Pipefitter and Chip Protector Designer Markie Garner is New Seniors Champ
He Quickly Takes Lead at Final Table And Holds Onto it Until the End
Tunica, MS--Poker is increasingly being called a young man's game, but that
didn't stop a crowd of 394 older folks from showing up at Grand Casino Tunica hoping to
win the Seniors championship at this year's Circuit stop. In the end it was
Markie "MR" Garner, a 61-year-old pipefitter from St. Amant, Louisiana
who earned the title. He picked up a lot of chips at the second table, and after
three hands at the final table, had moved into a huge lead which he never relinquished.
His final opponent was William Peoples, who flopped a flush on the last hand
and tried to trap him, but got trapped himself when Garner hit a full house
on the turn.
In addition to his pipefitting work, Garner hopes to become an entrepreneur
by marketing small, anodized and decorated, bottle-shaped metal chip protectors
which he and a friend designed. Garner learned poker by practice 45 years ago,
has four children, and has played numerous Circuits as he moves around to various
casinos with his brother. He has a few small cashes in Circuit and other events,
but his $34,481 win tonight is by far his largest. His prior highlight was playing
in the WSOP main event in 2006. He busted out on the first day, but still had
a memorable and exciting experience. He also had high praise for the way tournaments
are run here.
Before the event started yesterday, tournament director Jimmy Sommerfeld did
an age countdown and determined that the oldest player, at age 80, was Jim Spain.
Spain is in the Seniors Hall of Fame and has a third in a $1,500 WSOP no-limit
event in 1981. Howard "Tahoe" Andrews was another Hall of Fame member
in attendance, but he had to skip the Seniors because he was at the final table
of the pot-limit hold'em event going on at the same time. He didn't mind too
much missing the Seniors because he won the pot-limit.
The entrants played down to 12 on day 1 and returned at 4 p.m. the next day.
It then took two hours to get down to the final nine. Martin "Dr. Martello"
Berchenko, who finished second in event five, Omaha/8, arrived with a big lead
of 853,000 chips, but would quickly suffer a meltdown and go out in 10 hands.
Here were the starting chip counts:
Seat 1. Bruce Davie 137,000
Seat 2. Martin Berchenko 853,000
Seat 3. Larry Siler 108,000
Seat 4. Robert Hoffman 683,000
Seat 5. Andy Clements 623,000
Seat 6. M.R. Garner 547,000
Seat 7. Bob Haughton 306,000
Seat 8. William Peoples 455,000
Seat 9. James Garrett 257,000
Action was immediate and heavy. On the second hand, Garner moved in on the
river and hauled in a very big pot when Robert "Bobby Hollywood" folded.
On the next hand, the flop came Jh-9c-3d. Garner bet 150,000, Berchenko raised
150,000, then folded when Garner moved in. Suddenly Garner had climbed into
a big lead with roughly 1.7 million of the 3.9 million chips on the table.
There were several all-in escapes, two by Bruce Davie, and then, on the 10th
hand, Berchenko pushed in with Qd-9d. Andy "The Canadian Dandy" Clements
had him covered and called with pocket 5s. Berchenko missed everything when
the board came K-7-3-J-7 and he finished a disappointing ninth for $2,293. "I
played bad," he shrugged. "I didn't get much sleep."
Berchenko, 59, is an actor and writer from Woodland Hills, California. He's
been playing for 50 years, and along with his Omaha second place, he has a 70th
in $1,500 no-limit WSOP event. He also holds five four-shooting basketball championships.
Three hands later we lost another player on a bad beat. After Hoffman opened
for 180,000, Larry Siler moved in for 250,000 more with pocket aces. James Garrett
called with pocket 10s and Hoffman folded. Siler was still in front when the
board showed K-9-9-Q, but then a 10 on the river filled Garrett and left Siler
in eighth place, worth $3,440.
Siler, 65, is retired from the U.S. Air Force, where he learned poker. He now
lives in Tryon, North Carolina, is married with two children, and his other
hobby is horses.
Three hands later, Bruce "Kid" Davie was all in with pocket jacks
against Garner As-5s. Two aces flopped. "He hits not one, but two!"
Davie cried, throwing up his hands in dismay. Davie was paid $4,586 for seventh.
Davie, 52, is a variety entertainer from Southhaven, Mississippi. He learned
poker "the hard way" 40 years ago and is "just beginning to shine."
His other hobby is racquetball and his life's highlight was appearing on the
David Letterman show
A while later James "Maverick" Garrett was on the button with pocket
6s and decided to move in for 405,000. William Peoples, in the big blind with
pocket queens and 410,000 chips, had a fairly easy call. Garrett cashed sixth
for $5,571 after the board came 9-7-5-A-5.
Garrett, 58, is from Allons, Tennessee. Interestingly, he described his poker
beginnings in exactly the same words that Davie used: he "learned poker
40 years ago the hard way." He's married with two children, has entered
four Circuits and has a few small tournament cashes in Circuits and other events.
His other hobby is golf.
On hand 30, a fifth player went south. With the board showing Ad-5c-2c-6c, Andy
Clements bet 40,000 holding Jc-9s for a flush draw Garner raised to 150,000,
and Clements put in his last chips. Garner turned over Qc-9c for a made flush,
and Clements was drawing dead. Fifth paid $6,683.
Clements was born in Bermuda and now lives in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He's
retired, married for 27 years and has two children. He learned poker "at
great expense" in college, and has been playing hold'em 2-1/2 years. His
hobby is fishing, and in 1989 he won a pro bass fishing championship.
Blinds went to 25,000-50,000 with 5,000 antes. A lot of chips changed hands.
On the first deal, Hoffman moved in for 250,000 with pocket 5s. Bob Haughton
called for 190,000 with Qs-4s and escaped when a queen flopped. On the next
hand the action and outcome was reversed. This time Hoffman moved in for 195,000
with A-4. "He gambled with me, I'll gamble with him," Haughton said,
turning over a dominating A-J. This time it was Hoffman who sucked out and survived
when a 4 flopped. "I can't lose all night," he exulted. Action continued
with numerous all-ins and lots of chip movement, but when the players broke
for dinner all were still around, and Garner still had the lead with about the
same 1.7 million he had earlier.
Players returned to blinds of 30,000-60,000 and 5,000 antes. Halfway through
the round, on a flop of K-4-2, Robert "Bobby Hollywood" Hoffman moved
in with second pair, holding 5-4. Garner gladly called with K-J for top pair
Haughton couldn't improve and finished fourth, earning $4,795.
Hoffman, 56, is a poker player from Roswell, Georgia. He has played more than
50 Circuits and has had cashes in Omaha/8 and the Seniors at the WSOP, along
with the L.A. Poker Classic and other events. He has two children, learned poker
while in the Army 38 years ago, and his other hobbies are fishing and as a dealer
in Civil War relics.
Hand 83 was unusual. There was a disagreement over betting intention. William
Peoples lost the decision, but ended up winning the hand and knocking out a
player. After Bob "Easy" Haughton had moved in from the button for
305,000, Peoples insisted he only asked "How much if I call?" but
the ruling was that he had said "call." He turned over K-10. Haughton
had only a 9-5 bluff hand, and after Peoples hit a king on the turn, the event
was heads-up. Third paid $8,907.
Haughton is 63, from Lansing, Michigan. He is married with five children, learned
poker from his dad 50 years ago. This is his first Circuit, and he got into
the tournament via satellite. His poker highlight is a second at Foxwoods, and
he also enjoys golf.
Heads-up, Garner had about 2.3 million to 1.6 for Peoples. Play continued relatively
cautiously for more than 20 hands. Then, with blinds now at 40,000-80,000 and
10,000 antes, the flop came Qd-d-8d. Peoples, with 6d-5d, had a flush. He made
a relatively small trap bet of 300,000, and Garner with a two-pair Jh-8h, called.
a Jc turned to fill Garner. Peoples bet 500,000, Garner moved in, and that ended
the evening.
Peoples, 64, is a retiree from Jacksonville, Arkansas. He's married with one
child, has played poker since age 12 and has played "too many Circuits
to count." Tonight, second place brought him $17,805. Golf is his other
hobby. --Max Shapiro |
