Freddy the Farmer Finds Fame & Fortune;
Wins Record-Sized Harveys Circuit Opener
22-Year-Old Survives Ups and Downs of
Event That Passes Structure Sheet Limit
Stateline, NV—A record-breaking crowd of 505 players showed up for the opening event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Harveys Lake Tahoe. Not only was it the largest turnout ever for a first event, it is believed to be the largest number for any single tournament in Northern Nevada. And it was a memorable final table, with huge swings and chip-lead changes that lasted so long that it went past the structure sheet limit of 25,000-50,000 blinds, forcing a new level of 35,000-70,000 blinds to be added for the last couple of hands. In the end, Freddy Podesta, a 22-year-old farmer from Linden, California, came out on top after a fierce heads-up battle with ironworker Charlie Melton.
The prize pool was $146,955, and first place paid $36,290. Melton didn't do too badly either. Not only did Melton, a champion bowler, collect $22,337 for second, but he had his wife substitute for him tonight in a bowling league, and their team won!
Podesta works on a 1,700-acre fruit farm that has been in his family for four generations, He's been playing poker since he was 16 in home games, plays $5-$5 no-limit in cash games, and this is only his second tournament try. He describes his style as selective/aggressive and said he was up-and-down throughout the tournament. He was seriously short-chipped at the final table before going on a late rush. He had a big chip lead when he got heads-up, lost it, but hung on, the key hand in the final match-up coming when he flopped a straight.
Day two of this event started with 27 players remaining, and after nearly five hours of play the final table of nine was set when Rick Peterson, holding A-Q, flopped a queen and put Max Nelson all in. Nelson had A-K and a flush draw, but missed everything. The pot gave Peterson the lead with 650,000 chips. Play then commenced at level 23, with blinds of 10,000-20,000, 2000 antes and 30:49 left on the clock.
Here were the final table chip counts:
Seat Name Chips
1. Freddy Podesta 155,000
2. Kevin Tastard 346,000
3. Charles Melton 420,000
4. Dustin Espindula 165,000
5. Craig Hutchison 400,000
6. Armando Bechthold 150,000
7. Kieng Lieng 450,000
8. Rick Peterson 650,000
9. Bradford Jensen, Jr. 409,000
Interestingly, all nine finalists hail from California.
The level ended with everyone still alive. There had been only one call on an all-in bet, and on that hand Dustin Espindula survived by flopping a set of 8s.
Blinds moved up to 15,000-30,000 with 3,000 antes, thus costing each player 72,000 chips a round. Finally there was action. Midway through the level, Peterson raised with pocket queens and Craig Hutchison, a deputy sheriff, moved in with pocket jacks. A board of 2-8-5-3-8 was meaningless, and the sheriff, caught speeding, cashed out ninth for $2,204. Hutchison, 45, is from Elk Grove, California, in the Bay Area, and has put in 17 years in law enforcement. He has a cash in the first event at this year's WSOP.
Peterson by now held about 1.2 million of the 3.03 million chips in play. Immediately after, Kevin Tastard was all in with K-10 against Charles Melton's A-Q. An ace flopped, and that did it for Tastard, 34, a service adviser from Brentwood, California who was making his second final table. For finishing eighth, Tastard collected $3,086
As play went on, Podesta, down to 64,000 decided to push in with 8d-6d, and got away by making a flush. Armando Bechthold was not so lucky. He put in his last 80,000 from late position holding 10s-6s and was called by Podesta, who had J-3. The board came J-5-8-A-9, and Bechthold finished seventh, worth $4,188. Bechthold, 24, is a gambler from Vallejo, California with a few final tables to his credit.
As the level ticked down to the last seconds, the biggest pot so far developed. The flop came down Kc-4d-Qc. Peterson, holding Qd-9c, bet 200,000, and Melton moved in for 326,000 holding Ac-Ad. The turn was a 10c, and the river an 8c, giving Melton the bigger flush. He now moved into the lead with about 890,000 to 730,000 for Peterson.
The players took an hour dinner break, returning to daunting blinds of 20,000-40,000 with 5,000 antes. Soon into the new level, a short-chipped Espindula moved in for about 100,000 with 8-6 off and was called by Podesta, in the small blind. Podesta had 9s-3d, four diamonds hit the board, and Espindula was out in sixth place, worth $5,584.
Espindula, 26, is from South Lake Tahoe, California where he is a semi-pro poker player. He holds a rather amazing record: 17 final tables in a row at the Harveys poker room. Espindula's family owns a dairy in Hilmar, California, and his girlfriend is a soccer coach.
Having lost the lead, Peterson dropped down some more after losing a big pot to Kieng Lieng, when his A-8 couldn't catch Lieng's A-10. Then, on the next hand, Lieng knocked him out. Peterson moved in with pocket treys, Lieng called with pocket queens, and when a board of 7-9-8-K-6 didn't change anything Peterson cashed fifth for $7,127. Peterson, 50, is a business owner from Oakdale, California with several final tables to his credit.
Lieng was now our new chip leader with about 1.3 million.
Right after that, Lieng opened for 200,000, Bradford Jensen moved in with A-Q, Podesta, short-chipped, called with As-4s and Lieng folded. The board came 10s-2s-3h-Js-8c, giving Podesta a nut flush. Podesta doubled up and Lieng jumped up in annoyance, because he would have flopped a set of treys and knocked out Jensen had he called.
Blinds moved up yet again, to 25,000-50,000 with 5,000 antes. At this point, the chips had evened up somewhat.
Lieng began going downhill when he lost a big pot to Podesta. Podesta bet 300,000 into a board of 6-K-J-7-A, turned up A-J for two pair, and Lieng mucked. Podesta now led with about 1.7 million.
Next out was Jensen. He moved in with A-9, Podesta called with A-K, a king flopped, and that did it. Jensen is 34, and is a sales manager from Fremont, California. He has a 75th place in event 49 of this year's WSOP.
Right after that, Lieng moved in with A-8. Podesta called with Q-2, flopped a queen and turned another one, leaving Lieng in third place, which paid $14,696. Lieng is a 34-year-old contractor from Sacramento, California who is proud of being born on the Fourth of July. This is his first final table.
Heads-up, Podesta had about 2.5 million to Melton's 800,000. Melton took a tiny lead when his Qd-8d held up against Podesta's Js-10s, then increased it substantially when Podesta folded a later hand. Then, holding 7-6 to Melton's Kh-7h, Podesta jumped back into a big lead when a flop of 10-8-9 gave him a straight. Melton was back to 800,000 again. On the final hand, with blinds now at 35,000-70,000, Melton moved in with 7d-6d. Podesta called with Js-Jh and won easily when a board of 5d-6c-8h-Ks-Jd gave him a set.
Melton, 43, is from Dixon, California. making his first WSOP final table. He has bowled 17 perfect 300 games and is an inductee into the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame.
Max Shapiro
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