finished sixth for $950 on hand
38. The best he could make was a paired
ace and lost to Dino Medina’s aces and
9s. Badger, meanwhile, was specializing
in stealing blinds. Belcher, annoyed at
having his blind constantly raised, threatened
to block Badger’s raising arm to protect
himself. Low-chipped and all in several
times already, Wolf, an inventor/investor
who’s been part of the casino scene for
many years, finally broke on hand 42.
In the big blind, he had only $2,000 left
with a weak 3-6-7-Q. When the board came
7-6-4-10-10, he lost to Belcher’s A-2
low and Medina’s pocket aces. Fifth place
was worth $1,190.
The key hand for Badger came on the 48th
deal. He kept betting every street until
the board showed K-2-3-10-9 with three
clubs. Steve then turned over Ac, Jc for
the nut flush that busted Medina. Dino
collected $1,665, and Steve now had close
to $90,000 in chips. It took 20 more hands
before Mayis ended up third, which was
worth $2,375. He held A-A-6-7 and made
7s-full of 6s when the board came 8-7-6-7-4,
but lost to Badger’s 7s full of 8s, while
Belcher took the low with a 2-3. After
the two finalists played one hand, Badger
led, 124k to 91k, and a deal was struck.
BIOGRAPHY
In addition to his 1999 WSOP win,
Steve Badger has Omaha victories at the
Commerce, Gold Coast and at three Legends
events. His Omaha advice can be found
at playwinningpoker.com, where he is the
webmaster. One bit of tournament advice
he gave tonight: players get into trouble
by trying to win lots too early. Tonight,
he said, he won just three pots by the
time he made the final table. He said
he wasn’t getting many cards, but players
were giving him credit for more than he
had when he stole. Winning that big pot
with an A-J flush was important, not only
for the chips, but because he eliminated
Dino Medina, the most experienced opponent
at the table.
Watching closely from the sidelines was
his protégé, Shirley Rosario, a cocktail
waitress at Commerce Casino. “She just
came in second in an Omaha tournament
at Commerce,” Steve commented, “so I had
to show how to come in first.”
Max Shapiro
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