Retired Verizon Technician Richard
Pilchman Rings in Win in Omaha/8
He Gets Chip Lead in Late Action
After Being in Mostly Mid-Position
Tunica, MS--Richard Pilchman prefers split games to no-limit because in no-limit, one bit of bad luck can put you out of action, whereas you can more easily sustain yourself in limit games, especially split contests. The format worked fine for him tonight, because he managed to stay in middle chip position throughout much of the final table, then surged ahead in the last stages to win event eight of the WSOP Circuit tour at Grand Casino Tunica, $300 limit Omaha hi-lo. He did have a bit of luck as well, because he was very low-chipped with 14 or 15 tables left before snagging a deuce for a wheel, which got him back in action.
Pilchman, 59, from Brick, New Jersey, retired five years ago as a communications technician with Verizon wireless. He's been playing poker 40 years, learning from his family, and 10 as a semi-pro, and this is his first Circuit try. Six of his prior tournament cashes have been in split games. They include a second at the Binion's Classic and a second and third at the Trump Classic, all last year. Pilchman, who describes his play as conservative and laid back, has been playing three or four tournaments a year, and now plans to step up his schedule. Pilchman has been married 36 years, has two children, and also plays the piano and guitar.
This tournament started at 4 p.m. on day 1 and the final table didn't start until 9 p.m. the next day, ending after midnight. Opening blinds were 10,000-20,000, limits of 20,000-40,000, with 40 minutes on the clock. Making his third final table was Randall Witt, this time the chip leader with 365,000, just 5,000 chips ahead of Eric "Rat Attack" Mink.
Here were the starting chip counts:
Seat 1. Albert Suarez 245,000
Seat 2. Scott Baker 90,000
Seat 3. Larry Dingler 335,000
Seat 4. Richard Pilchman 300,000
Seat 5. Robert Brouemann 275,000
Seat 6. Eric Mink 360,000
Seat 7. Randall Witt 365,000
Seat 8. David Segal 110,000
Seat 9. Leonard St. Germain 320,000
First out, in four hands, was Scott Baker, starting lowest-chipped with 90,000. He was all in from the small blind with a very weak 3-4-8-10. Mink, with A-2-Js-Ks, scooped him out of action when a board of 9s-7c-5s-3-7-8h gave him a nut low along with a number two flush. Ninth paid $1,373.
Baker, 24, is a bar manager from Douglasville, Georgia. He learned poker in his father's home game 15 years ago, and this is his poker high point.
As play went on, Witt was giving the most action and getting the most cards. By the time the level ended, he had climbed to about 600,000. Then, 10 hands later, with limits of 30,000-60,000, he hauled in a very big pot. He held A-2-9-10, but instead of a low he made quad aces when the board came A-10-6-A-A. "He's catching everything but the flu," announced Brooks Turk.
On the 35th hand, Robert "Buckeye" Brouemann, in the big blind, was all in for 30,000 against two opponents. The board of A-Q-9-10-A was checked down. Pilchman turned over Q-J-10-3 for aces and queens,, and Brouemann, mucking without showing, cashed eighth for $2,059.
Brouemann is 66 and from Monticello, Iowa. He's married with two children, has been playing 40 years, and this is his first Circuit. He also likes to fish.
On hand 57, Larry "LD" Dingler was all in from the small blind, and four sharks went after him. The board came Qh-5s-4s-9s-6s. Pilchman turned up A-2 for a nut low, Mink had a straight, and Dingler, throwing his cards in, went out seventh for $2,746.
Dingler, 62, is from Sycamore, Ill and retired. He's been playing two years, has played four Circuits and has prior finishes of 11th and 23rd. He has one child and enjoys golf.
David Segal was next out. He had A-2-5-K, and when the flop came A-J-8, he had draws to a low and a flush. Mink had A-2-J-9, and when a jack turned and a 9 rivered, Mink had a full house and Segal went out sixth, worth $3,432. Mink now took over the lead.
Segal, 58, is a bookkeeper from Memphis, Tennessee. He has two children.
Right after that, on the 66th deal, there was four-way action with Leonard St. Germain going all in holding A-4-5-9, When the board came K-4-5-10-3, Witt, with 3-6-7-K had a 7-high straight and Albert Suarez, with 1-2-4-5 had a wheel. Germain's two pair was useless, and he finshed fifth, which paid $4,118.
St. Germain, 61, is from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Retired, he has been playing poker 25 years and has three WSOP cashes. He is married with two children.
On hand 78, limits became 50,000-100,000. Fifteen hands later, the biggest pot of the night by far developed. It was four-bet in three-way action pre-flop. The flop came 10s-8s-3h. Juarez bet and got two calls. The turn was Js and Witt called. The river was 8h and Suarez bet all in. There was a possible full house and flush out there but Witt, with just J-10-A-4, was calling with only jacks and 10s. It was a great call because Suarez, with A-2-4-K, was just chasing a low, missed, tried a bluff, and finished fourth.
Suarez, 37, is a transportation company supervisor from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has four children and likes sports
Witt, with 1.2 million, now had half the chips, but at these limits, they could go fast, and did. First Mink scooped him when Witt had Q-Q-4-3, missed a low and lost to Mink's two pair to pull about even. Then Pilchman pulled in a couple of pots, once when his pocket kings beat pocket queens, and suddenly he was the chip leader, while Witt, missing a low against Mink, had dropped down to third.
Finally, on the 103rd hand, a three-way pot ended the evening. Pilchman was dealt aces and kings while Witt and Mink both started with three babies. A flop of A-4-9 gave Pilchman a set and all kinds of nut low and straight draws for the other two. They both went all in on the flop, losing when a 9 and a queen came, Pilchman scooped while Mink finished second and Witt third.
Witt, 52, nicknamed "The Weasel," is from Nashville, retired, and has numerous cashes to his credit. This is his fourth Circuit.
Mink, 22, from Cincinnati, Ohio, is a poker dealer who learned poker at an early age in pool halls and by watching TV. He's dealt all the Circuits here and has made a couple of final tables.
--Max Shapiro
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