Brett Henthorn, a Student on a Break, Breaks Table in First Tournament Ever
Elizabeth, IN--Brett "Karskeer" Henthorn is a 23-year-old from Champaign, Illinois studying business and architecture. He's played some $1-$2 no-limit cash games in Vegas without doing too well, but never tried any tournaments. Tonight he decided to take a little break from his studies, entered the 10th event of the WSOP Circuit at Caesars Indiana, $300 no-limit hold'em, and turned in a spectacular performance. He came to the final table with a very big chip lead, proceeded to knock out six of the eight other players, and scored a decisive victory after only 41 hands of play.
"This really wore me down," he said. After collecting his $31,240, Henthorn headed back to school to focus and study for exams and won't be thinking of poker for a couple of months.
Henthorn said he began playing "hyper-aggressively" after getting in the money because he wanted first place rather than settle for a cash of $1,000 or so. His strategy paid off because he came up fast from that point, and once he took the lead he never lost it.
We got to the final table after Phillip Sparta, all in for 41,000 with K-Q, couldn't catch Henry Barnes' pocket 9s.
Final table play opened with 4,000-8,000 blinds and 1,000 antes, 10:35 on the clock. With 303,000 chips, Henthorn led the pack.
Here were the starting chip counts:
Seat 1. Cy Dixon 90,000
Seat 2. Henry Barnes 106,000
Seat 3. Richard Woehler 24,000
Seat 4. Brett Henthorn 303,000
Seat 5. Dean Crail 57,000
Seat 6. Darrell Lackey 123,000
Seat 7. Dennis Schroeder 113,000
Seat 8. Steve Mitchell 25,000
Seat 9. Tommy Pruitt 75,000
As the round ended, Cy Dixon raised and Richard Woehler, starting lowest-chipped, called all in. Henthorn also called, and at the showdown, Dixon turned over pocket 6s which beat Woehler's pocket treys. Ninth paid $2,015. Woehler, 36, is from Indianapolis and began playing with friends four years ago. This is his second Circuit. Blinds moved up to 6,000-12,000. On hand five, Steven "The Claw" Mitchell, starting second-lowest and now all in with A-5, had two callers. The flop came 9-8-7. Darrell Lackey, with 10-6, had a straight and pushed in for about 60,000. Unfortunately for him, Henthorn had J-10 for a bigger straight, and after a deuce and a 5 were dealt, two players were out. Mitchell finishing eighth, got $3,023, while Lackey collected $4,031 for seventh. Henthorn now had about 275,000 of the 910,000 chips in play.
Mitchell, 37, a legal consultant from Louisville, finished fifth in the 1/2 hold'em, 1/2 Omaha event the day before. He learned poker from his grandmother, has entered eight Circuits, and also has a 23rd in a WPT event in Biloxi.
Lackey, 56, is a sales manage from Sellersburg, Indiana, and learned poker from his father back in 1959. He's entered four Circuits and had three prior cashes, including a 10th. His other hobby is horses.
Moving right along, we lost another player on the 13th deal when Donald Crail was all in from the big blind with J-8, losing to Dennis Schroeder's pocket 8s when a board of 6-5-4-2-Q changed nothing. Sixth paid $5,039. Crail, 57, is a clinical applications analyst from Camby, Indiana. He learned poker two years ago with friends, has entered three Circuits, and has a 10th in a $300 no-limit event here last October.
On hand 19, Tommy "Tap" Pruitt had a narrow escape. All in with K-10 against Henthorn's pocket 5s, he got away when a 10 came on the river. Then, eight hands later, he had the button and not much else. Down to 10,000, he decided to raise all in blind. Henthorn called with pocket treys and blew Pruitt out when a board of J-4-3-9-9 gave him a full house. For fifth, Pruitt took out $6,046. Pruitt, 48, is from Louisville and is self-employed. He began playing 25 years ago with friends and has entered 10 Circuits. His other hobby is golf.
Soon after, Cy Dixon, on the button, tried an all-in move for 93,000 holding Qh-7h. Henthorn called from the big blind with A-7. He didn't hit anything, but neither did Dixon after the board came J-9-9-6-J, and Dixon cashed out fourth for $7,054. Dixon is 33, from Lexington, Kentucky, and learned poker from his grandmother when he was five. This is his second Circuit, and he cashed fifth in event five, $500 no-limit. Golf is his other hobby.
On the next hand, only the 30th, we got heads-up after Barnes, holding A-8, moved in on a flop of J-4-3. Henthorn called, well ahead with J-5, and stayed in front when a 4 and 10 were dealt. For third, Barnes got $8,062. Barnes, 41, is a contractor from Franklin, Kentucky who learned to play four years ago. This is his third Circuit. His poker highlight was scoring a year-long points championship in a monthly 27-man home game. His hobby is collecting hot wheels and street rods.
For the final match-up, Henthorn had about 570,000 chips to 340,000 for Schroeder.
After eight hands of play, blinds went to 10,000-20,000 with 2,000 antes. Schroeder had closed the gap somewhat with 75,000 more chips, but the match would go only three more hands. On a flop of Jc-10d-9h, Henthorn, holding Qc-6d for an open-end straight draw, bet 25,000. He made it when an 8 turned. He bet 55,000 and Schroeder decided to more in with Kc-2d. He was drawing dead to a three-outer queen for a higher straight, but a harmless 7h arrived on the river, and Henthorn went back to class with a lot of extra lunch money.
Schroeder, 45, whose nickname is "NV Slim," is from North Vernon, Indiana and owns and operates an amusement company. He's played three Circuits, and this is his poker highlight. He also plays golf.
--Max Shapiro
|
