Rich Korbin, a 52-year old journeyman pro, overcame an extremely tough final table to nail down a win in event number 15 of the World Series of Poker, seven card stud hi-lo split. This is the first bracelet for the Boulder, Colorado, native, who’s been playing poker seriously for 18 years. His other titles include an Omaha hi-lo victory at the California State Championship and a seven stud win at the Super Bowl of Poker. Korbin’s A-game is Omaha hi-lo, with stud hi-lo his second favorite.
“Wining a World Series bracelet is the fulfillment of every poker player’s dream,” he said elatedly. “Frankly, when I evaluated the players, I didn’t think I had much of a chance.” His final opponents included John Juanda, whose current hot streak includes a championship victory at this year’s World Poker Open; Mickey Appleman, holder of three WSOP titles; Adam Roberts, winner of this year’s $1,500 seven card stud event; and reigning world champion Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, whom Korbin called “a cerebral player who has all my respect.” He also paid tribute to runner-up Alex Papachatzakis, a Greek-born restaurant owner whose poker credentials include an all-around at the Winnin’ o’ the Green and a Legends win last year in stud hi-lo.
The final table began with $4,000-$8,000 limits, $600 antes and a $1,200 bring-in. Split game contests carry the threat of dragging on forever, and this one almost did. It took more than six hours to complete, with long stretches of no action at all. After Ferguson got knocked out in fourth place, some 50 hands went by with only one chopped-pot showdown. It was, to borrow the title of Eugene O’Neill’s famous play, “A Long Day’s Journey into Night.”
Perhaps inspired by the mechanical mouse that Nani Dollison used when she won the opening hold’em event, or perhaps just needing a companion for a long evening, Ferguson brought along his own conversation piece: a stuffed doll in the form of a bearded old prospector waving an ace of spades in his right hand and a king of spades in his left. Wrong game, though. He should have saved “Big Slick” for hold’em.
Roberts was first to depart in early action. He went all in for $5,200 with 4-4/5 after Juanda re-raised him with pocket aces. Roberts made king-up, but Juanda paired a seven on the river to break him. Later, Appleman got a nasty surprise when he caught a third jack on sixth street and raised Korbin, who showed A-5-7-3. But at the showdown, Rich turned up a 4-2 for a wheel scoop.
When Steve Zolotow, owner of a bracelet in Chinese poker, re-raised with pocket nines, Korbin didn’t think much of his own A-6/10 suited starting hand. But since Zolotow was low on chips, he decided to raise back and put the financial adviser all in. Zolotow couldn’t improve and ended up in seventh place when Korbin completed a heart flush.
Limits went to $6,000-$12,000 with $1,000 antes and $2,000 low-card bring-in. Catching more than his share of good hands, Korbin put James Miller low on chips when he scooped with a flush against two pair. The Hustler Casino shift manager hung on for a few more hands before going all with an ace doorcard in three-way action. Ferguson, starting with 2-7/4, ended up with two pair. Miller had a wheel draw, but a river nine kept him from finishing higher than sixth place.
Ferguson then pulled a lot of chips away from Juanda, who had an initial chip lead of $110,500. The Indonesian-born Juanda started a hand with 3-6/5-7 but ended up with just sixes. Ferguson had buried eights and then made another pair on fourth street.
Papachatzakis had been so cautious that he hadn’t played a hand for about 45 minutes. He finally ventured into action with pocket tens. Juanda missed a low and made aces-up, but on the river Alex filled with a third deuce.
By the $10,000-$20,000 limit, Junanda had lost ground but still was chip leader with $124,000. Korbin had $101,500, Appleman $74,500, Papachatzakis $54,000 and Ferguson $51,000. A few hands later, Chris started with A-3/5. On sixth street he went all in, drawing to a low and to diamonds. Juanda had queens-up. “Jesus” squeezed his last card, but there was no miracle. He paired and cashed out.
Now came the long, barren action-less stretch. About the only interesting thing that happened was that Travis Jonas, winner of the employees event, sat down, the first time that final table cards were dealt by someone with a gold bracelet. Mickey Appelman finished fourth. As usual, he never said a word, in contrast to Richard “Crazy Kid” Schwartz, who, the night before, never shut up. Mickey made an 8-7 but Alex made a 7-6, along with a flush. Alex, who had been mixing it up once the limits rose and he had some chips, had now pulled into a big lead of $212,500. Juanda had $135,000 and Korbin trailed with $62,500.
New limits were announced. “Fifteen and thirty thousand?” Korbin repeated. “We could play at the Bellagio.” The Rich then got richer at John’s expense when he beat his kings and queens with a ten-high straight.
At the end, John was all in with a draw to A-2-5-6 and diamonds but missed, and Korbin scooped him out of the tournament with a six-high straight.
Rich now had $256,000 to Alex’s $154,000. Around 150 hands had played. It would take another 40 more to end it. After about 25 hands with no action at all, the two finally tangled. Alex missed a low, made eights and got cut down to about $60,000 by Rich’s two small pair. Later, Rich did more damage scooping with another straight and a low. Alex then hung in for a few chopped pots. Finally all in with a weak hand, he could only make deuces against Rich’s queens and eights. Hardly believing it, the modest Korbin had his first bracelet.
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