Heads-up at the final table of the $1,000 Omaha 8 or better event, a player who goes by the name of “Prince of Docness” had $132,500 while Steve Badger had but a single $500 chip. And, would you believe it … Badger lost.
This ain’t the movies, folks.
Actually, the Prince accomplished a remarkable feat in defeating the two best Omaha players on the planet, Badger and number three finisher “Miami” John Cernuto, who between them own about 20 major Omaha titles, perhaps more than the next six most successful Omaha players combined. Not that the rest of the table was chopped liver. It included David Chiu, with three WSOP bracelets and the 1999 TOC championship; Phillip Ivey, who last year won a pot-limit Omaha event at the World Series and a no-limit hold’em in Atlantic City; David Plastik (celebrating his 37th birthday), with a $1,000 H.O.S.E. win at Legends last year, and Dan Heimiller, whose numerous wins include a pot-limit Omaha victory at Tunica.
The Prince, who would only give his occupation as “Doctor of Floppology” (well, he’s from the hippie enclave of Santa Cruz, California, so what do you expect?), doesn’t play that many tournaments, but he owns wins in pot-limit Omaha at the Four Queens in 1997, and at Caesars Tahoe in 1987. Prince, a long-time friend of Badger’s, modestly described himself as a live one. “A game never breaks with me in it,” he said. Remarkably, Prince came very close to busting out at the second or third level when he mucked a hand and realized too late he had the winner with three jacks. Welcome to Omaha.
Annie Duke was the event’s host. (Two days earlier, incidentally, the host was Men “the Master” Nguyen. Layne Flack, the next day’s host, was incorrectly credited in this report as host that day.)
Limits started at $1,000-2,000. Ex-banker Kip Williams was the first to be eliminated on the 14th hand. With a board of Q-J-7-Q-9 and three hearts, Miami John bet and Kip, with K-J-10-2 and a straight, raised all in. But John had An A-2 of hearts for the winning flush. Another 14 hands later, Ivey was chopped down to only $3,700 when Steve made a baby flush with a 6-4 of hearts in his hand, but continued to hang in with a couple of splits and a two-pair scoop. Meanwhile, Chiu gets in trouble after he goes to war with the Prince and is left with $1,500 when he misses his straight while Prince, with A-A-2-4, scoops with aces. He lasts eight more hands and then goes all in on a flop of K-J-5, holding K-Q-A-5. Chiu misses his straight while John, who flopped a wraparound with A-Q-10-2, catches a queen on the end for a winner.
At the first break, Miami John is chip leaer with about $35,000 while Steve is close behind with about $30,000. But then Steve catches up when he flops a set of aces. On hand 49, Ivey wilts. He starts with A-3-6-8 Steve and John gang up on him. The board comes J-8-4-3-7. Steve takes low with a nut A-2 while John grabs the high end with a paired jack. One hand later, Prince blows out the candles on Plastik’s birthday cake. David goes all in with A-Q-7-4 and takes the lead when K-Q-6 flops. But Prince, with A-J-10-3, lands on Broadway when a queen turns to give him the straight.
Qi Liu, a side-game player at Hollywood Park, is next out. Prince raises with A-2-8-8. The flop is 9-8-5. He bets, she calls all in with K-7-3-2, and he scoops with his set and a nut low when a 10 and 6 come.
A few hands later, Heimiller commits his last chip when Steve raises, but briefly survives with a chop. But then, a hand later, the Prince of Docness turns out his lights. Dan puts in his last chips with the better low draw, A-3-5-8, while Prince is a bit better on the high side with A-4-10-9. “Big cards!” Prince demands as the board is dealt. K-K-5-K-7 is turned up, and Prince’s A-10 edges Dan out the door in fourth place.
Three-handed, Prince has a princely lead with $65,000, while John and Steve are nearly tied for second with $36,000 and $32,000 respectively. The obligatory deal is made and play resumes. Prince looks at his two opponents and remarks, “The two people in the world I wouldn’t want to be against would be you two.”
On the 72nd hand, Steve pounds the table and jumps up in dismay after he folds a 4-2 and misses out on a wheel when A-5-3 flop. Prince scoops John on that one with three aces. But then Badger makes a big score against both players when he raises with A-K-5-7. Prince bets the board of 10-3-2, but Steve bets the river king and scoops with the best low and a pair of cowboys. Soon after the limits rise to $3,000-$6,000, Miami John goes south. Holding A-4-6-6, he raises and Prince calls. When the board comes 9-8-5-9, Prince bets his Q-8-3-2 and John calls for his last $2,000. A king rivers and Prince wins with 8s.
Two-handed, Doc has about a 2-1 chip advantage A few hands later, Prince pounds Steve in two consecutive hands, first with a straight and a low scooper, then when his two jacks hold up on a board of 9-4-3-K-K. Now Steve is down to one chip. “You haven’t won yet!” he declares defiantly. He goes on a roll and doubles up to two chips when he scoops the next pot, then chops four more hands and doubles up yet again to four chips when he makes an 8-high straight! But on the 101st hand, Prince ends the
tomfoolery and dons the Omaha crown when he is dealt J-5-4-2 to Steve’s A-Q-9-3 and scoops with jacks for high and a low of 8-5-4-2-A to Steve’s 8-6-5-3-A. —Max Shapiro |
