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Randy Holland
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EVENT #3: Seven-Card Stud (Limit) $500 3/29/01
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY: $81,965
ENTRIES IN THIS EVENT: 169
PRIZE MONEY TO DATE (3/26-3/29): $509,735
TOTAL ENTRIES TO DATE (3/26-3/29): 834
Report by Lynn Loomis
"This has been an exceptionally good year for me in stud," said Randy Holland, who enhanced a recent tournament victory at Hollywood Park by defeating 168 opponents to capture first place in the third event of the 2001 Jack Binion World Poker Open. For claiming top honors in the $500 buy-in Seven-Card Stud competition, Holland took home $32,786 in prize money, plus a traditional WPO gold and diamond bracelet.
A 49-year-old former attorney, he also boasts titles from several other major tournaments, including both Razz and Stud titles from the World Series of Poker, and was named the Best All-Around Player at the 1998 Legends of Poker.
Holland arrived for the final showdown as the undisputed chip leader and saw two of his short-stacked opponents quickly eliminated. The first to go was Brian Mizok, who finished eighth for $1,639 when his ace high proved no match for Scotty Nguyens nines up. The nephew and protg of poker great John Bonetti, Mizok also cashed in the Holdem event held March 27, pocketing $1,493 for placing 20th. "I predict that Brian is an up-and-coming tournament champ," commented Uncle John.
A few hands later, Jim McGowen made his last effort at survival when he raised on third street with Q-9/9 and was challenged by Dr. Max Stern, who started with 10-4/4. Stern made trip fours on fifth street, but McGowen failed to improve and was gone in seventh place for $2,458.
McGowens defeat was the start of a short rush for Stern, who soon won three big pots in a row -- two of them against Randy Holland -- to seize the lead. With half of his chips now in Sterns stack, Holland began what proved to be a long and arduous struggle to regain his position. "It was tough," he commented. "Nobody gave away anything."
But Holland persevered and before long pumped up his stack a bit by dispatching two opponents. He first took out Can Hua, whod been playing on short money from the outset and was now forced to bring it in with 4-2/2. When Holland raised with A-10/Q, Hua called and by fifth street was all in. He made trip deuces on sixth street, but Holland showed down a queen-high straight to send Hua packing with sixth place and $3,278.
After forfeiting a huge pot on sixth street early in the final-table competition, retired salesman Mickey Seagle had struggled to stay alive and was just barely hanging on. He finally lost the battle when he went all in on fourth street with 8-6/2-J against Holland, who had 6s 4s/8s Js. Seagle made only a pair of deuces and bit the dust in fifth place for $4,098 when Holland caught a fifth spade on the river.
In the meantime, 1998 World Champion of Poker Scotty Nguyen was having his own problems. After challenging several all-in bets and losing the pot every time, then forfeiting two hands in row, he found himself close to the green. He managed to survive several all-in controntations before meeting his demise when he took K-Q/9 up against Max Stern, who started with Q-Q/3. On fourth street, Stern paired his trey and bet out. Nguyen called all in, but he failed to catch and was shot down in fourth place for $4,917.
At three-handed play, Stern was in the lead, with Minh Nguyen in second place and Holland in third. But the tide swiftly turned when Nguyen won the biggest pot of the day, seizing the advantage when his heart flush bested Sterns jacks up. A few deals later,
Holland made a jack-high straight to snap off Sterns wheel, and Stern was suddenly the short stack. He never recovered and was soon eliminated when he raised on third street with K-10/A and Nguyen called with Ad Kd/2d. On fourth street Stern paired his king, and by sixth street he still had the lead and called all in. But Nguyen had picked up a flush draw, and when he spiked the 8d on the river, Stern was washed up in third place for $8,196.
A 61-year-old retired pediatrician, Stern has to his credit three titles from the World Series of Poker, as well as titles from several other major tournaments, including the Queens Poker Classic, the L.A. Poker Classic, and the U.S. Poker Championship.
When heads-up play began, Holland was only a slight underdog to Nguyen, and the lead switched hands several times over the course of the next half hour. Then Holland won a monster pot, regaining the top position for good when his queens up crushed Nguyens eights up. It was all over a few deals later when Nguyen took K-Q/J up against Hollands 10-2/A. Nguyen still had the lead on sixth street with a pair of kings, but Holland made two pair on the river to claim the pot and the title.
"I knew this was going to be a really tough match," Holland said. "It basically comes down to I caught the right cards at the right time."
For his runner-up finish, Minh Nguyen received $16,393. A 36-year-old dealer at Hustler Casino, he placed second in a Holdem event at the recent L.A. Poker Classic and has cashed in several other major competitions.
The Final Table Chip Standings & Seat Positions:
| Seat Position/Player | Chip Count |
| Seat 1: Jim "Jimmy Mac" McGowan (Dallas, TX) | $5,100 |
| Seat 2: Minh Nguyen (Bell Gardens, CA) | $13,000 |
| Seat 3: Dr Max Stern (Las Vegas, NV) | $13,300 |
| Seat 4: Brian Mizok (Seranton, PA) | $1,500 |
| Seat 5: Can Hua (Rosemead, CA) | $4,400 |
| Seat 6: Scotty Nguyen (Henderson, NV) | $12,400 |
| Seat 7: Mickey Seagle (Humble, TX) | $14,500 |
| Seat 8: Randy Holland (Waveland, MS) | $20,500 |
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