| Jack Binion World Poker Open
Event #13
($1,000 buy-in) Pot-Limit Texas Hold’em
Entries: 131
Total Prize Money: $127,070
The final table of the $1,000 buy-in Pot-Limit Texas Hold’em event was a cross between a poker game and a circus sideshow. The five-hour Friday night marathon featured a little bit of everything – including several bad beats, an extraordinary number of exciting moments, and non-stop commentary by chatterbox Mike Laing. Always one to make things interesting, Laing (a.k.a. “The Clown Prince of Poker”), arrived second in chips. Laing’s dynamic presence electrified the crowd and had the seating area filled to capacity – all eyes focused on the eccentric and combustible Las Vegas pro. However, it was a retired ex-plumber from Chicago named Jim Karambinas who drained Laing’s chips (and everyone else’s) a stack at a time, thereby winning his first major poker tournament and $50,828.
Play started with blinds set at $300-600. Almost immediately, short-stacked Tony Hellmann went all-in with his remaining chips on A-10. Laing was delighted to call with J-J and quickly knocked Hellmann out in 9th place with a straight. This was Hellmann’s second final table appearance at this year’s World Poker Open – good for $2,032.
The next player to get bounced from the floorshow was the extraordinarily talented English pro, Ben Roberts. Dewey Weum held 10-10 against Roberts’ 7-7, which meant the London-based pro desperately needed to catch a 7 to survive. That fickle number proved to be unlucky for Roberts, who went out in 8th place with $2,541.
With Laing and Karambinas co-chip leaders – Galen Kester needed to pick up a pot. Kester found a hand and pushed-in his final chips with a re-raise before the flop – holding 10-10. Needing to call only a few more thousand, Karambinas was pot-committed and called the last raise with A-2 (and one heart). After both hands were turned face up, the final board showed four hearts, which meant Karambinas had pulled-off his first upset of the night (one of several to come). Kester, who already won the 3 Draw Lowball event this year (and has now made 3 final tables thus far), took $3,177 for 7th place.
Jamie Ligator came into the day with decent chips, but failed to catch a hand until his stack was low. He doubled-up with Laing’s assistance on A-Q of diamonds versus Laing’s K-J of diamonds. A board full of blanks meant the ace played for high. Then just as quickly, Ligator lost all the chips back when Dewey Weum’s pocket 8’s held up against Ligator’s A-K. A few minutes later, Ligator made his final raise of the night with 5-5, which prompted Jo Jo Trevino’s re-raise holding J-J. Trevino’s pocket jacks held up, which meant it was time to say “adios” to the cool Costa Rican. Ligator – who is a retiree from the Central American paradise, and the winner of the main event at the L.A. Poker Classic last year – collected $4,447 for 6th place. Gracias Amigo.
On this night, Laing and Karambinas got into several confrontations. One of the most costly for Laing occurred when he tried to blow Karambinas out of the pot with a large bet on the river (holding a small pair), which was called down as Karambinas showed the winner with pocket 8’s. Laing tried the same move again later when he tried to push a bluff past Karambinas (Laing had a powerful draw but missed). Once again, the Greek-born Karambinas called with the winner. But even a string of losses would not derail the greatest show in poker. Paul McKinney – who made two final tables at the United States Poker Championship last year – went all-in with K-Q, which Laing called in the big blind with J-7. This time, Laing caught a break as the final board showed 9-8-7-2-2, giving Laing a pair of 7’s. McKinney, a cigar chomping West Virginian, received $5,718 for 5th place.
With Karambinas leading in chips about 2 to 1 over the remaining three players, the Mike Laing show began. First, Laing (with Q-Q) won a $28K pot from Karambinas (with A-7 of diamonds). Two diamonds flopped and lots of money went into the pot, but Laing’s pretty ladies held up. Then, Laing really drilled into Karambinas’s stack when he flopped a set of 10’s and slowplayed the hand until the river, taking another $10K from his rival’s stack. Laing’s antics went into overdrive. Mimicking his opponents with a finger across his throat as if to say “they’re finished,” and pointing to his adversaries while snapping his knuckles together as if breaking a twig, Laing steadily built his stack up to $50K.
But what goes up, must come down. Jo Jo Trevino blew up Laing’s stack with two brutal strikes – which totally changed the dynamics (and the anticipated outcome) of the final table. Laing had been steaming ahead like a freight train, and then got tangled up with pocket 3’s against Trevino’s pocket 6’s. Laing’s little pair failed to improve. That was blow number one. The second devastation for Laing occurred when both players got involved in a huge pot – as all the money went in pre-flop. Laing showed Q-Q against Trevino’s A-Q. In a stunning hand, the board came K-J-2-6-10 – which gave Trevino a straight. The river had destroyed Laing’s chip position, and for the first time in three hours, the final table went silent.
For Mike Laing, things would get even uglier. Down to his last $10K, Laing confidently made a raise with A-Q and looked toward Karambinas in the big blind holding 2-4 of clubs. With Laing low on chips, Karambinas called the raise. All of Laing’s remaining chips went into the pot when the flop came K-J-8. Karambinas screamed in delight and shoved his chips into the pot as he saw three clubs on board. Karambinas had flopped a club flush. Laing still had faint hope holding the ace of clubs, but the final two cards were red -- and Laing was yanked off the stage to a smattering of applause in 4th place with $7,624.
With the chip counts at $50K for Weum, $48K for Karambinas, and $25K for Trevino – Karambinas took a hit when he got into a pre-flop raising war with Trevino. Inexplicably, both players turned-up very weak hands – Trevino’s 8-9 of hearts versus Karambinas’ Q-J. The final board – 9-6-3-10-7 gave Trevino a 10-high straight and Karambinas was down to his last $14K. The comeback was about to begin.
As play went into the fifth hour, Karambinas went on a rush and drew almost even with Weum. Trevino ran stone cold. Twenty minutes later, Trevino tried to make a move at the pot with A-8 suited. Karambinas called the raise from the big blind and Trevino’s last chips went into the pot when he flopped two cards to his suit. However, the board came running jacks, giving Karambinas trips. Trevino went out third and collected $12,707.
The final hand started off innocently enough. With Karambinas the chip leader by slightly more than 2 to 1, Dewey Weum made a raise with K-10 before the flop. Karambinas called. The flop came K-5-3. Weum made a pot-sized bet and Karambinas called. The turn brought a 2. With the board showing K-5-3-2, Weum checked his pair of kings and Karambinas made a pot-sized bet. Weum put the rest of his chips in the pot and Karambinas jumped out of his seat like a bullet. “Nut straight!” yelled Karambinas, as he slammed his 4-6 on the felt. Weum was drawing completely dead. The event was over. Karambinas was the winner.
Dewey Weum proved to be a tough competitor. Weum, who has finished high in several World Series of Poker events, took second place prize money -- $25,414. But the night belonged to Karambinas. With his son watching on, the Greek-born Karambinas had performed two feats thought to be unthinkable just a day earlier. First, winning his first poker tournament, and second -- silencing Mike Laing.
-- Nolan Dalla
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