Ex-Soccer Player Kicks Goal!
By Max Shapiro
David Levi, who once played professional soccer for a team in Tel Aviv, Israel, scored the final goal in event number 11 of Winnin' O' the Green, $200 Stud Hi-Lo. And he did it in the hardest possible way by kicking the ball past the final goal-tender, Robert "chip-burner" Turner, who started the heads-up finale with a big chip lead.
Finishing ninth was Mardy Loewy. After surviving a couple of all-in calls, he finally succumbed to George Rechnitzer who owns a real estate company and made several final tables (as did Andre) at the L.A. Poker Classic last month. The best Loewy could make was a pair, while Rechnitzer made two pair along with a six-low.
The first few players to make their exit at the final table did so rather hastily. Kathy Liebert, lowest-chipped, was first out. Showing a pair of deuces on fourth street, she bet out with her last $2,000. As the cards were dealt, Liebert, not helping her deuces, stood up and put on her jacket as Rechnitzer, catching spades, and Phillip Luong, catching low cards, kept raising each other, eventually splitting with a flush and six-low.
A few hands later, "Temecula Tom" Ricketts, winner of the $100 lowball event, had the $1,000 low-card bring-in with a three. With another three down, he decided to bet his entire $1,800 and ended up with two pair. Levi showed a four. At the showdown, in three-way actin with Donald Halpern, David turned up two more fours for a scoop. Halpern then quickly followed Ricketts to the pay window. With A-8/5-6, he went all-in and ended up with the "dead man's hand," aces and eights. It wasn't enough because Levi caught one of the spare eights for a ten-high straight.
Soon after, Rechnitzer, with a great starting hand of A-5/2 went against Luong, who had 7-7/5. With a draw to 5-6-7-8, Luong put the real estate man all-in on sixth street. He just caught a second eight on the end, but his two pair was enough to beat and eliminate Rechnitzer, who made fives and deuces. On the next hand, Frank Rite a chiropractor and homeopathic medicine practitioner, had to swallow a bitter pill when he also started with a tremendous hand -- rolled up queens -- and lost. He went all-in on fourth street and looked like he had it all the way, until the chip-burner showed him a winning flush.
Three-handed, Luong had roughly 40 percent of the chips on the table while Turner and Levi were about even with the rest. But then Turner started to surge ahead by beating Luong in two pots. The first time, Luong, showing 3-7-6-7, made three pair, while Turner, with a board of 8-2-2-J and two hearts, turned up three more for another heart flush. The next time, Luong bet on the end with jacks and nines. Turner didn't have a six-low, but he did have a winning hand of aces up, and now a sizable ship lead as well. Finally, with 4-6/4-7-J, Luong went all-in. Turner had buried kings and that's all he needed to say "so long" to Luong.
But against Levi, the chip-burner's flame suddenly began to burn low. With a $1,000 ante, $2,000 low-card bring-in and $5,000-$10,000 limits, he was forced to fold time after time midway through a hand. Levi now had the momentum and soon had most of the chips Finally, Turner began going all-in. Three times he managed to escape with a split. Almost down to the cloth, he went in for the last time with 5-6/8, ending up with a pair of fives and losing to Levi's sixes.
Biography - David Levi
David Levi's soccer team never won the World Cup, but he describes it as world-class caliber. Moving here from Israel 15 years ago, he's been playing poker seriously for about 12. His other major victories include a 7-Card Stud title at the Orleans in 1998 and a Limit Hold'em event at Hollywood Park. Two years ago he was on a tournament roll, then things dried up, and he hopes he's on a comeback now. He plays mostly live action, preferring $20-$40 Stud High-Low or sometimes $40-$80 Hold'em.
In tonight's event he never had many chips until just before the final table when he caught three deuces and took a lot of chips from Turner, who made aces-up. He also wanted to emphasize what "very good work" he felt the Bicycle Casino tournament staff was doing, with tournament director Denny Williams always in control.
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