| 'Unknown' Benny Dumas Wins Up
And Down Omaha Hi-Lo Session
Nut lows counterfeited, nut highs outdrawn on the river, key hands taken down with two deuces. Just another typical day at the office for Omaha hi-lo.
When the field in this event got down to four, all the players were non-pros. Andrew Wang, an auctioneer, led with 76,000 in chips, slightly ahead of Gasem Haldy, who is a children's social worker supervisor.
In the 40k range were Peter Brownstein, retired from the insurance/financial planning business, and Benny Dumas, who would only say he is in 'sales.'
The only one of them to list any poker achievements was Brownstein, who has a second in razz and a fourth in stud at the World Series, along with Omaha hi-lo wins elsewhere.
The four then made a deal for all the money except for $6,000, and play continued.
Each of the players would take turns leading until, heads-up, Dumas took the final lead with deuces and a number three low. A final deal was made and Dumas, who declined to disclose any details about his poker or business background, was the winner of LAPC event number three.
Action at the final table commenced with $500-$1,500 blinds and $1,500-$3,000 limits, 13:23 remaining. Noted pro Hieu 'Tony' Ma, who had been scrambling and all in several times earlier, arrived with a mere 3,000 in chips, but doubled up with a nut low and two pair on the second hand to stay in action. Keith Ohara, a software engineer, was the second all-in, but he too survived with a straight on the next hand.
Hand four brought big action. With a board of Kd-5d-3h-8c, Dumas bet, Paul Vinci check-raised, Haldy re-raised and Vinci capped it, going all in. Vinci at that point had an A-2 nut low and kings up. A killer deuce on the end, so typical of Omaha, counterfeited him. It gave Haldy, with A-2-4-5, a wheel. Dumas, with A-2-4-6, made a wheel and 6-high straight and took 3/4 while Vinci, who listed his occupation as 'surfer, suffered a wipeout.
Peter Swearingen, also starting very low-chipped, soon followed. He was all in pre-flop with A-2-5-8, but couldn't make a low while a river club gave Wang a flush.
On hand nine, limits moved up to $2,000-$4,000, and Ma immediately succumbed.
He raised with A-2-9-Q and Wang, with A-4-5-8, re-raised to put him in. No low came, but Ma had the lead until a lowly 5 on the river paired Wang.
Brownstein later dipped down to 9k when poker player Wing Wong flopped a straight and slow-played it. But it was Ohara who was next out. He was all in from the big blind with K-K-9-4, and Wang, with Kh-Jh-Qd-3s, put him away with a flush.
By the time limits went to $3,000-$6,000, Wang led with close to 90k. Then Haldy turned things around, knocking Wang down with two river beats, first with a flush, then a straight, and took over the lead with more than 100k.
Wong departed on hand 58. He held A-A-5-K, bet into a flop of 10-10-6 and was raised all in by Dumas. 'Got a 10?' Wong asked. Dumas did, and the field was now down to four.
A chip-count deal was agreed to, and the finalists continued to play for the title and the $6,000.
A few hands later, Brownstein ran into two 'Oh, no' hands and ended up cashing out fourth. The first time, he flopped a nut straight, only to see Haldy river a higher straight. The second time, Brownstein held 9-8-7-6 and had trips on fourth street when the board showed 10-9-5-9. Haldy had A-K-10-6.
This time the social worker supervisor hit a two-outer 10 on the river, making higher trips and giving Brownstein a fourth-place finish.
With three left, Haldy now had the lead with around 120,000 in chips. But things kept changing. A few hands later, Dumas moved in front with a nut straight. Next, Wang took over when he scooped with a 6-high straight, then won the next hand and now had about 160,000.
Haldy now was low-chipped, and he finally departed on hand 77. He put all his chips in chasing a low draw and didn't get there. Dumas, meanwhile, with a 6 in his hand, made trips when the board came A-8-6-6-10.
After limits went to $6,000-$12,000, Dumas just missed taking over the lead once again. He had the low and a better high card against Dumas, but then a river deuce paired his opponent, and the pot was chopped.
But soon after, a deuce again came into play and decided the tournament.
Holding 2-3-4-9, Dumas made the best low, and paired his deuce for high. He now had the lead again, and a hand later was ahead by a 2-1 margin.
A final deal was made for the remaining money, and Benny Dumas, the man who didn't want to talk about himself, was content to let his chips do his talking for him.
'Max Shapiro |
