Hieu "Tony" Ma
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I was low on chips for most of the tournament, but I tried to play well and stay in focus,” commented Hieu “Tony” Ma, who achieved his objectives and ultimately triumphed over 167 opponents to capture first place in the $500 buy-in (with rebuys) Pot-Limit Hold’em competition. His victory in the eighth event of the 2001 Jack Binion World Poker Open brought “Tony the Tiger” $75,854 in prize money, plus a traditional WPO gold and diamond bracelet.
A 45-year-old poker pro from South El Monte, California, Ma boasts two gold bracelets from the World Series of Poker, as well as numerous titles from other major tournaments, including the L.A. Poker Classic, the Carnivale of Poker, and the California State Poker Championship. He has been playing professionally since 1996.
Arriving for the final showdown in middle chip position, Ma managed to avoid any serious trouble and steadily pumped up his stack. Several of his opponents, however, were quickly eliminated. In fact, it was on the very first deal at the final table that Leo Boothe gave a battle cry, “Let’s gamble,” and reraised all in with pocket nines against Stan Mazza, who held A-J. The flop came J-7-5, and when Boothe got no help on board, he was shot down in ninth place for $3,034.
A few hands later, John Bonetti also met his demise at the hands of Mazza, who raised before the flop with pocket fours. Bonetti reraised all in from the big blind with pocket 10s, but saw a flop of 4-3-2 give Mazza trips. Needing a 10 to stay alive, Bonetti caught blanks instead and was gone in eighth place for $3,792. It wasn’t long before Peter Vilandos found himself in sudden jeopardy after forfeiting a huge pot on the river to Martin De Knijff. His stack almost exhausted, Vilandos made his last effort when he raised before the flop with A-4 and was reraised by Tony Ma, who held A-K in the big blind. Vilandos called all in, but when the final board showed 6-2-2/5-J, he was wiped out in seventh place for $4,740.
Short-stacked and struggling from the outset, Alex Papachatzakis placed his hopes for survival Ñ and his last few chips Ñ on A-6, calling all in against Stan Mazza, who held A-7. The fourth-street board, K-K-9/3, looked promising for a split pot. But a river seven proved fatal for Papachatzakis, and he was washed up in sixth place for $6,637.
After losing two sizeable pots in a row Ñone to Mazza and the other to Tony Ma Ñ Rod Peate was almost down to the felt. He was soon dispatched when he called all in from the big blind with J-7 suited against Ma, who had raised with K-Q. When the board helped neither player, Peate bit the dust in fifth place for $8,533.
Low on ammo from the get-go, Mickey Seagle survived several all-in confrontations and more than two hours of play before firing his last volley when he raised before the flop with pocket nines. Stan Mazza kicked it up again, betting the pot with A-J suited, and Seagle called all in. The flop was a harmless 7-6-3, but running jacks proved deadly and Seagle expired in fourth place for $11,378. “I had a good shot,” he commented. “If I’d won that pot, I had a chance of winning it all.”
At three-handed play, Tony Ma and Martin De Knijff were close to even and running ahead, with Stan Mazza close on their heels. The lead switched back and forth over the next 45 minutes, then a decisive hand came down when De Knijff called from the small blind with 9¨ 7¨ against Mazza, who was in the big blind with K-5. When the final board showed K¨ Qu 5¨/Ju Ku, Mazza took down a pot worth more than $100,000, leaving De Knijff stunned and close to the green. He threw his last punch moments later, calling all in before the flop with K-7 against Ma, who held pocket fives. The flop came 8-7-5, and when De Knijff got no salvation on the turn and river, he went down for the count in third place for $18,963.
A 29-year-old professional sports bettor from Stockholm, Sweden, De Knijff has won several smaller competitions, but this marks his highest finish to date in a major tournament. He has been playing poker for 12 years.
Almost dead-even with Mazza when heads-up play began, Ma set about slowly whittling down his opponent’s stack. “He was a good player, and I knew I had to cut him down little by little,” Ma said. A half-hour later, it was finally all over when Ma raised before the flop with pocket 10s. Mazza took up the challenge with A-J, betting all in when the flop came J-10-2. Ma called, and when Mazza failed to catch, Tiger Tony won the pot and claimed the title with a set of 10s.
“Tony Ma is probably the best tournament player in poker, and playing against him heads up was my worst nightmare,” said Mazza, who received $37,927 for his runner-up finish. A 56-year-old retired tile and marble contractor from Houston, Texas, Mazza has been playing poker since the age of 7. This was his second final-table appearance in a major tournament .
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