Math Man Figures Hi-Lo Win!
Javid Javani, a professional mathematician, got all his numbers right in calculating a win in the 18th event of Legends of Poker, 7-card stud hi-lo, the only game he plays. Heads-up with Robert “Chip-Burner” Turner, he won a big pot to take a better than 2-1 lead, and the two finalists decided to make a deal. Meanwhile, the lead in the race for the Mercedes SUV shifted yet again as John Juanda, finishing sixth, picked up enough points to reclaim the top spot.
Russell Salzer finished on the bubble in this event. He started and ended with two eights and lost to Turner’s fives and threes. Final table limits began at $1,000-$2,000 with $200 antes and a $300 bring-in. On the fifth hand, Norai Khodouzadeh showed a powerful board of 3-A-4-6 but made nothing and was left with $1,200 after losing to businessman Vince Oliver, who made three sevens. Three hands later he went all in showing K-J-2. He ended with two jacks and couldn’t beat John Juanda’s two upcard aces.
On hand 15, Brent Carter went all in and survived, making a diamond flush and chopping with Turner, who made a seven low. But on the next hand, he raised all in again for $1,900 with pocket kings. “It doesn’t look good,” he said, as John Juanda, with 10-7/A, made aces-up on the next two cards. Carter picked up another flush draw, but ended up with a second-best kings-up. Right after limits went to $2,000-$4,000, Thomas Cawley took a big pot from Oliver, three eights against three fives, to build up his dwindling stacks.
Then Turner got low, went all in with rolled-up fives and showed Juanda quads. “You’ve got it coming,” he said, thinking of how Juanda knocked him out of the earlier no-limit event. Robert had A-K to John’s A-7. John put him in and proceeded to catch two small cards to make a completely unexpected straight. “And more coming,” added Turner, a victim seeking retribution. A few hands later, Juanda re-raised all in with rolled-up threes. Oliver had a 7-5/A low starting hand and ended up with aces-full. “Justice!” cried Turner.
Shortly after, Allen Cunningham finished in fifth place. He raised all in with split sixes, ran into Javani’s buried aces and couldn’t improve. Then, a few hands later, Vancouver pro Thomas Cawley, who won a $300 limit hold’em event, departed when his sevens and fives were beaten by Javani’s queens and threes. It finally got heads up after three-way action. Oliver, with an open-ended straight draw settled for an 8-7 and a pair of sevens. Javani beat his low with an 8-6-4-3-A, and Turner beat his high with two kings.
Heads up, Javani had $88,000 to Turner’s $51,000. After quickly winning two hands, Robert took the lead and continued to pull ahead. For a while it seemed as if Turner, who was last to sign up for the tournament would be last man standing. But as they continued to joust for a dozen or so hands, Javani drew ahead. Then, a huge pot developed as both players went for lows. Turner, who also started with two threes, ended with threes and no low, and Javani won by pairing a four. He now had $96,500 to Turner’s $42,500, and they decided to end it then and there. –Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
Javid Javani is 43, lives in Santa Monica and came to this country from Iran 25 years ago. He owns his own company and does statistical consulting services for various business operations. He’s played poker, he estimates, for 35 years. The only game he plays is 7-card stud hi-lo, because his strength lies in calculations more than in reading players, and he feels that stud hi-lo is a game of mathematics, the one most open to such analysis. He began playing tournaments seven years ago, “usually ending at the final two tables,” but this is his first win.
Tonight, he said, he was never in any immediate danger. At the $50-$100 level he was all in, but made a second pair to survive. He started building his chips at the final table when he beat Turner a couple of hands, and the key hand, which gave him so many chips, was the last one.
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