Poker Tournament Results

World Poker Finals

John Cernuto

Tournament Report

John Cernuto Miami John Takes Heat By Steven E. Way For the second day in a row, record crowds jammed the Poker Room at Foxwoods Resort Casino in search of a hold 'em game. Yesterday was the $220 Limit Hold 'em event, and a field of 448 made it a prize pool of $91,600. With the last minute entrants still in line at the registration counter, Tournament Director Mike Ward gave his by now famous speech which begins each tournament event, and concluded it with his usual "Dealers, y'all can go ahead an' deal!" The first cards hit the felt at just a few minutes after the scheduled noon time start. It was eleven hours later when the final table of nine assembled in the tournament area. John Sygiel of nearby Niantic, Connecticut was the first casualty as he played a pocket pair of Queens and felt somewhat secure when the flop came two rags and a Jack. Sygiel pushed all-in against Sam Haddad of Warwick, Rhode Island who had made trips with the Jack on the flop. Eighth place would belong to Timothy Harkness of Elmira, New York when he played rags with his last $7,000 and met up with a pair of Aces that fell on the river for Tony Ponzo of Carneys Point, New Jersey. Seventh place would be claimed by David Wojciechowski of South Deerfield, Massachusetts after going all-in while holding King, 6 off suit. Miami John Cernuto who actually hails from Las Vegas, Nevada would be the cause of Wojciechowski's exit as he flopped a set of 10's. Next was Paul Iacono's turn to dismiss a player. Iacono, of North Providence, Rhode Island sent Ponzo to the rails with a pair of pocket 10's and flopped another pair of 7's. When the turn came with another 7, Ponzo's fate was sealed and he mucked his hand without showing. Fifth place would take a while to decide. The limits would have to rise to $6,000-12,000 before Iacono would play his pocket 9's before the flop. Radha Krishnan of nearby Storrs, Connecticut would use the 10 on the turn to make a pair and take the pot. It would not take long to thin the field even more, as fifth prize would be claimed by Iacono when his pocket 9's failed to hold up against Krishnan's Kings. Krishnan was next to be knocked off however, as his Ace, 9 got no help from the board leaving Haddad to take the pot with a pair of 10's. William Hanley of East North Port, New York would excuse himself from the table when Miami John's Ace high held up. The event concluded in the wee morning hours when Miami John finally put Haddad all-in for $13,500 on the blind and took the hand, the pot and a well deserved win at the first Hold 'em championship of this years tournament.