After a fiercely fought battle at a final table marked by dramatic swings of fortune, John Juanda of Alhambra, California, emerged the victor, ultimately defeating 145 opponents to capture first place in the 2001 Jack Binion World Poker Open championship event. His triumph in the $5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em competition brought Juanda $283,240 in prize money, plus a traditional WPO gold and diamond bracelet to commemorate his victory.
“I’m ecstatic,” he said. “For the past three days I’ve played against some of the best players in the world, and I was able to come out on top. It’s amazing & just unbelievable.”
A 29-year-old stock trader and part-time professional competitor, Juanda has cashed numerous times in other major tournaments and boasts additional titles from the L.A. Poker Classic, the California State Poker Championship, and the Legends of Poker. Born in Indonesia, he holds an MBA degree from Seattle University and formerly worked as a sales and marketing assistant.
Arriving for the final showdown in good position, Juanda managed to stay out of trouble and steadily pumped up his stack. Chip leader An Tran, however, was not so fortunate and saw his towers of chips topple when he lost two pots in a row, totaling almost $190,000, to Brian Moore. Now playing on short money, Tran was eliminated a few hands later when he reraised from the small blind, moving all in with J-4 offsuit against Robbie Frank, who held pocket sevens. When the final board showed 10-6-4/K-Q, Frank’s sevens stood up and Tran was knocked down in sixth place for $24,784.
In the meantime, Brian Moore was still on a rush, winning several more pots to catapult from low man on the chip totem pole to top position in less than 35 minutes. It wasn’t long before he severely wounded Robbie Frank, who held pocket nines and opened the pot for $25,000. In the small blind with pocket queens, Moore came over the top with a $32,000 raise and Frank moved in. But when the board brought K-10-10/10-9, his full house proved second-best and he was left with only $8,000. He put it all in two hands later with A-8 suited against John Juanda, who was in the big blind with 10-5. The flop came 10-9-3, and when Frank failed to catch, he was shot down in fifth place for $31,865.
After losing several pots, Toto Leonidas found himself in sudden peril and was forced to take a stand. He fired his last volley when he moved all in before the flop with A-10 and was challenged by Scott O’Bryan, who held pocket sevens. The flop came 6-4-4, and Leonidas caught a 10 on the turn to take the lead. But a river seven proved fatal, and he bit the dust in fourth place for $42,486. Leonidas also cashed in the $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event held April 8, finishing in fifth place for $6,067.
At three-handed play, O’Bryan was ahead, with Juanda and Moore close on his heels and running neck-to-neck. But over the course of the next two hours, O’Bryan and Juanda chipped away at Moore’s stack, putting him almost down to the green. He managed to survive several confrontations before taking his last shot when he raised before the flop with pocket aces and was called by Juanda, who held K¨ 6ª in the big blind. When the flop came A¨ Q¨ 7¨, Juanda bet out and Moore called all in. A harmless four fell on the turn, but the river brought a lethal club, and Moore expired in third place for $70,810.
A 55-year-old former stockbroker from Memphis, Tennessee, Moore has played poker professionally for the last seven years but has never before entered a tournament nor played No-Limit Hold’em.
When heads-up play began, Juanda held almost a 4-to-3 lead over O’Bryan and for the next half-hour continued to slowly carve up his opponent’s stack. Then, in a heart-stopping moment, it was suddenly all over. The decisive hand came down when O’Bryan raised before the flop with 5-4 offsuit and Juanda called with 4-3 offsuit. When the flop came 7-4-3, O’Bryan bet $40,000, Juanda raised to put him all in, and O’Bryan obliged with a call. But he got no help on board, and Juanda took down the $398,000 pot and claimed the title with fours up.
“Everybody at the final table played their hearts out, but I felt pretty good about my chances,” Juanda said. “I tried not to gamble too much or make too many mistakes. I wanted to play carefully and give luck a chance to work for me.”
For his runner-up finish, Scott O’Bryan of Kokomo, Indiana, received $141,620. The 34-year-old owner of a window and siding company, and a poker player for 12 years, he has previously cashed in several other major competitions, including placing 11th in the $500 buy-in Pot-Limit Hold’em event during last year’s WPO.
“John is a class act and a worthy opponent,” said O’Bryan, who added that he “feels great” about his second-place finish. “I’m on national TV, I just won more than $140,000, and I’m going to do something constructive with that money.”«
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