| 2002 Jack Binion World Poker Open
Event #5
Omaha High-Low ($500)
1/9/02
Entries: 238
Total Prize Money: $115,430
Omaha High-Low is considered by many to be a game of absolute “control,” one that requires both patience and discipline to win. Buzzzt! Wrong! Geno Laurenzi – a former rodeo cowboy turned modern day Renaissance man – completely shattered that notion by winning the $500 buy-in Omaha High-Low event at the World Poker Open. Lawrenzi saw almost every flop while sitting at the final table, and called or raised every single hand during the final two hours of play. With a formidable chip lead most of the way, Lawrenzi consistently pulverized his opponents with his larger stack to the point where even the notion of playing a pot meant risking and perhaps losing a large percentage of chips. One-by-one, Lawrenzi bucked his opponents from the final table like a wild bronco in a stampede, collecting $42,709 for the ride.
Play at the final table began at limits of $1500-3000. Three players came in short-stacked. It remained to be seen which player might double-through and survive, versus hit the rail early. Jim Lester would find out the answer to that question rather quickly and rudely. On the very first hand dealt at the final table, Lester raised with a very powerful hand — A-K-Q-2. Unfortunately, James Santee had an even stronger hand with his A-A-J-2. The flop came J-10-4 and Lester’s remaining chips went into the pot. The turn (7) and river (7) gave Santee two pair – with aces and sevens – and Lester was quickly knocked-off of his second final table at this year’s World Poker Open with $1,845 for 9th place.
Keith Lehr went out soon afterwards. Lehr made his last stand with A-K-8-3 and went up against David Hawley’s K-10-7-5. Lehr missed his low draw and his pair of kings for high lost to Hawley’s two pair -- kings and sevens. The scoop meant that Lehr, a part-time poker player from Shreveport and father of two boys, was out in 8th place with $2,309
With Lawrenzi’s chip-lead at about 3 to 1, Don Moseley made a move at the pot with 2-3-4-5. He ran into Santee’s A-2-6-10 (with two spades). Moseley made a small straight and a decent low when the final board read Q-9-6-5-4 – but got scooped because Santee held the nut low (A-2) and made a spade flush on the river. Moseley, who describes himself was a recreational poker player, was disappointed with his finish, but collected $2,886 for 7th place.
Santee eliminated another player a short time later when he put Bill Trimble all-in and made a flush on the river. Trimble’s last chips went into the pot on the turn – when the board showed J-9-4-6 (and two hearts). With 2-5-K-K in his hand, Trimble had a straight draw, a low draw, and a high pair. Hoping for a miracle 3 which would scoop the pot, Trimble was saddened to see a 4 of hearts come – which paired the board and completed Santee’s flush. Trimble, who works in airline services at D/FW Airport in Texas, went out in 6th place. Trimble later recalled that he was down to a single $100 chip the day before – and managed to survive and still make the final table, collecting $4,040 in prize money.
The next hour or so belonged to Art Youngblood. After losing a crippling hand to Lawrenzi who scooped a huge pot with jacks-full-of-queens, Youngblood made the most of his opportunities by winning four consecutive all-in hands. The most dramatic moment came when Youngblood was down to a single $1000 chip, looked down and saw a monster hand – A-A-Q-2. However, Lawrenzi to his immediate left had a strong hand as well – A-A-J-2. As long as a jack didn’t come, Youngblood would survive. A final board of Q-10-4-7-2 gave Youngblood a bit of momentum, as over the next 20 hands or so he went from only $1K up to an astonishing 80K, which completely changed the anticipated finish.
Youngblood’s biggest win came when all five remaining players saw a flop, Lawrenzi and Youngblood got into a raising duel, and Youngblood ultimately hit a wheel on the river, cutting into Lawrenzi’s big stack for the first time. David Hawley would not be so fortunate. After going all-in and surviving during a string of split pots, David went in his with final $3K on 6-7-10-Q. He ran into Lawrenzi who held A-2-2-5. When the final board came 9-5-4-9-5, Lawrenzi’s trip 5s meant an unwelcome exit for Hawley. The 5th place finisher, Hawley is a dealer in side games in Tennessee and decided to play in the event because he won a single-table satellite. That decision turned out to be a wise one, as Hawley walked away with $5,194.
Interestingly, the player in second-chip position going into the final table didn’t play her first hand until 35 minutes into the final day. Saundra Taylor scooped a huge pot from Santee when she won the high with a nut flush and made her low with an A-3 while looking at a final board of 8-6-4-J-5 (three spades). No question, the two early chip leaders – Taylor and Lawrenzi – were a complete contrast of styles, with Taylor the more-disciplined player, but Lawrenzi far more aggressive to the point of being the closest thing an Omaha game has to a maniac. Taylor, who plays regularly in Atlantic City and has won major tournaments at the Taj Mahal and Foxwoods moved all-in with her remaining chips on A-2-4-4 (and two spades). Youngblood called her bet immediately with A-K-Q-9 and scooped a sizable pot when the final board showed K-Q-9-7-3 giving him two pair. Saundra took home $6,926 for 4th place.
Down to three players, Lawrenzi hit a fateful hand that absolutely destroyed Santee. A lifelong poker player, as well as last year’s Iowa State Poker Champion, Santee from Cedar Rapids had been the lynch pin that blasted three players from the final table in the early rounds. But what goes around comes around. Lawrenzi made a higher straight when his A-K played against Santee’s K-9 as both players looked a board that showed Q-10-7-J-8. A few hands later, Santee would lose again with a lower straight, this time to Youngblood. Santee’s jack-high straight was bested by Youngblood’s queen-high straight – which put Santee on the rail in 3rd place with $10,966.
Art Youngblood’s performance at the final table was extraordinary. He was all-in at least five times, down to s single chip on one occasion, and still managed to challenge Lawrenzi at one point for the chip lead. No doubt, Youngblood was an underdog because of his unfavorable chip position, but showed selective aggression, great discipline, and stunningly good card sense. With Lawrenzi the chip leader, about $110K to $79K, Youngblood then suffered a devastating string of poor cards, being dealt non-playable after non-playable hand. Lawrenzi sensed his opponent’s frustration, and continued raising pre-flop on ever hand. Youngblood finally found a hand he wanted to go with (not shown), but was steamrolled by Lawrenzi when he made a perfect low and a pair of aces for high.
After three consecutive split pots that put Youngblood in each time and brought the crowd to its feet, the final hand was dealt 3 hours and 45 minutes after the final table began. With few remaining chips and the limits at $4K-$8K, Youngblood took a shot with J-7-4-2. Lawrenzi called with J-9-8-7. The flop came 5-7-9. A jack on the river gave Lawrenzi two pair. The final card, a 10 gave Lawrenzi a straight and the title of World Poker Open Omaha High-Low champion. Youngblood took $21,932 for second, and Lawrenzi proudly received $42,709.
Afterwards, both players were complimentary towards each other, even philosophical. Youngblood, who is a homebuilder in Biloxi with many years of tournament experience (he won an event at Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker in 1986), called Lawrenzi “a perfect gentleman.” Lawrenzi returned the compliment by saying Youngblood was “a real bulldog” at the final table.
Lawrenzi is a contributing writer for Poker Digest. He has published over 2500 articles on subjects ranging from “cannibals to cowboys.” He believes his spirituality was a big reason for his win. “I felt a connection to the spirit within me,” Lawrenzi explained. “Win or lose -- I just asked to play the best I can.” Lawrenzi also believes that being a gentleman is an important part of being a complete poker player. “I try to be that person,” Lawrenzi said. “And it works.” With $42,709 ways now to prove it, who would argue?
-- by Nolan Dalla
|
