Poker Tournament Results

World Poker Finals

Richard Tatalovich

Tournament Report

Richard Tatalovich Tatalovich Triumphs By Steven E. Way Another huge turnout marked the start of yesterday's $220 No-Limit Texas Hold 'em event as a field of 294 players sat down at Noon on Tuesday. With record overflow crowds in both tournament and live action, players were glad to be at a table, and played tight, many times only being eliminated when the blinds caught up. The final table of nine players was arraigned at 11:30 at night, almost 12 hours from the start of the event. Only two hands in, Allan Demaree of Scarsdale, New York went all in for his last $2,900 based on 8, 7 suited. Mike May of New York, New York called the bet and pushed all-in and felt good holding Ace, King of diamonds. Gregory Pappas of Rockville, Maryland made the call and asked for the flop. As the Dealer laid out a board of 4d, 8d, 7h followed by a turn of 4c and the river of 9d May's diamond flush would double his stacks as Pappas had his pocket Aces snapped off. It would take nearly another hour before another player was eliminated. Playing his last chips on a blind, Pappas hoped for his King, 3, but got no help and lost the pot to Paul Sherr of Pax, Arizona who had Ace, King. The seven remaining contestants, all nearly equal stacked, played so slow, that at one point Tournament Director Mike Ward jokingly reminded the players that gambling had been legalized in Connecticut. Action picked up some with some three way pots as the blinds rose to $3,000-6,000. Seventh place was finally decided when a wild 5 way hand changed the chip lead dramatically. With an all diamond flop, Spyridon Mitrokostas of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts waited as the two side pots were awarded to Carlo Sciannameo of Worcester, Massachusetts, eliminating Mike May of New York City, New York, before taking the main pot and the almost the chip lead with his Jack, trey of diamonds. Mitrokostas would be next out when his Ace trey of clubs this time failed to hold up against the Queens full belonging to Richard Tatalovich of Scottsdale, Arizona. Next came the long awaited flurry of action as blinds of $5,000 and $10,000 forced the players to push their chips all-in on less than perfect starting hands. Sciannameo would fall first with a King high, followed almost immediately by Sherr with an equally non rescript play. Foxwoods favorite Elias Eoanou of Westerly, Rhode Island watched his last chips be forced all-in on a blind with 9, 6 suited, and then be taken from him. Just a few short hands later it would all be over. After nearly 15 hours of solid play, Tatalovich put Bob Zizza of Boston, Massachusetts all-in before the flop and had his pair of Jacks stand up. Zizza, playing a draw mucked his hand and congratulated the latest champion for 2000, Richard Tatalovich. Kudos Richard on a Great Win!