Kou Vang Wins $1,500 No-Limit After
Kings Get Beat 3 Times in Early Action
Council Bluffs, IA—Kou Vang's normal strategy is to play very tight in early action until the antes and blinds kick in and there are short stacks to go after. But he couldn't avoid playing after getting dealt pocket kings in the first 15 minutes, and losing each time. He quickly lost two-thirds of his 6,000 starting chips, but began climbing up, came to the final table in good shape and ended up winning the eighth event of the WSOP Circuit event at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, $1,500 no-limit hold'em. His win was worth $51,583 and a gold trophy ring.
Vang, 45, came to this country from Thailand at age 5 and now lives in Woodbury, Minnesota. He began playing poker about five years ago. He owned a mortgage and a temporary staffing business, but sold them to his father two years ago to turn pro. Vang, who plays mostly tournaments, played very conservatively at the final table, avoiding big-stack confrontations and going after the little guys. He got heads-up way behind David Dicken, grabbed the lead in a big pot, but still had a tough time putting away Dicken, whom he gave credit to as a very tough player.
He said his next stop will be the WSOP. Meanwhile, he wants to take time off, having become a first-time father three weeks ago. His other hobby is basketball.
When the final table of 10 players started Day 2, we were at level 12 with 46 minutes left. Blinds were 1,500-3,000 with 400 antes. Leading with 166,100 was Dicken.
Here were the starting chip counts:
Seat 1. Phil Mader 43,700
Seat 2. Blake Cahail 46,300
Seat 3. David Dicken 166,100
Seat 4. Mark Fernandes 33,600
Seat 5. Manny Minaya 33,600
Seat 6. William Burdick 53,500
Seat 7. Jovan Sudar 24,800
Seat 8. Jeff Bryan 85,800
Seat 9. Mike Sortino 64,200
Seat 10.Kou Vang 84,500
In early action, Jovan Sudar, lowest chipped, doubled through with A-Q versus A-10. Late in the level, Blake Cahail opened for 65,000 with A-Q, and Manelic "Manny" Minaya moved in with pocket 9s. The board came 6-6-3-A-J, and the paired ace left Minaya in 10th place, worth $2,538.
Minaya, 56, originally from the Dominican Republic, now lives in Tampa, Florida where he is in billing and collections. He learned poker 40 years ago and has entered eight to 10 Circuits. His cashes included a second in a Tunica Circuit main event that paid $160,557 and a 61st in the WSOP main event in 2005 worth $145,875, and all told, 11 final tables in the past two years.
Blinds were now 2,000-4,000 with 500 antes. Dicken still had a big lead. On the second hand, the flop came Q-6-3. Holding 5-4 for an open-ended straight draw, Mark Fernandes moved in. Dicken called with pocket aces and picked Fernandes off when a J-10 came. Ninth paid $3,172. Meanwhile, Sudar whooped and hollered, congratulating himself for folding pocket queens.
Fernandez is 23, from Brooklyn and in real estate/construction. He learned poker in home games, this is his first Circuit, and he has four final tables. He also enjoys sports.
Right after that, William Burdick was left short-chipped when he moved in with A-K and lost to Jeff Bryan's pocket rockets. Soon after, one away from the button, he moved in his last chips with K-10, losing to Sudar's A-K when all small cards hit. Eighth paid $4,785
Burdick is 36, a broker from St. Petersburg, Florida. He's entered numerous Circuits, and has a third in a $5,000 Foxwoods event.
Next to leave, with blinds at 3,000-6,000, was Phil Mader, all in from the big blind with A-2 and in bad shape against Cahail's As-Qs.. The board didn't rescue him, and Mader took out $6,344 for seventh. Again Sudar loudly congratulated himself for another good fold.
Mader, 46, is a farmer from Grand Island, Nebraska who grew up playing cards in local and family games. This is his second Circuit. This is his second tournament cash, and he also played in the 2006 WSOP. His other hobby is golf.
On the next hand Sudar pushed in for 30,500 with A-9 and Cahail called, a decided underdog with A-3. "No three!" Sudar demanded. A three flopped. No more self-congratulations, but Sudar at least was $7,390 richer for finishing sixth.
Sudar, 25, originally from Yugoslavia, now lives in Omaha where he is a leasing agent. His father taught him poker. He has a win in a Wynn $500 event. His other hobby is poker.
Next to go all in was Mike Sortino. He raised to 20,000 with pocket 6s, and Dicken raised him all in with A-10. The board came J-10-7-J-4 as Sortino went out with $9,516 for fifth while Dicken now had a commanding lead with 270,000 chips.
Sortino, 48, is from Papillion, Nebraska and retired. This is his third Circuit and poker highlight. He also likes golf and traveling.
Two more players now went out quickly on bad beats. First, on a flop of 8s-5h-2h, Jeff Bryan, with Qd-2d, bet 20,000. Dicken, with Qs-10s, tried an all-in bluff. Bryan made a good call, then was shocked when runner-runner spades came, giving Dicken a flush and increasing his lead to more than 400,000. Bryan, finishing fourth, earned $12,688.
Bryan, 50, a concrete equipment sales manager from Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska, learned poker watching Celebrity Poker on TV. His cashes include a 27th in the 2007 WSOP main event that paid $330,490 and a third in the Scotty Nguyen Classic that paid $61,374.
He is married with five children and one grandchild (his wife was here sweating him), and his other hobbies are drag racing, hunting and golf.
On the next hand Vang bet 55,000 with As-Qs, and Cahail moved in for 90,000 with A-K. Then Vang sucked out when the board came Q-9-9-2-5. Cahail picked up $15,860 for third. Cahail, 21, is a pharmacy technician turned poker player from Columbia, Missouri who began playing with friends in high school. This is his fifth Circuit.
Heads-up, Dicken had close to a 2-1 lead. But everything turned around when, on a flop of Ah-3c-6h, Vane bet 55,000 and Dicken moved in. Vang was a huge favorite with a two-pair A-6 to Dicken's K-6. A king turned, but a jack ended Dicken's hopes. Vang continued to pick up chips, and by the time the level ended, Dicken was down to about 140,000 to around 500,000 for Vang.
Blinds were now 4,000-8,000 with 1,000 antes. As heads-up play commenced, Dicken would go all in three times with no call, as Vang tried not to double him up. On Dicken's fourth all-in, Vang called, seemingly having him with As-8s to Dicken's 8d-7d. Vang looked even better when the board came Js-10s-3c, but then a river 9 gave Dicken a straight, doubling him up.
The tournament finally ended 40 minutes into the round. The flop came 9c-7c-6s. Yang bet 40,000, Dicken raised 80,000 more and Yang moved in. Yang had Qd-9d, Dicken had pocket 8s and an open-ender, but a 6 and then a deuce ended the evening.
For second, Dicken, a poker player who has played "a lot" of Circuits, took home $26,961 for second. His other interest is golf. --Max Shapiro
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