TAVARES TALKS AND YELLS HIS
WAY TO WIN IN $1,500 NO-LIMIT
Jose Tavares, a young investor who's been playing poker seriously for less than a year, played a boisterous and talkative brand of poker as he surged into an enormous lead with three players left, then lost it to Thor Hansen, regained it, and then got very lucky on the last hand, beating Hansen with a runner-runner straight. Hansen, with two bracelets, two European championships and two LAPC titles, was far the more experienced player.
There were 20 players left on day two, and when it got to the final table the next day, Tim Lyons, an Alaskan contractor/developer was leading with 136,700 chips. Close behind with 134,000 was Tavares. Blinds started at 1,000-2,000, and two minutes later went to 1,500-3,000, with 500 antes.
By the time blinds went to 2,000-4,000 with 500 antes on hand 54, there had been very little action and hardly any flops. The first really big movement came on hand 41 when Farzad "Freddy" Bonyadi moved in for about 85,000 with pocket 10s and was called and covered by Bill Edler with pocket kings. Boynadi flopped a set and took the lead with around 180,000.
Five hands later, Gary Zhamkochyan moved in for 55,000 with Ah-Qh and Jurgens went all in for 47,000 with pocket queens. The ladies won, and a hand later, the "Italian pirate," Max Pescatori, took Zhamkochyan's last 8,000 when he caught two threes to his A-3 to outrun two 10s. One hand later, Steve Hohn, a pro from Kansas, checked out. Pescatori raised to 13,500, and Hohn moved in for 36,500 more. He had 10-10 versus K-Q, and the Pirate captured his second ship when a queen flopped.
Six hands later, Lyons opened for 14,000 and Antoine Hasrouni moved in for 47,000 more. Hasrouni had pocket 7s against Lyons' A-10, and finished eighth when a 10 flopped. Then, a few hands later, Lyons handed over 73,000 chips to Hansen when his A-K fell to Hansen's pocket aces.
At the break, the rough count was Pescatori, 178,000; Hansen, 176,000; Bonyadi, 153,000; Edler, 110,000; Tavares, 90,000; Lyons, 90,000; and Jurgens, 86,000.
Blinds were now 3,000-6,000 with 1,000 antes. A few hands into the new level, Edler tried an all-in move under the gun with 9-4. Tavares caught and crippled him with Q-Q, as he whooped loudly and high-fived his friends. On the next hand, Edler added his last chip after posting the big blind. He had K-8, and Hansen left him in seventh place with A-5.
Soon after, Lyons was all in for 67,000 with A-J. Hansen, with two jacks, easily eliminated him and took the lead with about 250,000.
There was a little wordplay a few hands later when Tavares opened for 20,000 and said, "I only want one caller. "Which one?" Jurgens asked. "You," Tavaro said, pointing to him. "You tricked me," Jurgens said, calling, then folding when Tavares bet the 10-6-2 flop. Tavares would continue using the "I want one caller" line, as he kept up a constant patter of table talk and celebration whenever he won a key pot.
At the next break, the rough count was: Hansen, 290,000; Pescatori, 240,000; Bonyadi, 160,000; Tavares, 125,000; and Jurgens, 65,000. As play continued, with blinds of 4,000-8,000 and 1,000 antes, an all-in Jurgens picked up 75,000 from Hansen, who had A-10 and made two pair, but lost to Jurgen's set of deuces. Then, Bonyadi, after picking up a number of pots with raises and re-raises, took the lead. Next, Tavares went on an all-in rampage, four times in six hands. He got called once, when he moved in for 85,000, doubling up when his A-K beat Jurgens' A-Q.
After 77 hands of five-handed play, with blinds now at 6,000-12,000 and 2,000 antes, we finally got to four when Pescatori pushed in for 160k with K-J. Tavares called with A-9, and he and his rooters went crazy when the A-high held up. Tavares now led with about 300,000.
Despite numerous all ins by Jurgens, four were still left with 8,000-16,000 blinds on hand 163. Two hands later, Tavares moved in with Kh-8h. Bonyadi called with Q-10, missed his open-ender when the flop came K-J-5 and finished fourth. Tavares now owned about 700,000 of the 882,000 chips in play. But by the time we passed the 200-hand mark and blinds went to 10,000-20,000 with 3,000 antes, Hansen had closed ground and now had 324k to Tavares' 416k. By hand 214, when Tavares folded on the turn, Hansen had taken the lead, but Tavares quickly regained it.
On hand 221, Jurgens, with 10c-7c, called all in on a flush draw and lost to Tavares' set of 9s. Heads-up, Tavares led, 694k to 88k. On the final hand, Hansen had a chance to turn it all around. On a flop of K-Q-6, Tavares moved in with just J-2 against Hansen's K-4. Had his paired kings held up, Hansen would have had about 550,000 to 330,000 to Tavares. But an incredible runner-runner 9-10 gave Tavares a straight to take home the title, $90,210 and the awesome Remington trophy. -Max Shapiro
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