Bike
Dealer Gets Slim Win!
By
a one-chip margin, Bicycle Casino poker
dealer Esfandiar “Jack” Jadidi captured
the Casino Employee event that kicked
off the 14th annual Winnin’ o’ the Green.
When the three finalists did a chip-count
deal, Jadidi had $57,500, just $500 more
than runner-up Gary Derlugian. But that
was enough to give him the title and trophy.
Jadidi had played in a couple of prior
employee events, but this is his first
cash-out.
More remarkable than Jadidi’s win, however,
was the second-place finish of Derlugian,
a bartender at Commerce Casino. Not only
was he playing his first tournament ever,
but he only plays poker “once in a blue
moon.” He said he got very lucky because
“I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.”
Ten players were seated at the final table.
Limits started at $3,000 and $6,000. With
those limits and 20-minute rounds, the
players had to play fast. Virak Theav,
a dealer at Hawaiian Gardens, played fast
enough to leave on the fourth hand. Starting
with only $1,000, he was one away from
the blind with A-7. Figuring that was
as good as he was going to get, he called.
Ros Mak, holding pocket kings, raised
and got heads-up. A flop of A-K-8 gave
Mak, a dealer at the Bike, a set, and
now nine were left as Theav picked up
$225 for his 10th place finish.
Gary, the “clueless” bartender, knew enough
to raise with pocket queens a hand later.
All in, he was up against an A-10, but
the ladies saved him, and Derlugian was
on his way. One hand after that, Adel
Daniel, a dealer at Hawaiian Gardens,
was all in with A-5 of hearts against
Jadidi’s A-Q. On the turn he paired his
5, but it was too little too late because
Jack had flopped a queen. Daniel collected
$250 for finishing ninth.
With limits at $4,000 and $8,000, two
players departed on hand 13. Cesar Vizgarra,
on the button, raised and went all in
with pocket 9s. Mark Sanna, in the small
blind, called, also all in with A-J. Ros
Mak had the big blind and he called as
well with A-8. A flop of A-K-Q put Mark
in the lead. A turn-card Q changed nothing.
But then an 8 on the river gave Ros two
pair to knock out both all-in players.
Sanna, who’s been dealing for more than
20 years, including 16 at Commerce, had
fewer chips than Vizgarra and got $280
for ending up eighth. “But I had a better
hand than his,” he protested jokingly.
(Not exactly. Pocket 9s are a slight favorite
over A-J.) Cesar, who deals at the Agua
Caliente casino, won $335 for finishing
seventh.
Jadidi, who came to the final table with
a substantial lead of $38,500, pulled
way ahead on hand 13 when he picked up
a $46,000 pot. In a raised pot, Ros bet
a flop of A-6-5, then Jack bet when a
jack came on the turn. He bet again into
a river queen and Ros folded.
Meanwhile, John Ross, a tournament coordinator
at Hollywood Park, was frustrated. By
his count, he had been dealt J-2 offsuit
seven times in the past hour. He offered
to kill any dealer who gave him that hand
again, but for some reason did not carry
through on his threat when he again looked
at J-2 several deals later.
With limits of $6,000 and $12,000, Mak
went all in a couple of times, then called
for and got a card that saved him. Holding
10-8 against Chong Uy’s pocket deuces,
he called for a 10 or 8 and got a 10 on
the turn. All in again for $5,500 with
Q-J against Jadidi’s A-J, he was really
in trouble. With a board of 9-5-4-2, he
called for a queen, the only card that
could bail him out, and got it.
Chong, a dealer at Pechanga, didn’t bother
asking for a card when she went all in
with 9-7 of diamonds against Derlugian’s
Q-10. With a flop of A-Q-J, she needed
two perfect cards to survive. Chong finished
sixth and earned $445. A hand later, Dan
Lumillo, saying it was “Time to gamble,”
raised with A-J and Mak went all in again,
this time with the better hand, 7-7. Beseeching
the dealer to hold off Lumillo, he seemed
to have survived again when the board
came 10-5-4-3-2, only to realize that
Dan had made a wheel. Mak won $555 for
finishing fourth. Lumello, a poker host
at Hollywood Park, has no-limit wins at
Hollywood Park and the Orleans.
A few hands later, Ross, short-stacked
all night, lost his last chips to Derlugian.
John had A-2 to Gary’s A-8 and a board
of 8-3-2-10-5 sent John home with $720.
The three finalists now made their tournament-ending
deal. Third place officially paid $1,100,
second paid $2,145 and the winner got
$4,450, plus the trophy and title.
BIOGRAPHY
Jack Jadidi, 69, has been dealing at
the Bicycle Casino for 12 years, and before
that at Commerce for six. Before he turned
to dealing, he owned his own bakery. A
native of Iran, he’s lived in the U.S.
for 50 years. A poker player for 40 years,
he used to play fairly high, up to $40-$80,
but has come down in recent years. Hold’em
is his favorite game, but he also likes
stud hi-lo. He has two daughters, neither
of whom play poker.
His strength in poker, he says, is chip
management, being selective in what hands
he plays. “I don’t rush,” he said. “I
tried to build gradually.” That was the
pattern tonight, he noted. He was never
in trouble and kept moving up at a steady
pace. He also praised tonight’s tournament
for its “good atmosphere and perfect management.”
Max Shapiro
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