Brian Strahl
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Record Crowds Arrive!
By Steven E. Way
The inaugural event of the 2000 World Poker Finals tournament kicked off yesterday after a slight delay caused by the record crowds gathered to enter in the $220 7-Card Stud event. The crowd of 517 tournament players joined with overflow crowds in the Poker Room to make it one of the busiest days of Foxwoods poker ever.
Registration began smoothly of course, as Lena Boles and her dedicated staff who always manage to come together and get it done worked with Mike Ward, Foxwoods eminent Tournament Director as he rallied his troops to cope with the crowds.
The tournament began winding down at just after midnight, and got to the final table of eight intrepid poker players at just around 1 a.m. this morning.
With the limits at $6,000-12,000, action would start out cautious, but end quickly for Dominic Maisano of Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey as he was knocked out in a three way pot while holding a pair of Kings against the Aces up of Elaine Frappier of East Granby, Connecticut.
Seventh place was then claimed by Richard Tatalovich of Scottsdale, Arizona when he went all-in while holding Aces, and also met up with Frappier who pushed the all-in with her Queens up.
Next, Ronald Yannetti of Chelsea, Massachusetts claimed sixth place and his share of the $105,400 prize pool when he went all in for his last $5,000 and ran into trip Aces belonging to George Materas of nearby Ledyard, Connecticut.
Michael Keohan of West Orange, New Jersey went all-in showing Aces with his last $12,500. Materas playing an Ace high diamond flush scooped up the pot and sent Keohan to collect fifth place.
When the limits raised to $15,000-$30,000, the hometown favorite George Materas was knocked out after taking a chance with his last $3,000 against Anthony Merlo of Valley Stream, New York on low and the eventual winner Brian Strahl of Brooklyn, New York who won the pot with a full house.
Merlo took the next trip to get paid out after the limits were again raised. It was again Strahl who did the damage when his two pairs of 6's and 5's took down Merlo's treys and deuces.
The final chapter of this classic poker epic came at nearly 3 a.m. when Strahl finally managed to take down Frappier with a gut shot straight. Frappier never showed her hand, but immediately congratulated Brian on becoming the first champion of this years tournament.
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