Champion "Bo" Toft with Third place Rudy Drautz (left) and Henry Porcaro (right)
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"Bo" Posts a Victory
By Steven E. Way
Twenty three hold 'em tables holding 212 hold 'em players was how the tournament area laid out yesterday at noon time for the start of the $220 Limit Hold 'em event at the 6th Annual New England Poker Classic. $2,000 of prize money added by Foxwoods Resort and Casino, made the total prize pool more than $44,000.
Every participant in the event battled bravely, eventually pinning down the final 9 players for the final table at just before 8 last evening.
It would not be long before 9th place was being collected by Timothy Clingen of Santa Barbara, CA who along with Rudy Drautz of Brooklyn, NY both played flush draws after the turn. Both players missed the flush and played Ace high, but Drautz would take the chips when he showed the better kicker, King to Clingen's Queen.
Eighth place would belong to James Frappier of East Granby, CT after he pushed all-in with a pocket pair of Jacks. Frappier would lose the pot after Robert "Bo" Toft of Yardley, PA holding 10-9 of clubs flopped a flush to take the pot.
The next player to be eliminated, Melvin Gross of Natick, MA of would again fall victim to the missing pip. Holding Ace Queen with Drautz holding Ace King, both men had straight draws, both picked up a pair of board 6's, missed the straight and played Ace high to the kicker.
Haeng Kim of Atlantic City, NJ collected the 6th place award when he was beat after flopping a set of 10's only to have Henry Porcaro of Warwick, NY make Ace Jack into a Straight when a Queen fell on the river.
Ernest Romano of Richmond Hills, NY who was trying for a second win in this years tournament would be next out. Romano with a pocket pair saw the board bring three 3's filling him on the turn. A hesitant call by Porcaro got Romano to push all-in when a rag fell on the river. The case trey in Porcaro's hand assured him of the pot
The remaining four players were all eying the top prize and play tightened a bit. First to loosen things up was an aggressive play by Ivo Donev of Bregeuz, Austria who again ran into quads, again by Porcaro. All-in-all not a bad showing for Donev, a professional poker player from Europe and International Chess Master who only first arrived in America earlier in the morning.
Now with the short stack out, the remaining 3 players push hard to the finish. Drautz would fall first when he pushed all-in with pocket Kings only to have Porcaro play Ace Deuce off-suit to pair his Ace on the river.
Two more hands is all Toft would need to close out his first win at this years tournament. With pocket Jacks, Toft never relented and forced Porcaro all-in at the turn. Porcaro with 4 cards to a straight and a flush and only a pair of Deuces needed help form the river, but the help did not flow his way, and he was eliminated to collect second place.
Final Table Positions
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