Randy Holland Captures Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Title
The 2008 Winnin' o' the Green continued with Event #6, a $335 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event with one optional rebuy. A field of 67 players created a prize pool of $27,936 after 43% of the field opted for a rebuy (29 rebuys). This tough final table was set with a few familiar names from the U.S. and one player from Denmark.
The first elimination occurred just 5 hands into the final table when Rosemary Hershkowitz, a retired musician from Arizona, was all-in in a 3-way pot. After the dust settled with a board of J-5-6-2-4, Lon Phan scooped the pot holding A-2-3-8 for the nut low and 6-high straight. Rosemary had A-2-x-J and the river 4 ended her tournament.
Rosemary Hershkowitz finished in 9th place for $560.
It took a lot of chopping before hand #17 when Minh Tran was all-in against Brent Carter's big stack. Minh held A-2-7-9 and Brent had the monster A-A-2-3. The board came J-10-2-6-J and Brent scooped the high only pot with Aces-up. Minh Tran finished in 8th place and received $700.
Miami John Cernuto, who arrived at the final table with the chiplead, had taken some hits to his stack in the early going of the final table against Lon Phan. Miami John was going to be all-in against Lon Phan on hand #40. Lon showed 3-5-6-9 and John was holding Ah-Qh-x-7. The board was 9h-7h-3-Jc-10c and Lon Phan won the high only pot with a pair of 9s. Miami John Cernuto finished in 7th place earning $980.
I can say that the next 90 minutes of the final table was good to the shortstacks. If I had a nickel for every time a shortstack doubled up….I'd be chipleader! On hand #79, Barry Bindelglass was all-in with Lon Phan. Barry's A-6-7-K was up against the similar holdings of Lon's A-6-7-J. The board was Q-8-5-8-J and the river Jack gave Lon the high only scoop and sent Barry to the rail in 6th place for $1,255. The river can be a cruel destination in Omaha Hi-Lo.
On the very next hand (#80), Wally Phipps tangled with Randy Holland in an all-in pot. Wally showed 9-10-J-3 and Randy had 9-10-4-8. The board was A-J-10-7-5 and Randy's 8-9 made the Jack high straight for the scoop. Wally Phipps finished in 5th place and took home $1,535.
Hand #84 had Lon Phan all-in with 2-6-7-8 against Randy Holland's 4-5-6-K. The board was A-Q-9-8-7 and Randy scooped with a 5-6 low and used the same 5-6 for the 9-high straight. Lon Phan finished in 4th place and earned $1,955.
The blinds and stacked were forcing all-ins from the blinds on almost every hand. Hand #90 was the next elimination when Jack Rosenfeldt, a resident of Denmark, held A-Q-10-9 against Randy Holland's strongA-2-2-5. The board was Ac-Qc-4-3-K and Randy's wheel is a scooper. Jack Rosenfeldt finished in 3rd place and will be taking home $3,335 USD (that's 16,440 Danish Krones at the current exchange rate).
The heads-up match between Randy Holland and Brent Carter lasted two hands. Brent stack had him all-in after the flop on both hand and the final hand played out. Randy held 4-5-6-8 and Brent had 3-5-7-K. The board was A-8-6-5-3 and Randy scoops the pot a higher two pair and the live 4 for the low. Brent had a bottom two pair and a live 5. Brent Carter finished in 2nd place and earned $6,425. Randy Holland wins the Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event for one trophy and the ever important $11,171.
BIOGRAPHY
Randy Holland has been playing professional poker since 1993. Randy just finished 2nd in the overall points at this year's LAPC. He plays all games but prefers the split games. He earned 2 WSOP Bracelets, one in RAZZ and one in Stud H/L in 2000. This former attorney is well respected by his peers, opponents, and casino staff. He is always a gentleman at the table but don't let your guard down or Randy is going to be stacking all your (former) chips right in front of himself.
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