English Major, Poker Minor
21-year-old University of Texas student Jason Su wins first major poker tournament and becomes youngest WSOP winner in history
In the early 1970s, nineteen-year-old Bill Gates was enrolled at Harvard. His first and only year as a college student was memorable not so much for any academic accomplishments, but rather for the countless nights he spent inside the dorm playing poker. Long after Gates dropped out of college and built the Microsoft empire, the world's richest man fondly remembered the lessons he learned at the poker table, which were applicable to building a successful business.
Jason Su is one of many thousands of young students on college campuses across America majoring in business, biology, or liberal arts -- with an 'unofficial' minor in poker. On campuses and frat houses everywhere, poker games are going on day and night. Like Bill Gates thirty years earlier, many students find poker to be challenging both intellectually and psychologically. The windfall of poker's popularity at many universities is that increasing numbers of young people are now playing inside casinos and entering poker tournaments. Correction: Instead of entering poker tournaments, make that winning poker tournaments.
'I actually started playing when I was in high school,' Su explained. 'When I started college, the only difference was there were more games to choose from and the stakes were a bit higher.'
Last October, Su celebrated his 21st birthday. He started taking poker more seriously, and became a regular $30-60 limit hold'em player and also started to play in pot-limit games around Austin. Su, who is a junior at the University of Texas majoring in English, explained that poker is a way to relax from the stress of attending school full time. It also allows him to some earn extra money. Correction: Make that earn a lot of extra money.
Su was the youngest player to make it to any WSOPC final table so far this year. At age 21 years and 7 months, he became the youngest WSOP winner in history (2004 event winner Gavin Griffin has the record for the WSOP in Las Vegas, at age 22). There were other records set on this day, as well. The $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em event attracted the fourth largest field on this year's circuit - which means all four of the largest WSOPC tournaments this year have taken place in New Orleans. The prize pool was the largest of any non-main event on this year's circuit. Forty-five places were paid. With $525,740 in prize money at stake, players were eliminated as follows:
9th Place - Ten minutes into play, David McDonald picked up pocket 9s, raised 'all in' and was called by chip leader Joe Leibman with K-10. Leibman caught two pair, kings and tens, which knocked McDonald out of the tournament. David McDonald, who works in the oil and gas business, picked up $10,515.
8th Place - Tony 'Tekk' Sevnson has made a number of final tables at major tournament in recent years, but could climb no higher than 8th place in this event. Tekk started off with pocket 9s on his final hand and flopped a set.
He was all-in pre-flop against both big stacks (Jason Su and Joe
Leibman). The flop came and visably excited Tekk. It contained the nine of
clubs (which we would discover gave him trip nines) and one other club. Joe
and Jason checked, the turn was the Ace of Clubs. Tekk became visably less
thrilled. Joe and Jason quickly checked again. The river was another small
club, putting four clubs on the board. Tekk was visably upset. After Joe
checked, Jason bet $15,000 into an empty side pot. Joe called. Jason
showed the King of Clubs (nut flush) and the ten of spades. Joe mucked.
Jason took the $30,000 side pot and Tekk revealed his trip nines and Jason
took the main.
Sevenson, who lives in Houston, earned $15,770 in prize money.
7th Place - Harrell 'Big Dog' Hardin arrived low on chips and made his final stand with A-Q. Jason Su had 10-10 and flopped a 10, putting Hardin in the dog pound. Hardin went from a small dog to a big dog and busted out 7th. Hardin, a Gastonia, TN-based chiropractor, collected $21,030.
6th Place - Eric Cloutier, a former professional NHL hockey player, took a slap shot when he was dealt A-10 an moved 'all in' against Joe Leibman's pockets jacks. Cloutier failed to catch and ace, which meant a fate worse than the penalty box. The former Boston Bruin was frozen in 6th place, good for $26,285. This was Cloutier's third final table appearance on the WSOPC, dating back to Lake Tahoe, the previous stop. His combined prize money winnings are close to $100,000 in the past month.
5th Place - Chuck Thompson came to the final table with the most poker experience, by far. Thompson is near legendary for his numerous poker accomplishments, yet maintains a low-key style that masks his natural talent. The Santa Cruz, CA-based poker pro finished 6th in the WSOP main event in 1995. He has also won the WSOP seniors event two times. Thompson took four beats at the final table, and it's remarkable he survived as long as he did. He finally went out when desperately short-stacked and lost to Joshiah Trager's pocket eights. Thompson, age 66, added a 5th-place finish and $31,285 to his long list of poker accomplishments.
4th Place - When play became four-handed, Jason Su seized the chip lead when he made two pair and dragged a 200,000 pot away from Joe Leibman. That gave Su a 3 to 1 chip advantage over Leibman and left the other two players a distant 3rd and 4th. Stanley Jacobs looked to be in good position to double up when he moved 'all in' with A-9 of hearts, after the flop came 8-6-6 with two hearts. Joe Leibman had plenty of chips to call and did so with 2-2. Jacobs picked up more outs on the turn when a five fell. Needing any heart, five, seven, eight, nine, or ace to win, Jacobs bricked on the final card with a king, and was busted. Stanley Jacobs, a lawyer from New Orleans had his motion to stay at the final table denied. He collected a final settlement of $42,060.
3rd Place - Josiah Trager survived his first 'all in' moment hen he turned a straight against Jason Su. But those chips rebounded into Su's stack a short time later when Trager tried o make a steal with J-10 and ran into Su's blind hand, A-7. An ace on the turn ended Trager's final hope and the attorney from Brooklyn, NY was sentenced to third place, worth $42,060 in prize money.
The heads-up duel between Jason Su and Joe Leibman began with Su holding a 3 to 1 chip advantage. The two finalists battled for about a half hour, before Su gradually seized control with an approximate 5 to 1 chip lead. Leibman was desperate to do something to reverse the loss of chips and tried to make a stab at the pot with Q-4, which was called by Su, holding A-6. Neither player made a pair, and the ace-high played, meaning Su was the champion.
The runner up was Joe Leibman, a 35-year-old self-employed part-time poker player from Wisconsin. Leibman has become something of an online poker specialist, with three major victories in $500 buy-in tournaments, or higher. He has also already qualified to play in the 2005 WSOP which is to be held seven weeks from now. Leibman received official prize money totaling $84,645.
Jason Su, who says he plans to attend law school after graduation, hit the biggest pay out of his life. His official winnings in New Orleans amounted to a whopping $157,715. That's far more money than Bill Gates ever won at Harvard. One now has to wonder if this is the start of something bigger, or has Su just been dealt the good fortune of having his entire four-year education paid off in two days of poker playing (with extra change to spare)?
Whatever the answer, Jason Su is already way ahead of the game. He'll likely graduate with honors next year, be admitted to law school, and will have his entire tuition already paid in full. How many 21-year-old college kids can say that? Come to think if it, Su will have bragging rights as the youngest WSOP winner in history, at least until another prodigy like a Bill Gates or Jason Su comes along - which by the look of things and current trends, is just around the corner.
Harrah's Poker Room Manager - Rick Korte
World Series of Poker Circuit Director - Ken Lambert
World Series of Poker Tournament Director - John Grooms
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