Position is Key to $300 No-Limit Win By Financial Adviser David Andrew
He Gives Credit for Win to Tournament Book by Tom McEvoy and Don Vines.
Council Bluffs, IA--In real estate, it's "location, location, location." For David Andrew, it was "position, position, position." Playing position was the best advice he got from a book written by Tom McEvoy and Don Vines called How to Win No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments, and it was a major factor leading to his win in the third WSOP Circuit event at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, $300 no-limit hold'em. Avoiding the reckless style he says is common now among young players, Andrew played a selective, controlled game. He also admitted to getting lucky. He came to the final table second-lowest in chips, was all in on the first hand, and doubled through by pairing a king to outrun pocket jacks.
Tonight's victory brought Andrew $33,742 and a gold trophy ring. Andrew, 31, is from Bondurant, Iowa, and travels Iowa and Colorado in his job as a financial adviser with John Hancock, playing poker wherever he can, about every other week. He plays small no-limit cash games, but prefers tournaments. He's been playing four years, has one small cash at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, and finished on the bubble in this event here last year. He also noted that his wife asked him to come home early tonight, but probably will be just as happy that he didn't.
Final table action got underway with a full hour remaining at level 13, with 1,500-3,000 blinds and 500 antes. Chip leader with 243,000 was Jason "Bart" Bartholomew.
Here were the starting chip counts:
Seat 1. Rick Behrendt 72,000
Seat 2. Sean Johnson 186,500
Seat 3. David Sawyer 66,500
Seat 4. Amy Muller 78,000
Seat 5. Jeff Hubbard 54,500
Seat 6. Chris Drew 154,00o
Seat 7. Josh Shmerl 187,000
Seat 8. David Andrew 80,000
Seat 9. Jason Bartholomew 243,000
On the first hand, Andrew escaped and doubled up by outrunning Josh "AceGood" Shmerl's pocket jacks. Amy Muller, the first lady to grace a final table here, became the first player to draw blood by also outrunning pocket jacks. She moved in with Ac-Qc and was called by Jeff Hubbard with J-J. A queen hit the river, and Hubbard took home $2,177 for ninth.
Hubbard, 36, is from Lincoln, Nebraska, where he is in the restaurant and bar business. His grandmother taught him poker at age eight, and this is his first Circuit final table. He also enjoys golf and music.
Rick Behrendt, starting lowest-chipped, had been building his stacks with several uncalled all-ins. Finally, on hand 18, he got a call from Sean "Biggie" Johnson. Behrendt had pocket jacks to Johnson's A-K. It looked like jacks would be outrun a third time when the board showed 10-9-3-K, but then a queen came on the river to give Behrendt a straight and leave Johnson in eighth place, which paid $3,265. Johnson, 23, is a former tax accountant turned pro from Chamberlain, South Dakota. He began playing in home games four years ago, has entered "enough" Circuits, and his poker highlight is 46th out of 8,700 entrants in the 2006 WSOP main event.
Next out was David Sawyer. He was all in for his last few chips with Ac-6c against
Chris Drew's 6-5. The board came Q-7-2-3-5, and Drew's paired 5 left Sawyer in seventh place, worth $4,353. Sawyer, 37, is self-employed and from Lincoln Nebraska. He learned poker in home games, and this is his fourth Circuit.
Behrendt, meanwhile, continued to pick up chips with aggressive play, and by the time the round ended he had gone from the bottom floor to the top with a lead of 344,000.
Blinds were now 4,000-8,000 with 1,000 antes. Behrendt soon increased his lead by taking out Drew. He moved in with A-K, Drew called with A-Q, and Drew was drawing dead when the board showed 9-5-K-3. Sixth paid $5,442. Drew, 27, is a bartender from Omaha who learned poker in college. He has a number of cashes in daily tournaments in Vegas, including two wins at the Mirage. He also enjoys golf.
As play continued, an all-in Shmerl took a big bite out of Bartholomew's chips with a lucky catch. On a flop of K-7-2, he moved in with As-7s and Bartholomew called with K-9. Shmerl was saved when when a third 7 hit the river.
Next out was Muller. She moved in for 68,000 holding A-4. Shmerl called with pocket 7s, and they held up. Fifth paid $6,530, and Shmerl now had moved into contention for the lead. Muller, 42, is an opthamalic technician from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She taught herself poker from books three years ago, and her prior highlight was a win in a tournament at the Paris in Las Vegas.
Blinds now were 6,000-12,000 with 2,000 antes. Next out was Bartholomew He was all in with pocket kings against Behrendt's pocket 9s. Then a flop of 9-6-5 gave Behrendt a set, and two running 10s filled him. Bartholomew, 35, from Sarasota, Florida, is a former bank manager who is now a poker dealer and player. He is also a former pro baseball player with the Double-A (minor league) Cleveland Indians. This is his first Circuit.
Soon after, Shmerl took a big pot from Behrendt when his K-5 made two pair, and he now had the lead with 450,000 chips. We got heads-up after Shmerl moved in with pocket kings and Behrendt called with pocket 10s. The board missed both players, and Behrendt took home $8,707 for third. Behrendt is a 50-year-old farmer from Ravenna, Nebraska. This is his first Circuit. His hobby is professional tractor-pulling.
Heads-up, Shmerl enjoyed a 733,000-390,000 lead over Andrew. Then Andrew moved in front when he hit a king to his A-K to beat Shmerl's pocket 10s. As play went on, Shmerl got about even when his pocket 9s prevailed over Andrew's pocket 8s. Then Andrew proceeded to grind his opponent down. Shmerl was left in bad shape when he tried a bluff bet with four hearts on board and Andrew picked him off with a 10h.
Shmerl finally went out when he slow-played pocket aces and allowed Andrew, holding 6-5, to flop two pair. Shmerl, who listed his occupation as "none," is 22 and from Wauconda, Illinois. This is his second Circuit. He began playing with his buddies in home games when he was 18, and also enjoys any extreme sport. --Max Shapiro
.
For more information, please contact:
Max Shapiro -- WSOP Media Director at (323) 356-3303
Or visit our official website: www.worldseriesofpoker.com
World Series of Poker Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack
Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director -- Janis Sexton
|
