21-Year-old Pro Wins Circuit Ring
After Three-Way Prize Money Chop
Elizabeth, IN He's only 21 and already a pro. He didn't take down the most money in tonight's tournament. But after a three-way money deal and five furious hands playing for the title and the gold and diamond trophy ring, Kevin Stammen had all the chips and was declared the winner of the second event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Caesars Indiana, $500 no-limit hold'em.
As the 4,000-8,000 level ended, Stammen had 216,000 chips versus 296,000 for Steve Miller and 100,000 for Dan Quade. Stammen proposed a deal, and after some lengthy negotiations, Miller accepted an unofficial $33,000 versus $30,000 for Stammen and $17,000 for Quade. The three finalists then played five more-or-less showdown hands. Quade busted out on the fourth deal when he moved in for 200,000 with A-9 and lost to Stammen's A-Q, and on the next hand, Miller bet his last 70,000 blind, losing with K-10 when Stammen's A-6 held up.
Stammen, an animated and outgoing young man who plays an aggressive game, is nicknamed 'Stamdog g,' lives in Coldwater, Ohio, is single and taught himself poker five years ago. Before playing full time he had a job installing concrete basements. He's had a couple of cashes at the Bellagio and a second in a local event in Mississippi. Although he's been playing both tournaments and live games, he said he decided to play tournaments exclusively after tonight. His one regret is that his iPod broke and he couldn't listen to music. His official second-place payout was $22,766,
As happened yesterday, this event was played through in one day, with the final table again starting at about 11:30 p.m. It was a more lively table than last night, though, with plenty of action and a lot more all-in moves. The all-in shorter stacks also tended to escape much more frequently than yesterday, so that it took about two hours to lose the first three players.
Only one hand was played before blinds moved up to 1,500-3,000 with 500 antes. James Whitley Jr. led with 130,000 chips, with Quade and Stammen close behind. There were five pros at the table, unusual for a local event, as Quade, Robert Briggs, James Williams and Andrew Wade also listed poker as their occupation.
Here were the starting chip counts:
Seat 1 Andrew Wade 41,500
Seat 2 Robert Briggs 30,000
Seat 3 Kevin Stammen 105,000
Seat 4 Mike Tucci 84,000
Seat 6 James Williams Jr. 20,000
Seat 7 Dan Quade 106,000
Seat 8 John Lanese 30,000
Seat 9 James Whitley Jr. 130,000
Whitley suffered a rapid reversal of fortune, thanks to pocket kings. In early action, he had A-K and called an all-in bet by John Lanese, who beat him with K-K. Down to 1,500, Whitley made a small recovery when his flush beat Quade's set of 6s. But then, all in with Jc-9c, he ran into kings again, this time held by Wade, and ended up ninth. .
Whitley, 35, is a day trader from Du Quoin, IL who started playing poker at home three years ago. This is his second Circuit try, and his best poker finish so far. Ninth paid $2,846.
Williams followed him out a few hands later after he moved in for 7,500 holding A-10. Stammen, in the big blind, already had 3,000 committed and decided he might as well call. All he had was 9-3, but both cards were live, and he took the pot when a 9 flopped.
'Jamie' Williams, 32, lives in Schereville, Indiana, and was in car sales before playing full time. He taught himself eight years ago. He's divorced, with four kids, and his main recreation is golf. Tonight he picked up $4,269 for eighth.
Soon after, Robert Briggs moved in three times and survived, each time holding either a queen or pocket queens.
Blinds became 2,000-4,000 with 500 antes as action slowed down and players refused to go broke. Some 45 hands and nearly two levels went by with the same seven players remaining. Tournament director Shannon Ruck was growing impatient. She recalled a Circuit event here last year when about two hours went by with nobody busting out. Finally, poker room manager Jimmy Allen showed up with an enormous can of WD-40 to 'loosen up the players.' It must have worked, because two immediately went broke. Ruck warned the players she would do the same thing, and the threat alone seems to have worked, because two players suddenly bowed out in six hands.
On the next hand, as blinds became 3,000-6,000, Briggs could hang on no longer. He raised with his last 8,000 holding 8s-6s in the cut-off seat, ran into Miller's pocket jacks and didn't help when the board came Q-9-6-K-4.
Briggs, 46, whose home in Tennessee is Flag Pond (and so is his nickname), has been playing poker for 36 years, learning in back-room games. He has two children, and describes himself as 'a nice man.' His poker highlight was once winning $40,000 in a home game. Tonight he settled for $5,692 for finishing seventh.
Two hands later, Mike Tucci moved in with A-Q. A queen turned, but it wasn't enough, because Miller held those dreaded pocket kings, and Tucci was left with about 6,000. It all went in when he posted his big blind two hands later against two callers. The board of K-5-2-7-Q was checked down. Miller turned up a 10-8, which Stammen couldn't beat. Tucci peeked at his cards, was astonished to discover that he couldn't either, and cashed out sixth.
Tucci is a 32-year-old swimming pool builder from Redford, Michigan. He's single and enjoys sports betting and relaxing on the beach. He's played poker 15 years, has a bachelor's degree in accounting from Michigan State University, and feels his statistics class helped his game. Tucci, who says he's 'not scared to push it in the middle,' had his biggest payday when he won $7,150 for finishing first in a Florida Hard Rock Seminole Casino $200 tournament, $35 more than he got tonight.
At this point, Stammen was the chip leader with close to 200,000. But on hand 77 he took a big hit. After Quade made a small raise to 20,000, Stammen moved in with pocket 10s, only to see Quade turn over those dreaded kings. Stammen turned over 87,000, making Quade the new leader.
On hand 84 we finally lost our fifth player when Wade, all in with Kc-Qc, lost to Quade's A-10. Wade, 24, is from Hudson, Michigan. With an English degree, he was a teacher before turning to the more honorable profession of poker. He's single, enjoys golf, bowling and softball, and learned poker from TV and books. His poker highlight was cashing in his first WSOP event last year. Tonight he got $8,537 for fifth.
Blinds became 4,000-8,000 with 1,000 antes. Quade still led with about 230,000, followed by the 200,000 held by Lanese, the most quiet, intense, selective player at the table...
Hand 94 was a turnaround as Quade lost 95,000 to Miller, who caught an 8 to his J-8 to outrun Quade's As-7s. A few hands later, Quade was down to 30,000 when Stammen, with A-9 against Quade's A-8, won going away by making trip nines.
It wasn't until hand 123 that we got down to three. Miller raised with pocket 8s, Lanese moved in with pocket 7s, and couldn't improve. Lanese, 28, from Bedford, Ohio, is in the service business. He's single, has two children, learned poker from TV, and had a succinct answer to the bio question asking what he wanted the audience to know about him: 'Nothing.' Fourth place paid him $9,960.
A few hands later the cash deal was made and the tournament was over except for the ring battle. Quade is 24, from Saint Paul, Minnesota, and has a stirring e-mail address:'FuturePokerStarofAmerica.' He's single, enjoys golf, music and sleep, has been playing poker three years, one professionally, and his best poker accomplishment was chopping a $2,500 event with three buddies. Third place officially paid $11,383.
Miller, who officially finished first for $44,110, though only getting $33,000 for real, is 57, from Bedford Indiana, and retired after selling his printing business a few years ago. He is married with two children, enjoys racquetball and golf and has been playing poker for 30 years. His biggest score was $34,658 for second in a Deep Stack tournament at the Venetian in Las Vegas this month. — Max Shapiro
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