Optician Wins Second Event!
Steve Austin, a 30-year-old optician making his fifth final table in five tries, scored his second win by capturing event 12 of Winnin’ o’ the Green, $300 no-limit hold’em. His prior victory came in the XTRA Sports 25K Getaway tournament. Tonight’s $150,000 guarantee event generated a prize pool of $325,500.
It ended in a six-way chip-count deal. Austin came to the final table in middle position, quickly took the lead from Tae Ho Baik, lost it back to him, and then coasted to a win as Baik, blowing off chips by gambling with weak hands, finished seventh.
Final-table opening blinds were 3,000-6,000 with 1,000 antes, 33:29 left. Baik led with 272,500. Austin was dealt pocket pairs the first three hands: 10s, jacks and then aces. On the third hand, Albertin Hernandez opened for 21,000 with A-J, and Austin made a small trap raise to 52,000. The flop was the worst possible one for Hernandez: J-10-5. He moved in with his paired jacks and busted out in 10th place after a queen and then another ace gave Austin a set and the chip lead after he had hauled in Hernandez’ 71,500.
One hand later, there was a chip count. Austin now had 258,000 to 255,500 for Baik, followed by Steve Burns, 178,000; Gioi Luong, 134,500; Joon Lee, 133,000; Alex Linjoco, 111,500; Michael “Zip”Vitullo, 42,500; Vic Vysosias, 34,500; and Georges Georgiou, 30,000. A deal was vetoed, and play went on. The veto was costly to Georgiou. On the next hand he moved in for 29,000 with K-10. Baik called with Ah-3h and busted the Santa Clara pro when the board came A-K-Q-5-2. Baik now had the lead back.
On hand seven, Vysosias moved in with A-J and won after Lee called with A-8. In all, Vysosias would move in eight times during the 38 hands of play, only being called once more and winning that hand also.
As play continued, Vitullo, a retired emergency room physician and charter member of “Aces & Eights,” the world’s oldest private invitational poker tournament, moved in for 23,500 with pocket 9s. Linjoco called with Ah-3h. “Oh, yes,” Zip exclaimed when a flop of Kh-9c-7c gave him a set. “Oh, no,” he moaned when an 8h gave Linjoco a flush draw. But the set prevailed as Vitullo doubled through.
On hand 18, Burns moved in and was called by Linjoco. Burns had him just covered in chips, and very covered in cards, with A-J versus Q-J. Burns easily broke him when the board came 6-4-2-6-8.
Right after blinds went to 5,000-10,000 with 2,000 antes, Baik began his slide. With the flop showing A-A-7, Austin bet 75,000 and Baik called. When a 6 turned, Austin bet 70,000 and Baik folded. With pocket 7s, Austin had flopped a full house, but wasn’t able to milk Baik for more chips.
A lot of chip chatter ensued between Austin and Luong on hand 24. After Luong had raised to 24,000, the flop came 6-3-3- and he moved in. Austin folded, showed A-Q, and said, “Next time I’ll put you all in before the flop with this hand.” Luong replied that he would have been in big trouble if he had. Austin asked what Luong had, but he wouldn’t say. “Your hand was so bad you can’t even remember it,” Austin scoffed.
Hand 28 was a key one for Vitullo and disastrous for Baik. After Baik opened for 25,000, Vysosias re-raised to 66,000 all-in. Vitullo called all in for about 38,000, and Baik also called. Vitullo had Ah-Jh, Vysosias had Kd-Qd, and Baik had only 10c-9c. After the board came A-9-2-Q-J, Vitullo took the main pot, more than tripling up to 135,000. Vysosias took the side pot, and Baik was now down to about 75,000.
On hand 36, Vysosias moved in for the eighth time, from the cut-off seat, for 75,500 holding A-K. Baik called with just 9-8 and was blown away when the board showed A-6-2-Q-5. All in for 1,000 more after posting his big blind on the next hand, his Q-9 lost to Luong’s pocket jacks. Another chip count was taken. The counts and payouts were: Austin, 316,000 and $65,445; Luong, 271,500 and $57,940; Burns, 159,000 and $38,650; Vitullo, 131,000 and $33,850; Lee, 114,000 and $30,935; and Vysosias, 96,000 and $27,850. After some minor negotiations, the deal was accepted. –Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
“I bluffed my way to the top…with aces and kings,” Steven Austin joked after winning tonight’s event. He may have gotten very good cards, but that does not diminish his accomplishment of two wins and five final tables in five tournaments. As noted in his first biographical write-up, he makes eye glasses in his parents’ optical shop in the Palm Springs area. He’s been playing poker for three years, and his poker time is split between no-limit games in Palm Springs and tournaments at the Bike. Once again tonight he was wearing his goofy FBI T-shirt.
He said he’d like to play more tournaments at Winnin’ o’ the Green, but finds it hard to spare time from his job. In any event, he plans to play in the points play-off, which he will enter with a lot of chips, if not the lead, and perhaps one $500 event.
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