Talked into Playing by Friends, Realtor
Ben Chung Wins First Cal State Event
Ben Chung, just back from Vegas, short of sleep and not feeling well, had taken off early from his job as manager of a ReMax realty office and didn't much feel like playing poker. But two friends, Jacob and Spud, talked him into playing the Cal State opener, $300 no-limit, and as a result he walked away with $75,266. It was his biggest win ever and his first victory at Commerce. Previously, he won the best all-around points playoff at The Bicycle Casino's Winnin' o' the Green this past March.
When he got heads-up, he trailed with 225,000 in chips to 335,000 for pro player Gioi Luong, who rejected a deal. A couple of hands later, Luong moved in with pocket 9s. Chung called with J-10 and hit a 10 on the river to leave Luong with less than 20k. On the next hand he busted him.
Cal State 2005 events run two days if there are 100 or more entrants. Day one plays down to the final table or 12 hours max. The night before we reached the final table, so day two started at 7 p.m., with $2,000-$4,000 blinds, $500 antes and a full 40 minutes left on the clock. Chung and Jimmy Salome shared the lead, each with 84,500 chips.
It took two hands to lose our first player. Arthur Azen moved in for 23k with pocket 10s and Bob Kirkeby knocked him off with pocket cowboys. Three hands later, Luong got very lucky when he re-raised all in with Ac-6c against Kirkeby's A-7 and snagged a 6 on the river.
Soon after, Kirkeby, with pocket 8s, was down to about $14,000 after John Hoang doubled through against him with pocket 10s. But Kirkeby, playing hardball with frequent all-in raises, hung on and built his stacks up. 'He doesn't need the money; he plays to win,' said his friend, magician/poker player Scott Lazar. Kirkeby, a furniture manufacturer, staked Lazar in this year's WSOP championship event where Lazar finished sixth and won $1.5 million.
When blinds rose to $3,000-$6,000 with $1,000 antes, Salome had moved in front with about 127k, followed by Hoang, 72k; Ted Bui, 63k; Le Banh, 58k; Luong, 57k; Florencio 'General Poy' Umel, 57k; Kirkeby, 47k; Chung, 39k; and Anthony Guadagni, 36k.
On hand 24, Kirkeby moved in for 29k with A-3. Guadagni, in the big blind, threw in the rest of his 14k with J-9. And then Bui called with K-Q. When the board came 10-9-2-A-K, Kirkeby tripled up and Guadagni cashed ninth.
A hand later, the General played 'the first decent hand I've seen.' He moved in for 33k with Jh-9h. It didn't look that great when Hoang called and showed pocket aces, but Poy hit an inside straight on the river, leaving Hoang with just 16k. Three hands later, Kirkeby raised 12k with K-J, and Hoang added his last few chips with A-7. A jack turned, and Hoang finished eighth.
Salome went south on hand 34. After Chung moved in with A-J, Salome called all in for about 37kwith A-9. When he failed to help, we were down to six. It was now Chung's turn to take the lead with about 220k, followed by Kirkeby with 145k; Poy, 80k; Luong, 70k; Bui, 25k and Banh, 20k.
Blinds now became $4,000-$8,000 with $1,000 antes. Five hands into the new level, Bui moved in for his last few chips with A-7. Luong called from the big blind with J-2, flopped a jack and then hit another on the river for good measure to leave Bui in sixth place.
Banh, meanwhile, was on life support with only 6,000 left. He got a brief extension when he moved in with K-Q and was called by Poy and Kirkeby, then tripled up when the board came A-Q-5-9-4. But on the next deal, hand 47, he moved in again, under the gun, for 22k with As-Qs. He was a big favorite when Kirkeby called with Js-Qh, until a jack flopped, leaving Banh in fifth place.
The count now was: Chung, 227k; Kirkeby, 178k; Luong, 103k; and Poy, 52k.
A chip count deal was discussed, but couldn't be made and play resumed.
Luong was next to take the lead. On hand 50, he raised to 28k. Chung moved in. Luong called for 87k with pocket jacks. Chung had A-9, couldn't improve, and Luong stacked up 206,000 chips.
When blinds went to $6,000-$12,000 with $2,000 antes, all four players had plenty of chips. Luong, who the hand before had raised to 24k pre-flop, then folded when Chung moved in, had dropped back and now Kirkeby led with 176k while Poy was lowest with 98k.
On the first hand at the new level, the general was given his marching orders. Chung opened for 46k with two black queens, and Poy moved in with Ad-10h. Poy took the lead when the flop came A-K-3. But they were all spades, and when an 8s turned, Chung had a flush and Poy cashed out fourth.
Luong picked up a lot of chips on hand 67 when he was all in with A-2 against Chung's A-J and flopped a deuce. A couple of hands later, Luong picked off a bluff when he called with a paired 8 after Chung bet 40k into a board of K-8-4-A-Q.
Kirkeby busted out on hand 82. He moved in from the button with Ah-Jh and ran into Luong's pocket queens. All rags hit the board and we now were heads up.
Two hands later, Luong met disaster when Chung paired his 10 to outrun Luong's pocket 9s. Luong was now out-chipped something like 30-1. 'No deal,' Chung's supporters chanted sarcastically after Luong's refusal to deal. Chung immediately called all in blind. He had just J-5 to K-5 for Luong, but a jack flopped and it was all over.
—Max Shapiro
|
