Brian Nguyen Declared Winner By Just A Few Chips
The 2008 Legends of Poker continued with Event #20, a $545 buy-in No Limit Hold'em tournament with multiple $500 rebuys. A field of 159 players made a total of 224 rebuys to create a $185,755 prize pool. Final table play at level 15 with blinds at 3,000 and 6,000 with a 1,000 ante. Alvin Zeidfenfeld arrived to the final table as the chip leader with 262,500 of 1,149,000 chips in play.
On the very first hand dealt Raffi King pushed all-in under the gun with A-7. He was called by Zeidenfeld holding pocket Jacks. The flop of A-8-J gave King the Ace he needed but also gave Zeidenfeld a set of Jacks. After the turn came a Queen and river came 4, Raffi King was sent out in 10th place good for $3,250.
Just a few hands later Anton Ulker was all-in with K-9 for his last 500 chip. He was up against Ray Qartomy's As-Js. The flop came Qs-T-7s giving Ulker a straight draw but also giving Qartomy the nut flush and a straight draw as well. The 3s on the turn sealed it giving Qartomy an Ace high flush sending Ulker out in 9th place for $3,715.
Hand #7 saw our 3rd elimination as Arman Tyfekchyan raised to 25K from the button. Ron Jenkins pushed all-in with A-4 and Tyfekchyan called with A-Q. After the board came A-7-7-2-4 Tyfekchyan's two-pair with Queen kicker was enough to send Jenkins out in 8th place for $4,180.
Four hands later Vipan Sharma was all-in with K-5 against Tyfekchyan's pocket 7's. After the board came 2-3-8-8-8 Tyfekchyan's 8's full of 7's gave him back-to-back knockouts and sent Sharma out in 7th place for $4,645.
Things finally settled down a bit until hand #24 when Jeffrey Konvitz was all-in with pocket 9's. He was called by Roy Peters'A-K. The board came K-2-7-J-5 and Peters top pair of Kings eliminated Konvitz in 6th place for $6,500.
On hand #52 Alvin Zeidenfeld moved all-in with pocket Aces from the small blind. He was called by Ray Qartomy from the big blind with Ac-Jc.. After the board came Q-4-6-3-10 Qartomy was out in 5th place for $8,360.
Play was 4-handed for what seemed like forever. Finally on hand #99 Roy Peters was all-in with K-J against Arman Tyfekchyan's K-Q. The board came 10-5-6-6-4 and Tyfekchyan's Queen kicker bested Peters' Jack kicker and sent Peters out in 4th place for $11,145.
On hand #105 Tyfekchyan raised to 60K from the button. Zeidenfeld went all-in with A-10. Tyfekchyan called with K-Q. The flop came 2-4-7 and Zeidenfeld's Ace high was still in the lead. The turn came a King giving Tyfekchyan a pair of Kings and the lead. Zeidenfeld needed an Ace but it was not to be as the river came a 9 sending Zeidenfeld out in 3rd place for $17,645.
Tyfekchyan and Brian Nguyen were now heads up and virtually even in chips. It was 5:30am in the morning at this point and both players were exhausted from over 14 hours of play. They decided to make a deal and Nguyen, having just under a big blind's worth of chips more than Tyfekchyan, was declared winner of event #20.
O.J. Alcaraz
BIOGRAPHY
Brian Nguyen did not wish to have his picture taken. He has played in prior events in this year's Legends of Poker with this being his first final table and win. Nguyen plans on playing each of the remaining events of the series.
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