| LONDONER HEMISH SHAH WINS FIRST BRACELET IN HOLD'EM
Stomach cramps that almost kept him from playing didn’t cramp Hemish Shah’s style enough to keep him from collecting $312,340 and his first gold bracelet by winning event number 24 of the 2001 World Series of Poker, $5,000 limit hold’em. Shah is a 10-year full time player whose home base is London. His titles include a $500 no-limit win at the Taj, an Omaha victory at the Rio and several European titles.
The final table saw any number of dramatic river draw-outs and chip leads that changed hands like partners at a square dance. There was only one bracelet at the table, but plenty of nicknames: “The Shamrock Kid” (Tom McCormick), “Rabbit” (Robert Blechman) “Balroc” (Jan Syavik) and “Captain” Tom Franklin.
Limits started at $4,000-$8,000. In early action, Hungarian ex-chemist Paul Ladanyi lost a $100,000 pot with pocket aces after Shah, with pocket jacks, caught a third hook on the river. With $6,000-$12,000 limits, Melissa Hayden, low on chips, tangled with Blechman. She flopped a set of sevens, and bet all in on the river but lost to Blechman’s nut flush. Melissa later said she was greatly annoyed when he told the table that the first player was out before he showed his cards, an A-3 of clubs.
The Rabbit, showing early speed, pulled into a big $195,000 chip lead after winning two pots in quick succession. First he made two pair runner runner to outrun Tony D, a very high stakes side game player playing a rare tournament. Next he knocked out Ladanyi with an unimproved A-J after Paul missed his flush draw with Ad, 5d.
McCormick, who had re-raised in the small blind before the flop, was faced with a tough call on the river. He had $15,000 left when Tony bet $20,000 into a board of A-5-2-A-9. The Shamrock Kid stood up, banged his cap on the table in frustration, finally folded. “I wanted to play against the small blind, not you,” he said. Soon after, he did go all in with pocket eights against Blechman’s K-Q and flopped a set. All in again with the same pair the next hand, again against the Rabbit, he again made a set on the river and let out a scream of victory.
“Balrog” Syavik of Norway ended in seventh place after a bad beat. He had A-K against Blechman’s J-J. The pot was three-bet before the flop. Balrog took the lead when a K-8-4 flopped. He check-raised and Bob played back to put him in. A four turned and a jack on the river filled the Rabbit.
Later, the Shamrock Kid, holding Ac, 10c and faced with calling three bets cold before the flop, asked himself out loud, “Do I feel lucky?” He decided he didn’t and folded, costing himself a big payoff in three-way action when three clubs hit the board, in a hand which Blechman won with a paired ace, beating Shah’s pocket kings and knocking Captain Tom out of the tournament. On the next hand McCormick went all in with deuces, and won...with a flush. The Shamrock Kid’s luck really did run out after Brian Green raised him all in. McCormick had A-10 and lost to Green’s pocket queens.
After limits went to $15,000-$30,000, Green, who won the $1,000 limit hold’em event at Tunica this year, took a big pot from Shah. He bet into a board of 10-8-2-8, Shah folded and Green moved into the lead with about $300,000. A few hands later he started rushing, taking several pots in succession with more uncalled bets and raises, piling up about $450,000. Later, he put Blechman all in. Bob, caught in the big blind, called for his last $2,000 with K-3. As his fellow Costa Ricans cheered him on from the bleachers, Green won with ace-high, leaving the Rabbit to cash out in fourth place.
Green now had lots of green, nearly a half-million dollars worth, but then Hemish began to make his move. He trimmed over $100,000 from Green’s stack with A-K versus K-9 after the board came Q-10-10-6-K. Next Tony D helped himself to a bunch of Green’s chips by winning a $225,000 pot when he started with pocket jacks, flopped a full house and elicited a final call on the river with an oh-so-hesitant bet.
As the 200th hand of the final table approached, Shah had pulled into the lead. Then, with a board of 5-5-2-6-4, Green tried a bluff after missing a flush draw with Q-10 of spades, and Shah picked him off by calling with pocket sevens. Hemish had now run his chip count up to $550,000. Tony had about $140,000 and Brian had dropped to $115,000. Soon after limits went to $20,000-$40,000, Green went out holding Q-7. The pot was three-bet before the flop. Shah bet a flop of 7-6-5, Green raised with his paired seven, then went all in on the turn and lost to Shah’s pocket eights.
Heads-up, Hemish had $805,000 to Tony D’s $175,000. They played each other cautiously at first, Tony not wanting to bust out, Hemish not wanting to double his opponent up. They both conceded several walks. Finally, Hemish raised with pocket jacks and Tony called with A-6. On a flop of Q-7-6, Hemish bet and Tony raised. Tony then bet the turn and the river and had only seven $500 chips left when the hands were turned up. After folding his small blind, he threw in his last $2,500 with just 5-4 offsuit. Hemish had A-Q of diamonds. He flopped a queen, won easily and ended up with enough money to compensate him for his stomach pains.
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