Lowball Champion Wins O/8
Steve McAllister, who won the lowball championship at last year's Winnin' o'
the Green, won't be able to defend his title at this year's WOG because lowball
isn't on the menu. So instead, he settled for first place in event number three,
$300 Omaha hi-lo. McAllister, who owns a software consulting company, arrived
at the final table in second chip position with 51,000, soon moved into the
lead, and held it until a three-way deal ended action.
Holding the most chips, 125,500, he offered to give up $1,000. The offer was
accepted by William Fung, a handyman, who had 75,000, and Ray Bonavida, with
59,500. Payouts were $14,025, $11,460, and $10,215.
Action started with blinds of 1,000-1,500, limits of 1,500-3,000 and 12:43 left.
Well in front, with 75,000 chips, was Scott Silverman. However, Silverman was
to get frustrated again and again as his hands got drawn out on, and he would
finish fourth.
At the other end, with 7,500, was Jun Parado, who is retired from the military.
He lasted one hand. Holding A-3-7-J, he had a nut low on a flop of 6-4-2, but
an ace turned to counterfeit him. Bonavida, who has a fourth in O/8 at the WSOP,
had 3-4-5-6 and scooped with a wheel.
As play continued, with limits at 1,000-2,000, Fung went all in and won with
5s full. Later, Fung went up against Danny Morgan, a truck operator and part-time
pro. The board showed Kc-Jc-7d-4h. When a 7c hit the river, Fung bet out. Morgan
fretted and hesitated, finally tossing in his last two chips in frustration.
Fung turned over Ac-Qc, and his flush left Morgan, who also mucked without showing,
in eighth place.
Players were leaving fast. On hand 14, on a flop of Qd-8s-3s, James Richburg,
an investor, invested his last 500 chip in three-way action. McAllister bet
the 5h turn-card, and Fung bet the 6c river card. Fung turned up 2-5-6-7 for
the low; McAllister took high with queens and 8s, and Richburg, holding 9-10-J-K,
was out in seventh place.
Tommy Hufnagle had by far the most impressive resume of anyone at the final
table. His numerous WSOP cashes include a bracelet in 7-stud hi-lo and a second
in razz. He also won a H.O.S.E. event at Commerce's LAPC. Hufnagle left soon
after Richburg's departure on a failed bluff. He bet all in with a board of
J-J-2-7-10. "Nothing," he confessed when Fung called with pocket kings.
Now Silverman began to endure a series of torture hands, which are standard
fare in Omaha/8. "Unbelievable," he huffed when a 2c on the river
counterfeited his low. It gave him a jack-high flush, but also a king-high flush
to McAllister, who scooped.
"Sucked out again, amazing," he said after limits went to 3,000-6,000.
In a big pot, Silverman had a set of 7s on the turn, only to see McAllister
hit an open-ended straight draw on the river. On the next hand, Silverman flung
his cards in angrily when his nemesis, McAllister, bet out into a board of K-6-2-3-8.
Things equalized a bit when Silverman, finally all in, hit a river flush on
hand 33.
Meanwhile, Clemente Palacci, a retired commodities trader, cashed out fifth
on hand 33. In three-way action, Fung won with queens-full when the board showed
Q-3-2-K-Q. Palacci did not show. As play continued, McAllister increased his
lead when a river king gave him a bigger straight than Fung's. Silverman, meanwhile,
was getting more and more frustrated. "Best hand drawn out on again,"
he muttered, folding when Bonavida bet into a flop of 10-9-7. Down to one chip
in the next hand, he went all in and managed to survive with a nut low split.
Then, a few hands later, he slapped his sides in annoyance when Fung showed
him pocket aces. His agony ended on hand 46. Holding A-3-Q-6, he had draws to
a nut low and an inside straight when the board showed 10-4-2-J. His hopes were
dashed by a river 10, and we were down to three players.
One hand later, McAllister made his offer, and the evening was over.
-Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
Steve McAllister, who lives in Copperopolis, a former copper-mining town in
northern California, owns SMCS, a software information and technology company,
and also deals in real estate. He's played home games since the late 80s, began
playing hold'em a few years later, and now plays all games. He's been a "serious"
player for 10 years. Besides his win in $500 lowball here last year, he has
numerous cash-outs in smaller tournaments, and estimates he has won over $150,000.
His biggest cash-out was $25,000 in a hold'em event at the Peppermill in Reno.
McAllister says he likes Omaha hi-lo because more cards offer more action and
more fun. "You can have bad cards and flop a straight, like I did tonight,"
he points out. He also notes that more cards make it harder for players to figure
odds, something he feels he is better at than most other opponents. Tonight
he was down to 500 chips in the second round, and was all in a couple of times
before moving up. |
