WE
ARE F-A-M-I-L-Y
Long
after the name of today's winner is forgotten
by most, the poker historians will remember
this event for something extraordinary
that happened in it.
There
were 151 entrants in the $1,500 Pot-Limit
Omaha, 138 rebuys and 41 add-ons for a
total prize pool of $481,410. Two tables
were paid, a total of 18 players.
Getting
into the money in a rebuy tournament may
not be enough to get you even for the
day. But it helps. With rebuys and add-ons,
the average player spent around $3,500
in this $1,500 event so getting into the
money was a big relief. The vultures were
circling around John Brody, as he was
the shortest stack. John tossed in his
last few chips with an overpair to the
flop from the big blind. Gary Jones flopped
top set and the overcard didn't come for
Brody in the dreaded 19th place.
The
Final Table was setup Friday night when
Jim Huntley flopped the nut straight against
short stacked Doug Booth. Doug had a flush
draw and went all-in in vain.
THE
FINAL TABLE:
90 mins left of 90
The blinds were $1,000/$2,000
Player
Hometown Chip
Count
Seat
1 Humberto Brenes San Jose, Costa Rica
$ 68,000
Seat 2 Sam Farha Houston TX $ 77,000
Seat 3 Jim Huntley Smyrna GA $ 51,000
Seat 4 Ross Boatman London, UK $ 18,500
Seat 5 Steve Zolotow Las Vegas NV $ 20,500
Seat 6 Bob Walker Las Vegas NV $ 26,500
Seat 7 Barney Boatman London, UK $ 32,000
Seat 8 Jack Duncan Las Vegas NV $ 69,500
Seat 9 Lindy Chambers Baton Rouge LA $108,500
Seat 10 Bill Gazes Los Angeles CA $ 27,500
Every
day it seems there is at least one of
the 'young lions' at the table. These
are the players most think will be winning
major tournaments for decades. Bill Gazes
was our young lion today. But this wasn't
a major Gazes would win. In fact, he was
the first one off the Final Table. Bill,
in the big blind, first called a raise
from Sam Farha. Then Gazes flopped the
top two pair with Jacks and 10's and bet
out. Sam put Bill all-in with a gut shot
Royal Flush draw. The Queen of Hearts
didn't come for the Royal, but the Three
of Hearts that Sam needed for a flush
came on the turn. If Bill Gazes told you
he wasn't disappointed in his 10th place
finish, he'd be young and lyin'.
In
the history of the World Series of Poker,
there have been many brothers as entrants
in the same event. But never until today
had brothers made the Final Table in the
same event. Oddly, considering how few
brothers and sisters have entered the
same event, it was Howard Lederer and
Annie Duke who were the 1st Siblings.
That happened a couple of years ago. Today,
Barney Boatman and his younger brother
Ross made WSOP history. Barney would probably
give up the history to obtain family bragging
rights, as he was the first one out of
the two. In the classic Omaha High hand,
Barney flopped top set with pocket Aces.
Unfortunately for Barney all three cards
on the flop were spades. Jim Huntley had
the 10 6 of Spades. Now Barney needed
a boat, man! The board didn't pair and
he got a big hug from his brother.
One
by one the shorter stacks were taking
a hike. Bob Walker raised Jack Duncan
all-in with a terrifying extra $1,000
over Duncan's bet out when the flop came.
Walker had pocket Jacks. Duncan was in
the big blind and turned two pair. Bob
was a Walker in 8th when his overpair
to the board didn't hold up.
It
certainly could have been more dramatic,
this 1st Brothers act. But it wasn't to
be. Ross Boatman followed his brother
out by about 30 minutes while the table
was still at the first level. Ross was
history when he went to the felt with
pocket Kings. If Ross had more money he
might have been able to stop Jack Duncan
from making trip Jacks on the turn by
betting the pot on the flop. But the $3,500
all-in Ross had wasn't scary enough. It
may be many years before two brothers
make the Final Table again. Who knows,
by then Howard Lederer and Annie Duke
may have done it several times. We are
F-A-M-I-L-Y.
Winning
a couple hands early can make a player
a little pocket change as they usually
move up the leaderboard. Steve Zolotow
started out 9th in chips and benefited
from his own good fortune and the back
luck of others to finish 6th. This made
him a cool $9,140 extra over what 9th
paid. But Zolotow had the same problem
everyone else did at this table: How to
make Jack Duncan lay down a hand. It just
couldn't be done. Jack believes in the
righteousness of his cards. He doesn't
believe in other people's bets. If Duncan
thinks he has a good hand, and it doesn't
have to be the nuts, he will push all
his chips into the pot. That's what makes
him so terrifying to his opponents. In
Zolotow's last hand, Steve raised to $7k
before the flop. Jack reraised to $16k.
Steve called and went all-in on the flop
for $21,500 with K Q J 8 on a flop of
Q 7 2. Queens with a King weren't enough
as Jack Duncan had pocket Aces. Steve
needed an 8 that didn't come.
Five
players left in the first hour. It was
over two hours later before we lost another.
The remaining five players played 'Bet
and Take It' for what seemed like days.
It was tough to watch. We were in our
18th hour of play over two days, yet 74-year-old
Jack Duncan was as sharp as the guys half
his age. His focus on the hand he held
was amazing. Often Jack held A A as he
did against Jim Huntley's pocket Kings.
Those Kings but Huntley over the Brink-ley
in 5th.
In
the 2nd event this year, David Chiu joined
the Millionaire's Club at the WSOP becoming
the 26th member. Today, Humberto Brenes
became the 27th. (Speaking of brothers
as we have been, Humberto and his brother
Alex are perennial candidates to meet
at the Final Table of any event they both
enter. Other names that immediately come
to mind are Puggy and J.C. Pearson along
with Stan and Ken Goldstein. In poker,
we are F-A-M-I-L-Y.) It was those darn
pocket Aces again that can get one in
trouble. Humberto Brenes had them and
lost in the same hand that Sam Farha had
them and won. Who did that happen? Sam
also had two Queens with his Aces and
flopped a Queen. Gentleman Humberto, one
of the most popular players on tour, flopped
out in 4th, the newest WSOP Millionaire.
After
a dinner break, the three remaining players
decided on a guaranteed split and to play
for the remainder. Jack Duncan had the
least chips at the time and accepted the
least money. But he wasn't the least phased.
In an alarming turnaround to Lindy Chambers
and Sam Farha who split a higher sum,
Jack Duncan went on a rush and took home
the largest share.
Jack
Duncan is a tough old bird. He became
a new father at 70 and again at 72. Playing
against two of the toughest high-stakes
players in poker didn't bother Jack in
the slightest. He'd pick up his hand and
bet it or fold it. If he noticed all the
world-class moves they were making on
him, Duncan didn't show it. That's what
scared Sam and Lindy so badly. Jack would
bet and they had to fold knowing a bluff
wouldn't work. Jack was at only his second
WSOP Final Table in the 33 years he's
been coming here. "I played with Benny
Binion at the Golden Nugget in 1964 before
the Horseshoe had poker," Jack said afterward.
First
Lindy Chamber's pot was a turned wheel
on Sam Farha spinning Sam into 3rd. Then
Jack took out Lindy for the bracelet and
the biggest money with trip 9's with an
ace to Chamber's trip 9 with an 8.
Of
note: The WSOP Tournament Director, son
of Becky Binion Behnen and Grandson of
Benny Binion: Benny Binion Behnen finished
in the money in this event. We are F-A-M-I-L-Y.
More
Super Satellite winners for the $10,000
Championship event were: Norman Boulus,
Peter Giordano, Michael Davis (2nd), Steve
Melton, Charles Glorioso, Steven Vigdor,
An Tran (2nd), James Miller (2nd), Andy
Lakey, Jan Sjavik (3rd), Raymond Miller,
Robert Beck, Bill O'Connor, Svetoslav
Neckev, Nicholas DiLeo (2nd), John Shipley,
Hoang Ta, Kathy Kohlberg, Greg Hopkins,
Harry Thomas, Jr. David Colclough, Nick
Salamer
Mike Paulle
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