Temecula Tom Wins Lowball!
By Max Shapiro
"Temecula Tom" Ricketts, a 51-year-old electronics engineering manager who specializes in low games, totally dominated the final table for an easy win in $100 Lowball, the eighth even in Winnin' O' the Green. The tournament was unique in that three of the seven players to make the final table were women, and no one could remember ever seeing that many lady finalists before, ouside of a ladies-only tournament itself.
In the last hand at the second table, Ricketts was in against Vince Burgio and Luigi Grilla. All three drew one card. Ricketts made an 8-6, but decided to check, hoping he could induce a bet from someone. That someone was Burgio, who made an all-in bet with an 8-7. "Oh, no!" moaned Grilla, who had fewer chips than Burgio and reluctantly called with a nine. With two out, the final table assembled with one vacant seat. Ricketts brought over by far the most chips, $41,400, and from then on seemingly could do no wrong until he sprinted past the finish line.
With limits at $3,000 and $6,000, Kathy Matsuoka, who used to work at Ocean's Eleven and before that was a shift manager at the Oceanside Card Club, was left with only $1,000 after posting her small blind. When Ricketts raised (eventually beating veteran player Jack Lewis with a pat nine), she folded to wait for a better hand. It came a few deals later. She took one card to a 6-4 but caught a queen and was eliminated by Temecula Tom's 9-6.
Lewis then stayed alive himself briefly by making an 8-6 against Don Jones' queen. But on the next hand he was up against Ricketts. Lewis drew two, caught two kings and tried betting out with his last $1,000. Good try. Ricketts called with a queen, and now five were left. It didn't take very long before it got down to four. Kayoko Morisawa, all-in, took two. The best she could make was a J-10, and Temecula Tom (who else) sent her packing with a 7-6-5-3-A.
So far, Temecula Tom Ricketts has personally eliminated every player from ninth place onward. A little later, a player manages to go all-in against him and survive. Kathy Mahoney, a red-haired, rosy-cheeked woman who is as Irish as the Blarney Stone, is having the time of her life. All-in for her last $3,900, she draws two and makes a queen which holds up against Rickett's king. But when Don Jones, a retired welder with the Los Angeles Harbor Department, tries to bluff with a pair, Ricketts picks him off with a jack. "Hell of a call," Jones says admiringly.
And now comes the hand of the night, another double-header. With limits at $5,000-$10,000, Mahoney in the small blind is all-in for $2,800, and then George Monsoor raises and goes all-in himself for $8,800. Ricketts calls. He draws one while his two opponents each take two. Mahoney catches a jack. Monsoor misses a wheel and pairs fives. And Temecula Tom makes a straight nine to send two opponents straight out the door.
"I can't take these marathons," Monsoor jokes as he leaves. "Lowball is for old people." Then he adds, "Nice turnout; Hold'em is dying."
Heads, Tom has roughly $150,000 in chips to Don's $32,000. They spar for a while, but the outcome is never in doubt. Jones' chips slowly dwindle until the limits are raised to $10,000-$20,000 and Jones immediately goes all-in. He draws a jack, while Ricketts stands pat and wins with a 10-9.
Biography - Temecula Tom
Temecula Tom Ricketts has been playing poker since he was 16 and specializes in all the low varieties: lowball, razz and deuce to the seven. Because of his job, he's given up side games and only plays tournaments now. He has a very good track record in low events, with three wins including the L.A. Poker Classic and California State Poker Championship, and several seconds and thirds in various Bicycle Casino events, as well as sixth in the World Series. He picked up a lot of his expertise from his late father, Rick Ricketts, who used to run various cardrooms in the San Diego area.
In this tournament, he says he started off very well, cooled mid-way through, and then surged ahead at the final three tables. He feels his key play was checking his 8-6 against Burgio and Grilla. "I put Grilla on a nine, and I was hoping that if I checked that Burgio would bet a worse hand. If I had bet, I might have got nothing."
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