Big
Cash Game Player, Robert Willis,
Cashes in and Wins Second Title at
2004 Jack Binion World Poker Open
Robert
Willis became only the fifth player in
JBWPO history to win two titles when he
survived a wild roller-coaster ride at
the final table of the $1,000 Pot-Limit
Omaha event, and walked away with $150,726
in prize money. Although Willis enjoyed
a comfortable chip position most of the
night, he survived a late scare by Tony
Lay, and ultimately secured the victory.
Day
Two began with an international mix of
pot-limit stars � including several high
limit cash game players, including Robert
Willis, George Paravoliasakis, Ben Roberts,
and Sam Grizzle. �Gentleman� Ben Roberts
survived the first significant pot of
the night when he went "all-in" against
the early chip leader, Robert Willis.
Roberts flopped trip Kings, but Willis
made a straight on the turn and put his
opponent down to the felt. Roberts needed
the board to pair and that's exactly what
happened on the final card, giving Roberts
"Kings-full" and $60K in chips.
George
"The Greek" Paravoliasakis was not so
fortunate. He played his final hand of
the night with K-K-Q-8 and squared off
against Ben Roberts' A-A-J-2. The final
board showed J-10-5-6-6, giving Roberts
the higher two-pair. The Greek, a high-stakes
poker player who lives on the Mediterranean
island paradise of Crete, swam away in
ninth place with mere chump change --
$6,030.
The
two big early hands rocketed Ben Roberts
up close to the chip leaders -- Kevin
Zarandi and Robert Willis. Then about
an hour into the final table, the cantankerous
Las Vegas pro, Sam Grizzle went out when
he played A-Q-6-2 versus Danny Dang's
A-Q-10-2. Although the two players held
nearly identical hands, all of Grizzle's
chips went into the pot when the flop
came Q-Q-J -- giving both players trip
Queens with an Ace-kicker. Grizzle had
extra outs with a spade draw, but then
a dreaded King fell on the river, giving
Dang an Ace-high straight. Grizzle, the
grizzly South Carolina native who has
earned a well-deserved reputation as one
of poker's most colorful personalities,
received $7,536 as he muttered an expletive
and exited the final table in disgust.
Kevin
Zarandi suffered a string of cruel misfortune
and went out a short time later, when
he made a full house, losing to Robert
Willis' higher full house. Zarandi showed
3s full of 9s against Willis' 9s full
house 6s and won an $80K pot. That hand
propelled Willis into a significant chip
lead. Meanwhile, Zirandi, from the industrial
city of Brirmingham, England, received
$9,421 for seventh place.
Shannon
Westbrook, from Dawsonville, GA was low
on chips and went in with his last $14K
with A-Q-10-6. Unfortunately, his timing
could not have been worse, as Tonly Lay
moved over the top with A-A-7-5 double
suited. The flop, J-9-7, gave Westbrook
several outs with a straight draw, but
two successive blanks fell on the turn
and river, which gave Lay the big pot
with a lonely pair of Aces. Westbrook
collected $13,188 for sixth place.
Arturo
Diaz had his stack slowly eaten away as
the $2K-4K blinds cost $6K to play per
round. Down to about $20K, Diaz made his
final stand of the night in the big blind
with J-10-6-3. He picked up a flush draw
when the flop came A-K-5, with two to
his suit, but failed to make a hand in
the end. Tony Lay made a Broadway straight
(A-K-Q-J-10) and scooped up Diaz's chips
like taking candy away from a baby. Diaz,
from San Diego, took $16,957 for fifth
place.
One
of the biggest pots of the night took
place when Tony Lay got into a huge confrontation
with Robert Willis. With $160K already
in the flop before the flop, Lay -- holding
K-K-10-9 -- bet his last $35K after the
flop came J-10-3. Willis made a very bold
call with 5-6-7-8 and failed to connect
on a straight. Suddenly, it was Lay who
had the chip lead -- with nearly $200K.
Lay's
chip lead would last exactly one hand.
Two minutes later, Willis reclaimed a
portion of his former stack when he made
a club flush against Lay. Then, about
20 minutes later, Willis took a decisive
chip lead when he eliminated Ben Roberts.
Willis and Roberts got into a pre-flop
raising war -- Roberts' K-K-7-4 was the
clear underdog versus Willis' A-A-Q-2.
Roberts managed to make trip Kings on
the hand, but lost when the final board
showed J-10-5-7-K, giving Willis the straight
with his A-Q. Ben Roberts, who finished
sixth in the main event at the World Series
of Poker in 1998 and is one of the best
high-limit cash game players in the world,
received $22,609 for fourth place.
Willis enjoyed a 4 to 1 chip lead when
play became three-handed. Danny Dang came
into Day Two third in chips and that's
exactly where he finished in the tournament.
Dang, who never acquired enough chips
to be a serious threat at the final table,
went out when he was "all-in" with A-J-10-9
versus Robert Willis' 10-9-5-3. The flop
came K-8-7 with two clubs, giving Willis
an outside straight-flush draw. A fifth
club fell on the river, which made Willis
the flush and put Dang on the rail in
third place, good for $37,682.
Willis
had a 5 to 1 chip lead when play became
heads-up against Tony Lay. The two players
battled for 20 minutes and Lay had whittled
down his opponent to the point he was
down only 2 to 1 in chips. Then, the chip
lead reversed on a hand when Lay made
trip-5s and Willis missed a monster wrap-around
straight draw. Lay won several big pots
in a row, and within a half hour span
had taken the chip lead by a 2 to 1 margin.
With
blinds at $15K, Willis was down to just
$50K in chips and was on the verge of
elimination. He cheated the hangman by
winning a critical hand with a full house
versus Lay's club flush, and was back
to within striking distance of the chip
leader. He then won four pots in a row,
and in a stunning reversal of fortune
� misfortune for Lay � had his opponent
on the ropes when the final hand of the
night was dealt:
Willis
-- K-J-6-2
Lay -- A-K-Q-5
Board � J-8-7-K-2
On
the turn, Willis has two pair � Kings
and Jacks. But Lay had a huge draw, holding
four cards to a royal flush. Unfortunately
for Lay, a worthless deuce hit the board
on the river and Willis� two pair scooped
the last pot of the evening.
The
runner-up was Tony Lay, from Oklahoma
City. He received $75,363 for second place.
Meanwhile, Robert Willis snapped on his
second gold and diamond bracelet at the
Jack Binion World Poker Open (he won a
bracelet back in 2002). Afterwards, Willis
was seen approaching a big cash game.
One of the players asked Willis if he
won the tournament.
�Of
course I won it,� Willis said.
It was as if the outcome was never in
doubt.
-- by Nolan Dalla
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