Robert A Ferdinand
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Ferdinand Finds Flops
Steven E. Way
On a fine spring day here in New England 227 gathered at Foxwoods Resort Casino for the $220 Limit Texas Hold’em event at the New England Poker Classic tournament.
The previous nights record setting pace to the final table was matched as the final ten players gathered just after taking an early dinner break. Some torrid play left the final table heads up just before 8:00 last evening. The remaining battle for the championship would take nearly another three hours.
The rapid fire elimination of the previous eight finishers would begin with James Fox of Easton, Massachusetts when he pushed all in for his last $550 with Ace King. When the flop came all rags it left John Lahoud of Newport, Rhode Island to pull in the pot with his pocket Jacks.
Ninth place would soon belong to Frederick Morin of West Brookfield, Massachusetts when he played Ace Jack and needed some help to beat the Ace King of John Cleary of Elmira, New York. The help never came.
Myron Ray Bernstein of Cranston, Rhode Island would be forced to push his short stack into action on his big blind. After being dealt a nine Deuce, Bernstein was a huge underdog against pocket Kings belonging to Robert Ferdinand of Revere, Massachusetts. With no help from the board Bernstein was eliminated.
Next to meet the payout clerk, and collect the seventh place prize would be John Lahoud of Newport, Rhode Island when he was forced to make a move. Ten eight would have to do, and the chips went in. Ferdinand would then make the call with Ace Jack, and and all rag board sealed Lahoud’s fate.
Mike Nash of Atlantic City, New Jersey hit the rail when he pushed all-in with a Queen Deuce. When the board came without a pair, it left John Sygiel of Niantic, Connecticut to win the pot with his Ace ten off suit.
David Scherer of West Hartford, Connecticut would then commit his chips with pocket sevens. Cleary called and the two men watched the board fill with rags. Scherer showed sevens as Cleary showed pocket Aces.
Another Cranston, Rhode Island man, Ralph Gonnella then locked up fourth place after pushing all-in after flopping a pair of Kings. Cleary would again be the harbinger of bad news when the turn and river made his Ace high flush.
With third place still available, Sygiel decided to take it. With few chips left and an Ace in hand he pushed all-in. Ferdinand was ahead from start to finish with pocket fives, the river five was overkill.
The two remaining players then buckled up for the long haul. With a $4,000 plus spread for first and second, both men played tough. Eventually though, trading blinds and small stacks back and forth had to end.
Finally Cleary would move in with nine six of hearts. Ferdinand with Ace eight of spades looked good until the flop came with two hearts. A turn eight made the winning pair. Congratulations Bob!
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