Musician Jon Schwartz Hits All the Right
Notes in Winning Event #3, $500 No-Limit
He Holds Chip Lead Throughout Final
Table, But Has a Tough Heads-Up Battle
Stateline, NV—.Jon Schwartz describes himself as "Mr. Versatility" in the music world, because he plays guitar, piano and drums. He also listed his occupation as "unemployed musician." Next week he hopes to change that designation by trying out for a spot in a band. But whatever the outcome, the 22-year-old will have enough to eat for a while after earning $21,277 tonight. He collected the money by winning the third event in the WSOP Circuit tour stop at Harveys Lake Tahoe, $500 no-limit hold'em.
Schwartz, who lives in Campbell, California, came to the final table with a big chip lead. He held it throughout, but still had a long and tough heads-up battle with a strong competitor, Joe Fernandez, who owns the Turlock Poker Room in Turlock, California.
Schwartz began playing four years ago in home games. He still plays 25-50 cent dealer's choice games with friends as well as small no-limit hold'em in casinos. His best tournament cash was 41st in a razz event at this year's WSOP. It was a disappointment for him because he had a huge stack at one point, and kept losing every pot after that. This is his second Circuit try. He amassed his big final table lead late last night by taking down a big pot with pocket queens. At the final table, he played cautiously at first, then opened up, but tried not to get involved too much with Fernandez, who kept "firing away."
This tournament attracted 146 entrants, and the prize pool was $70,810. It was the first two-day event thus far to get down to the final nine on day one. The finalists returned the next day with Schwartz way in front, hogging 406,600 of the 1.02 million chips in play. Action began with blinds of 1,500-3,000 and 400 antes, 29 minutes on the clock.
Here were the final table chip counts:
Seat Name Chips
1. Nelson Chew 62,300
2. Galen Peiskee 148,900
3. Tom de Jong 18,400
4. Chad Vitale 42,100
5. Kenneth Fitzgerald 133,700
6. Joe Fernandez 77,900
7. Bill Haynes 71,700
8. Baron Weller 66,600
9. Jon Schwartz 406,600
In early action, two players were crippled, first Bill Haynes when his A-K lost to Joe Fernandez' pocket aces, and then Nelson Chew when his Ah-Qh couldn't catch Baron Weller's pocket kings. Both were soon gone.
First to go was Chew. He moved in with. Q-J and got two callers. The board came 4-4-K-10-A, and Tom de Jong, with K-.Q, knocked him out with his paired king. Ninth place was worth $1,487. Chew, 58, is a systems analyist from Milpitas, CA who's been playing seriously for only a year. His highlight is a seventh in a $1,000 event at Harrah's Rincon. This is his fourth Circuit. He also enjoys golf, running and cycling.
A beat later, Haynes left. He pushed in with K-2 and three players called and went after him. When the board showed J-8-8-10, Schwartz bet 10,000 and the other two callers folded. He turned up Q-9 for a straight. Haynes, drawing dead, went out eighth, which paid $2,053. Haynes, 48, is from Modesto, California where he owns a company marketing a water-sport device he invented for water skiers and wake-boarders. This is his first Circuit event and his biggest pleasure is watching his two daughters, 27 and 25, do well in poker tournaments. He also likes fishing, hunting and golf.
Just as the level was winding down, a third player went down. This time it was de Jong, who moved in with Q-J. He was virtually dead when Kenneth Fitzgerald called, turned up pocket aces and made a set on a flop of A-J-2. There was no miracle, and de Jong, finishing seventh, took home $2,762. De Jong, 44 is from Reno where he is in commercial real estate. He began playing poker as a kid in family games. He made a final table at a WPT event at Grand Siera Resort last year and also has three otrher final tables in smaller events.
Blinds now went to 2,000-4,000. Action continued fast as another two players departed at this level. Chad "Phat Chad" Vitale tried a move, going all in with K-4, and had the bad luck to be called by Galen Peiskee, who had K-10. Well behind, Vitale was in hopeless shape when two 10s flopped and settled for sixth place, worth $3,470.
Not long after that, Fitzgerald found himself all in with A-8 against Fernandez's pocket 10s. A flop of 10-Q-Q gave Fernandez a filly. Fifth place for Fitzgerald was worth $4,496. Vitale, 28, is from Sacramento and owns a bar, also called "Phat Chads." He learned poker in home games and through bad beats and has a win in a 2006 Pot of Gold tournament along with several other final tables. His other hobbies are golf and camping.
A few hands later, Schwartz showed respect for the man he thought his toughest competitor. With the board showing 8s-9s-10d, Schwartz bet 20,000. When a 10s turned, Fernandez bet 50,000. Schwartz folded and showed pocket queens. Fernandez turned up his cards, showing the bet was a semi-bluff, as he had draws to both a flush and a straight.
Right after that, Peiskee made a costly mistake. The board was J-6-2-6-7. Fernandez bet out for 50,000 and Peiskee called. All Fernandez had was ace-high, but all Peiskee had was a 9-8 for just 9-high. "I thought I had a pair," he explained.
Blinds were now 2,500-5,000 with 500 antes, and another player checked out at ths level. Holding A-J, an all-in Peiskee was well in front of Schwartz when he held A-J to Schwartz's 8-7 and a flop of 6-7-A gave him a bigger pair. But then an 8 on the river gave Schwarz two pair. Finishing fourth, Peiskee was paid $5,948. Peiskee, 51, is a mining equipment project supervisor from Fremont, Texas. His nickname is "Roundman." He started playing poker during slow time on drilling rigs. This is his third Circuit and poker highlight. His other hobbies are firearms and pool, and he has two sons who were both valedictorians in high school.
Well into the level, we got down to the final two. In a three-way pot, the flop brought 3-2-9. Holding A-2, Weller moved in and was called by Schwartz, who had pocket 8s. A 7 and then a 9 didn't help him, and Weller cashed third for $8,568. Weller is a 33-year-old rescue paramedic from South Lake Tahoe whose other hobby is rock climbing. His poker highlight is winning more than losing.
Head-up, Schwartz led with about 650,000 chips to 350,000 for Fernandez. But the match, far from over, would go on for about 40 minutes. As the level neared an end, Fernandez pulled roughly even by winning a big pot. He had 5-2 against Schwartz's K-7. They both paired on a flop of 2-6-7, but then Fernandez caught a third deuce on the river.
Blinds became 3,000-6,000 and Schwartz began moving in front once again. On the final hand, the flop came 5s-3c-9h. Fernandez, holding just Kh-8c, bet 35,000. Schwartz, holding Qd-9d for a pair of 9s, came over the top for 75,000, and then Fernandez tried a power play and moved in with just his king-high. This time Schwartz, with top pair, wasn't buying it and called. Fernandez paired his 8 on the turn, but that's as far as he got, and the trumpets sounded for musician Schwartz.
For his runner-up finish, Fernandez pocketed $12,463. The Turlock poker room owner, who is 59, is unmarried but has six kids...all adopted. --Max Shapiro .
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