Shootout Ends in Even Chop, Despite
Gary Do's 2-1 Chip Lead Over Hon Le
'Chop,' declared Hon Le just as Wannis Arzromalian got knocked out in third place. It was agreeable to Gary Do, even though he obviously had a lot more chips. They were counted down as a matter of record. Do had 11,300, virtually twice as much as the Kamikaze Kid's 5,700, but nonetheless the prize money was split, with each getting $21,325, though Do, of course, got the title and trophy.
Do, a resident of Colorado, owns a janitorial service. This year he won $164,500 for fourth in a $1,000 no-limit event at the World Series, and also won the $1,500 no-limit Ultimate Poker Challenge event. Hon Le has numerous cash-outs, his two biggest being $122,500 for coming in second in a World Poker Tour $5,000 no-limit championship, and $93,240 for winning a $1,000 Cal State no-limit event last year.
Even though this event attracted more than 100 entrants, it played through in one day because the 17 tables got down to one winner each at a rapid pace. The 17 finalists took a break and resumed play at two tables at 9:30. Besides Do, Hon Le and Arzromalian, they included Brian Chan, Bob Patel, Robert Johnson, Mike Zurn, Max Pescatori, Steve Crockett, Ernest Bennet, Ruben Guevara, Sirous Baghchehsaraie, Angel Juarez, Rod Fani, John Crebassa, Sang Pham and Alex Aras.
The final 10 then assembled at 12:30, not long after the second-day final table for event number 12 had ended, thus averting the daunting challenge to this writer of having to cover two final tables at the same time
It took only three hands to lose two players. There was three-way action. On a flop of A-K-7, Johnson, a personal injury attorney who also raises horses in Montana, was all holding A-Q. When a 5 turned, it gave Sirous B. a set. He bet 600.
Bennett called all in with A-10. Both Johnson and Bennett were dead to the single remaining ace. A river jack ended their hopes as Bennett finished ninth, which was worth $1,650, and Johnson finished tenth, getting $1,155.
Right after blinds went to 75-150, we lost another player. Hon Le moved in with K-Q. Guevara called, a very slight favorite with 4-4. The board came K-7-3-3-2, and Guevara was out in eighth place, with paid $2,475.
Just before blinds went up, Sirous went out on a tough beat by Hon Le. He was all in with A-5 to Hon Le's Q-Q and took the lead on a flop of A-J-10. Then a king gave Hon Le a gut-shot straight, and Sirous got $3,300 for seventh. Intently watching him was actor James Woods, an admirer of Sirous (even though he knocked him out in earlier action). Woods also had a piece of Sirous.
Blinds now became $100-$200. Hon Le lost chips when an all-in Aras cracked his aces by making a flush. Pham bullied the table for a while, moving in three times in five hands. He wasn't called until the last time when Aras doubled through after his A-10 beat Pham's pocket 9s when an ace flopped.
Another beat finished Aras, who listed his occupation as an investor. Hon Le moved in for 4,000 with K-Q and Aras invested his last 2,500 with A-K. He was ready to haul in the chips until a river queen left him in sixth place, worth $4,125.
Hand 50 brought a strange play. After Hon Le raised, Arzromalian moved in Hon Le instantly said, 'I call,' and turned up pocket kings. All Arzromalian had was 9-4, but proceeded to stage a miracle escape when a board of 7-6-3-5-Q gave him a straight. 'That's the best I've been getting,' Arzromalian said, offering a reason for moving in with such a dismal hand. The best? Whatever you say, Wannis.
Right after that, Fani, a student and high-limit side game player making his second final table at Cal State, went out. He had been nursing his chips, and when he finally did go all in, he was in bad shape with A-J versus Do's A-Q. Neither helped, and Fani cashed out fifth for $4,945
Hand 64 was the last for Pham. He bet all his 1,200 chips with Kh-Qh, and Hon Le, always ready to mix it up, called with pocket treys. Pham flopped a queen, not much help when a trey on the flop gave Hon Le a set. Fourth place paid Pham $6,895.
On what would be the last hand of the evening, the flop came Kc-7c-2h. Do, with Kh-7h, had two pair along with a back-door flush draw. Arzromalian, with 10c-6c, had a flush draw, decided to go for it and moved in. The turn brought a 2d, the river a 10d, and Arzromalian, a site manager, was no longer on site at the final table. He collected $1,155 for third.
The two friends now chopped first and second without even discussing details or bothering to see how many chips they had. This may have been a shootout, but it was the most peaceful ending to a shootout that anybody has ever seen. — Max Shapiro
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