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PokerPages.com at the 2005 WSOP

Event # 19 - $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Final Table

Robin Hood of Poker Wins Again

Barry Greenstein

9:25

When Paul Vinci went all-in for his last 18k, Barry Greenstein finally found an amount he would fade. Paul had A 9 9 5 and caught a 9 on the river to crack the Kings that Barry flopped with his K 8 7 4.

On the hand before, just to show you how tight Barry is playing in this spot, Barry failed to call the big blind from the small for 3k.

9:15

Barry Greenstein is so experienced at this type of heads up play, he won't double Paul Vinci up. He's just using his stack to wear Paul down. Barry has twice already refused to call Paul's all-in bets even with a gigantic chip lead.

9:05

In a huge piece of irony, Barry Greenstein got the title of his new book, "Ace On The River" to get Paul Vinci to call with A's and 5's. What was ironic was that Barry didn't need the Ace. He had his own and a wheel on the turn with his A 4 and a board of 2 3 7 5. Vinci called 50k on the turn drawing nearly dead and 100k on the river completely killed. Barry now has 400k to 34k.

8:55

Now that they are heads up, the average stack zooms up at 217k and it's again a high multiple of the 6k big blind. The two gents wanted to play through, so Jack Effel will have to go hungry.

It's been back and forth with neither pulling away early. Barry hasn't told anyone whether he will donate the $128k first prize if he wins it. Sometimes he feels the money is too small to donate. So we'll have to wait for the winner to find out. One thing for sure, Paul Vinci is going to donate his share to Paul Vinci.

8:35

Our director is starving so he's going to try to get these three guys to take a dinner break in a few minutes.

Make that two guys. The tightest player in the universe, Chris Lindenmayer--who a couple of times threw away his unraised big blind rather than see a flop and get into trouble--is out in 3rd. It took perfect perfect to get Chris out to no one's surprise. Chris flopped top set with Q Q 7 4. The flop was K Q 5. Paul Vinci had A K 9 6. The turn was a 6 and the river was the only card that could defeat Chris Lindenmayer, a King for Kings full of 6's over Queens full of Kings.

Heads up it's 218k for Vinci and 216 for Greenstein.

8:25

On the next hand Toto and Barry went at it again. This time Barry went all-in on the turn with the top set of Jacks. Toto called all-in with a flush and straight draw that failed. In two hands Barry Greenstein wiped out the chip leader.

Paul Vinci 109k
Barry Greenstein 268k
Chris Lindenmayer 57k

I win the Media pool. They should know better than bet against the old master of poker.

8:15

Four handed the action has vanished. Any bet takes it.

Opps, as soon as I typed those words Barry Greenstein went all-in kon the flop against Toto Leonidas and was called. Barry had K K 10 4 with diamonds. The flop was 7 4 2. Toto had called with 8 7 6 6 and baby diamonds. When the 5 of Diamonds came on the turn, Toto was left with a one card straight flush draw. Barry was paid of the extra 55k to double up Greenstein.

8:05

When Tim Martz reraised to 30k in the big blind, Toto reraised Tim all-in for Martz' extra 15k. Someone was going to be hurt bad, because Toto only had 7k more himself. No surprise, Leonidas had A A with K J suited spades. Tim Martz stuck in his last 15k all-in with A Q J 10 and clubs.
The board came J 8 4 2 8 to give the man who sent Phil Hellmuth into orbit 6th place.

After surviving five all-ins with four wins on the river, the ultra-patient Toto Leonidas is the chip leader. What a lesson in tournament play.

Paul Vinci 125k
Barry Greenstein 120k
Toto Leonidas 135k
Chris Lindenmayer 75k

7:55

Toto has turned aggressive not that he isn't scraping the felt. He just reraised Barry Greenstein's raise on the button from the big blind. No call. It's a five way fight again.

7:45

Toto remains king of the river catching a 6 for A's and 6's. Paul Vinci had an Ace as well with three overcards to the 6. No good.

Then on an interesting hand, Barry Greenstein bet 30k on a flop of 9 7 6 with two clubs. Paul wanted to calll, but he couldn't get himself to pull the trigger.

7:35

A five minute break turned into 20 minutes as we lost our tournament director.

Chip counts five handed. Still at 2k2/4k for another hour.

Paul Vinci 138k
Barry Greenstein 122k
Tim Martz 65k
Toto Leonidas 18k
Chris Lindenmayer 95k

On the first hand back, Toto flops a full house to double up.

7:15

'It's all about the wheel,' is the line that's floating through press row. Toto Leonidas went all-in again for his case 10k this time. He had J J 4 2. Tim Martz called the extra 6k from the big blind with Q J 10 6 and better diamonds. The flop came with the killer card for Toto, the Queen. But an A 3 also flopped. Jack Effel said he needed a 5 for a wheel. The turn, 5.

Another quick potty break. Do these guys have diabetes?

7:05

Toto allowed half his stack to evaporate with the blinds. On the button he found the hand he was waiting for, A A K 5. Paul Vinci had to call the 3k extra from the big blind with 7 7 6 6. Paul got the 7 on the flop, but although Toto was a little dog to trips, he caught perfect perfect for a wheel on the river to stay in Las Vegas.

6:55

They've decided to play through their dinner break. Doesn't make me mad, which will surprise Max Shapiro. The new level is 2k/4k with a raise to 8k/14k.

Paul Vinci 110k
Barry Greenstein 100k
Tim Martz 90k
Toto Leonidas 13k
Chris Lindenmayer 90k

6:45

Paul Vinci just got a thrill. He raised Tim Martz the pot, 27k, on a flop of A 10 3 rainbow. Tim asked Paul how much he had left. 33,5k was the answer. Tim didn't call.

Toto and Paul are at it again. The board came J 8 8 2 J. Toto bluffed 4k on the river and Paul called with K J. "You got me," Toto said before Paul could show him the Jack. Leonidas is down to 10k.

6:35

It looks like a Toto watch. He's the short stack. I'm watching him because if Paul Vinci outlasts Toto, I win the Media pool.

6:25

"King," Paul Maxfield yelled. It was a club for a runner runner flush. In a battle of the Paul's Vinci called Maxfield's all-in for the extra 4,500 with Ac Qd 7c 3d. Maxfield had the A K of Spades with 10 6. The board came 6 4 4 with one club. 8 of Clubs on the turn. 9 of Clubs on the river. Maxfield can go to the loo by himself, now, in 6th.

6:15

Paul Maxfield is starting to move his chips as a short stack. He just went all-in over the top of Paul Vinci to force a lay down.

Tim Martz continues to be the only player at the table who will stand up to Barry Greenstein. Tim just went pot on the turn after a check on a board of Q 7 4 5. Barry, who had been raising most hands and streets, had to fold.

6:05

Barry Greenstein, the Robin Hood of Poker, is robbing the rich again. He's road grading this fairly high class table. It's a good thing for him he's winning because he's being blinded of in the $5k event that started today. He asked me how much he had left in that game. 13k was the last look.

Paul Vinci 59k
Paul Maxfield 31k
Barry Greenstein 165k
Tim Martz 82k
Toto Leonidas 25k
Chris Lindenmayer 71k

5:45

They are taking an unscheduled 15 minute break so Paul Maxfield can go to the loo.

5:25

Chip counts in seat order:

Paul Vinci 74k
Paul Maxfield 43k
Barry Greenstein 92k
Tim Martz 88k
Toto Leonidas 56k
Chris Lindenmayer 82k

5:15

Chris Ferguson could have gone back to the big game, the $5k Pot Limit Hold'em he entered. But Chris busted out of that one early. He's now free for the rest of the day, as he's out of the Pot Limit Omaha in 7th. In a battle of the Chris', Lindenmeyer flopped two pair with 8's 2's to Ferguson's pair of 10's. No prayers to dad got Ferguson a second pair.

5:05

The new 90 minute level 7 handed is 1,5k/3k blinds. 6k to 10,5k bring in.

Barry Greenstein RPV, CA $85,000 SEAT 5:
Tim Martz Butte, MT $75,000 SEAT 6:
Paul Maxfield Stoke-on-Trent, England $45,000 SEAT 4:
Paul Vinci Shell Beach, CA $65,000 SEAT 3:
Toto Leonidas Los Angeles, CA $60,000 SEAT 7:
Chris Lindenmayer Pickerington, OH $20,000 SEAT 9:
Chris Ferguson Pacific Palisades, CA $10,000 SEAT 1:

4:55

Paul Vinci laid down bottom set to Toto Leonidas' bet on the turn when 7 8 9 came.

4:45

That how you win poker tournaments. Paul Vinci hit a two out Ace on the turn when he called Sean Silverman's all-in bet on the flop. Sean had hit trip 8's with 8 8 2 on the flop. Sean had 8 7 6 5 to Paul's A A 7 7. Like Leonardo, Vinci drew the perfect picture with his Ace on the turn. The other 8 was dead the table said so Silverman was 8th. Heartbreaking beat for Sean's first WSOP table.

BTW, I hereby disown Chris Newton as the 'Mike Paulle of Australia.'

4:35

Phil Hellmuth's favorite donkey, Tim Martz is the only one who's stood up to the Barry Greenstein steamroller so far. When Barry checked the turn of a second King, Tim bet 19k and Barry folded.

4:25

Barry Greenstein continues to be on fire as he was last night. The shortest stack, Eric Blore reraised all-in for 16k over Barry's 7k bet and call.
Barry turned over A 5 2 2 with spades. Eric had A K 10 9 with clubs and hearts. The board came K 6 3 with one spade. 6 of Spades on the turn and...Deuce on the river for a full house. Blore was blue in 9th.

4:15

The prize pool was miscalucated, so that caused the delay. Jack Effel, the events director, had to eat the overpayment difference of $3,120. Ready to go with 45 minutes to go in the 1k/2k level. 4k to 7k is the bring in for this pot level.

Final Table in chip order

Barry Greenstein RPV, CA $92,000 SEAT 5:
Tim Martz Butte, MT $72,500 SEAT 6:
Paul Maxfield Stoke-on-Trent, England $67,000 SEAT 4:
Paul Vinci Shell Beach, CA $54,000 SEAT 3:
Toto Leonidas Los Angeles, CA $45,000 SEAT 7:
Sam Silverman Las Vegas, NV $39,500 SEAT 2:
Chris Lindenmayer Pickerington, OH $35,500 SEAT 9:
Chris Ferguson Pacific Palisades, CA $16,000 SEAT 1:
Eric “Blue” Bloore North Hollywood $16,000 SEAT 8:

3:55

There has been some delay. I'm trying to find out why. I hope it's not to give Barry Greenstein and Chris Ferguson more time to waste the $5,000 they paid for the Pot Limit Hold'em they entered.

3:15

Starting a little late. Another 15 minutes at least.

--Keep those WSOP Champion picks coming daily. They are all being recorded.

Here are the rules. Everyone who enters gets one pick a day, starting today. If there are mulitiple winners, they split the $500 equally. If there are no winners, who ever has the name that lasts longest wins. As with the Champion, mulitple winners of the last longer split the prize equally. All entries have to allow me to use their full name in the blog. Entries will be accepted up until midnight PDT July 6, 2005.
Email MikePaulle@PokerPages.com


Final Table in chip order

Barry Greenstein RPV, CA $92,000 SEAT 5:
Tim Martz Butte, MT $72,500 SEAT 6:
Paul Maxfield Stoke-on-Trent, England $67,000 SEAT 4:
Paul Vinci Shell Beach, CA $54,000 SEAT 3:
Toto Leonidas Los Angeles, CA $45,000 SEAT 7:
Sam Silverman Las Vegas, NV $39,500 SEAT 2:
Chris Lindenmayer Pickerington, OH $35,500 SEAT 9:
Chris Ferguson Pacific Palisades, CA $16,000 SEAT 1:
Eric “Blue” Bloore North Hollywood $16,000 SEAT 8:





Some info on the 3 chip leaders

Barry Greenstein Has had 49 money finishes, 29 of those have been final table apperances, and has an overal total prize money of $3,718,128. Often referred to as the "Robin Hood of Poker" Barry donates all of his winnings these days to charity. Already has 1 WSOP bracelet to his name (2004) .

Tim Martz from Butte, Montana, has had 1 money finish in event #4 No limit Hold em in the 33rd annual WSOP 2002 and has an overal prize money total of $8,440. Tim starts the final lying 2nd chip leader, and will be looking to go all the way in his first WSOP final, and win the coverted bracelet. Lets see if he can do it.

Paul Maxfield has had 24 money finishes, of which, 18 of those have been final table apperances, and has an overal prize money total of $2,026,891. Paul, a "Stokie" from Stoke on Trent, England, has enjoyed a very good year so far, with a few big wins and scalps under his belt. He will like his chances in the final, and will be looking to win his 1st WSOP bracelet.


Final 9 in Seat Order

SEAT 1: Chris Ferguson Pacific Palisades, CA $16,000
SEAT 2: Sam Silverman Las Vegas, NV $39,500
SEAT 3: Paul Vinci Shell Beach, CA $54,000
SEAT 4: Paul Maxfield Stoke-on-Trent, England $67,000
SEAT 5: Barry Greenstein RPV, CA $92,000
SEAT 6: Tim Martz Butte, MT $72,500
SEAT 7: Toto Leonidas Los Angeles, CA $45,000
SEAT 8: Eric “Blue” Bloore North Hollywood $16,000
SEAT 9: Chris Lindenmayer Pickerington, OH $35,500

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