Peter E. Sares
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Sares Fools Field
By Steven E. Way
For some of the 194 players who entered in yesterday’s $220 Omaha Hi-Lo, 8 or Better event, the timing couldn’t have been better - April Fools Day! The game, with it’s well deserved reputation of being able to make even the most skilled players look foolish would be started right on time by Tournament Director Michael Ward and his talented staff.
After taking the customary dinner break at just past 6:00 last night, a few hands later saw the play narrow the field down to the final ten players.
The first to be eliminated was Bernard DiGregorio of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who came to the table woefully short stacked. DiGregorio made his stand with A, 7 of spades and a King, ten. The flop brought two spades, and a bunch of low draws for, Peter Avitabile of Braintree, Massachusetts who was also all-in and Peter Sares of Wilbraham, Massachusetts. Avitabile would take a quarter of the pot with a nut low, while Sares took the rest with another nut low and a pair of 8’s for high.
A few short hands later led to the exit of Anthony Mazza of North Merrick, New York when he played his last few chips against Del Ray, Florida resident Morty Benowitz’s Queens and sevens.
Avitabile would be next out when he played his last $1,000 with pocket Aces and a Deuce. The board brought no low but did manage to pair two of Benowitz’s cards letting him take the pot.
North Massapequa, New York resident Donald McCalmont was the next future rail bird
when he played a 10 high four card straight in his hand against Terry Wells of Baltimore, Maryland. McCalmont managed to make a pair of sevens with an eight low while Wells also had Jacks with a seven low.
Fall River, Massachusetts resident and two time final table contestant Helen Rachel took the best hand to the flop with Ace, King of hearts. Sares this time with a solid low draw called. The board came all high, but none of help to Rachel while Sares managed two small pairs for the win.
Fifth place would belong to Tim Margolis of Silver Spring, Maryland when he pushed his last chips into the fray with a pair of fives, a Deuce and a Trey. Wells made the call and made a heart flush to scoop the pot after the board counterfeited a five.
Benowitz would be the next to run into the Sares steamroller as he flopped a set of fours and pushed in only to sit and watch Sares eke out a Queen high heart flush on the river.
Wells would then fall prey to Greg Pappas of Rockville, Maryland. Pappas was the perfect foil for the day with antics that can only be described as “entertaining”. Pappas with a slight chip lead over Wells forced him all-in. When both men showed their hands Pappas sighed when the flop brought a pair of Kings for Wells. With a blank on the turn, only a river Queen for trips could save Pappas. Splash came the Queen. Pappas with an improbable win was now in the hunt for a victory.
At one point Pappas managed to get Sares near to the felt, and looked like he would manage a win. But as we all know, “A fool and his money...”, well let’s just say that Mr. Pappas would soon burn off his chips at a pace only exceeded by his non-stop verbal sparring with the throng of spectators. After getting some last minute advice from his lucky pink rabbit, Pappas then went all-in with his last $16,000 on a low draw. When the board brought Sares a third nine, the contest was over, Pappas had managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Sares had come back from the brink, taking the coveted championship as his own.
Fine Job Pete, Congratulations!
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