Bert Freeman with his enterage from left Shayne Bouchard, Vincent Coisem, and Terrence McCormick.
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Freeman Makes 'em Pay
By Steven E. Way
Friday, noon time, Foxwoods Poker Room, the event: $120 7-Card Stud, and arriving to participate, 453 players, all expecting to take home the first championship trophy for the 2000 New England Poker Classic Tournament.
Tournament Director Michael Ward made his usual announcements, by now familiar to all tournament players in New England, and the first cards were in the air at just after noon. With $500 each in chips, the players had plenty of chances to get involved in pots, but the number of players still in the hunt, even at dinner time was enough to make sure that every-one kept playing their best. Playing down to the final table would take a total of almost twelve hours.
Because of the huge turnout for the event, the top 40 players all received part of the prize pool which totaled $47,300 including the $2,000 of prize money added to first place by Foxwoods. In addition to the $2,000 for first place, the eventual champion also is qualified as an entrant in this years "Tournament of Champions" to be held in Las Vegas, NV.
The final table was assembled just before midnight, and things were looking bright for Greg Pappas of Rockville , MD as he aggressively played a hand which started out as a straight in the first five cards. The player in the one seat, Bert Freeman of Nashua, NH made Pappas the short stack after showing down with deuces full of treys at the river. This was of sign of things to come for all of the remaining players as Freeman would eventually rout the entire table.
With his last $800 remaining, Pappas went all-in against Baltimore, MD resident Robert Sherry, and left the event after missing his draw. Pappas took eighth place and $869 for his efforts.
Next, Eddie Fishman of New York City was eliminated, claiming his prize of $1,216 and leaving just 6 players.
The next to face off with Freeman, would be Robert Campbell of Brookline, MA. Campbell was forced all-in for his last $1,000 holding a pair of 5's, but trip Aces by Freeman was enough to send Campbell to the rails.
Fifth place would soon be claimed by Richar Stein of Boston, MA when he also met up with Freeman. Playing A Q J for his last $6,500, Stein could only watch as Freeman made a pair and his own draw was off target.
Robert Sherry would make fourth place his own when the rising antes and forces finally took their toll. Sherry moved all-in with two pairs but was delivered his fate by a straight beloning to Sandeep Johar of Woburn, MA.
With the field down to the final three contestants, the air was thick with anticipation - who would be next to go? The question would not take long to be answered as Michael DeVeronica of Hollywood, Fl would try to make Aces and Kings into a winner. If not for the trip deuces held by Johar, DeVeronica would have survived, but instead was awarded third place.
Now heads up, at nearly 3 am, 15 hours after the start of the event, with the championship on the line, Johar would play all-in with a pair of Jacks and a high straight draw. Mr. Freeman however had other ideas, and at the showdown exposed a pair of Aces to claim the first prize of $16,937.
Final Table Positions
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