Duty, Honor, Country:
Vietnam Vet Glen Chileski Wins WSOP Circuit Event
at Harvey's Lake Tahoe on 9-11 Anniversary
Stateline, NV - September 11th is no ordinary day. This ominous date shall forever be engrained in the memories of freedom-loving people for the explosions of horror upon the national psyche. Juxtaposed against the seriousness of world events, a poker tournament seems trivial. After all, poker is a game of fun and recreation. Meanwhile, battles are currently being waged on battlefields far away, in places with names we can't pronounce. Indeed, all those who play poker owe inestimable gratitude to those who have made extraordinary sacrifices in the past, and who continue to serve their country in the fight to preserve our freedom.
How fitting that on this solemn day, a former soldier -- a Vietnam veteran no less -- won the $500 buy-in no-limit hold'em championship at held Harvey's Lake Tahoe. Glen R. Chileski, a 59-year-old antique dealer from Grass Valley, California conquered a field of 109 players and won his first major tournament victory. It hard to say which is more remarkable about Mr. Chileski - his personal background or the fact that he has only been playing poker for a two years.
'I started playing poker in Reno,” Mr. Chileski said immediately following his win. 'I am receiving treatment for agent orange (a dangerous chemical defoliant used in the Vietnam War) at the hospital. In my spare time, I started playing poker in the casinos.”
After 100 players had been eliminated on the first day of play, the nine finalists returned to the feature table on day two. Tae Kim enjoyed the chip lead when play resumed, with Greg Harvey a close behind. Glen Chileski started the second day in fifth place. Seating positions and chip counts were as follows:
SEAT 1 Glen Chileski 24,100
SEAT 2 Russ Sherrod 16,500
SEAT 3 Richard Orchid 32,500
SEAT 4 Moses Saquing 15,900
SEAT 5 Kyle Severns 8,800
SEAT 6 Sukkary Hany 26,400
SEAT 7 Greg Harvey 39,700
SEAT 8 Joe McCutcheon 9,000
SEAT 9 Tae Kim 45,100
Final table play lasted for five hours. Heads-up play went for nearly 90 minutes. Players were eliminated in the following order:
9th Place - Kyle Severns arrived with the lowest stack, and predictably was the first player to exit. Mr. Severns, a student of mechanical engineering at UC-Davis who was playing in his first poker tournament, collected $1,057 for ninth place.
8th Place - The only East-coaster at the final table was Joe McCutcheon, from Virginia Beach, VA. Then the lowest stack of the eight survivors, Mr. McCutcheon was dealt A-Q and moved all-in. He lost to a full-house. Mr. McCutcheon, who works as a plumber, received $1,586.
7th Place - Tae Kim's dreams of victory turned into a nightmare. The early chip leader went card dead for nearly an hour and then lost most of his chips on a few beats, leaving him as one of the shortest stacks. Mr. Kim finally moved all-in with K-J which lost to Russ Sherrod's pocket queens. Mr. Kim caught a jack, but that was not enough. Mr. Kim, who owns the North Tahoe Executive Shuttle and plays poker locally, earned $2,115 in prize money.
6th Place - Richard Orchid was the next player to be eliminated. He lost his final hand holding A-J against Russ Sherrod's K-8. Mr. Sherrod caught not one, but two eights to trounce Orchid's big cards. Mr. Orchid, a construction project manager from Chico, CA received $2,643 for sixth place.
5th Place - Greg Harvey went out next. His A-4 connected with a pair on the flop (fours), but in the end Russ Sherrod made a higher pair of tens to knock out his third straight player. Mr. Harvey, a student who got into this event by winning a $65 single-table satellite, was paid $3,172 for fifth place.
4th Place - Then came the first of Glen Chileski's two poker miracles. Moses Saquing was dealt A-A. Mr. Chileski had A-10 of clubs. Both players pushed all of their chips forward. Very close to even in chips, it appeared that Chileski would be the next player out. However, the final board showed K-J-4-3-Q, giving Mr. Chileski an ace-high straight. It was a brutal beat to Mr. Saquing, who went out on the very next hand. 'Moe” earned $4,229.
3rd Place - A few hands later, Russ Sherrod took a bad beat when his Q-7 was hammered by Sukkary Hany's K-Q. Both players watched with delight as the flop came Q-Q-2 - good for trips. All of Mr. Sherrod's chips went into the pot on the turn. When the players' cards were tabled, Mr. Sherrod suddenly realized he had a worse kicker. Mr. Sherrod failed to improve and had to settle for third place. This was the second time the horse trainer from Louisiana has cashed at this year's tournament. Mr. Sherrod rode off with $5,287.
2nd Place - The two finalists battled back and forth for an hour and a half. The poker duel was filled with several big hands and dramatic moments, perhaps none bigger than Glen Chileski's second miracle. Outchipped about 2 to 1, Mr. Chileski tried to steal the pot with an all-in raise holding K-J. But he was called down by Sukkary Hany holding the dreaded A-A. Just as before, Mr. Chileski evaded elimination by flopping a jack. Then, he caught a second jack on the turn. That left Mr. Hany and the crowd stunned.
After the chip lead changed back and forth a few more times, Mr. Hany found himself at a disadvantage and moved all-in holding A-10, which was called by Mr. Chileski, with A-J. Neither player made a pair, but the A-J played and the tournament was over. Sukkary Hany, from Sacramento, received $8,987 as the runner up.
1st Place - The winner was Glen Chileski. While he was playing, the latest WSOP Circuit poker champion proudly wore an Army Calvary pin on his hat, in remembrance of what this special day meant. Back in 1966-67, Mr. Chileski served in Vietnam with a helicopter unit. He was proudly awarded with a Purple Heart for his service as a combat veteran. Winning a poker tournament is surely a special moment for anyone. But no amount of fame nor money can equal the value of things far more important. We should not forget that lesson on this day.
For more information, please contact:
Nolan Dalla -- WSOP Media Director at (702) 358-4642
Or visit our official website: www.worldseriesofpoker.com
World Series of Poker Commissioner - Jeffrey Pollack
Director of Poker Operations for Harrah's Entertainment - Jack Effel
Harrah's Lake Tahoe Race and Sportsbook Manager - Steve Schorr
Harvey's Lake Tahoe Poker Room Manager - Vince Contaxis | 
