RETIRED TRUCKER ESTES TAKES FIRST WPC SENIORS
Oklahoma Johnny Hale brought his Seniors Event, also known as the Geriatric Jamboree, to town for its debut at the Reno Hilton's World Poker Challenge. It drew an impressive 167 entrants. Winner was Bill Estes, retired from the trucking business, who has several tournament wins at Spirit Mountain casino.
This was a rebuy event, with all the rebuy money going to charity, 50 percent of it designated by the Reno Hilton, the remainder earmarked for Vegas coffers. All but two entrants made rebuys. In addition to the $4,125 raised, the casino will add a portion of the entry fees. In his opening remarks, Hale asked for a moment of silence for Dr. Will Noyes, recovering from a heart operation the day before. He also urged the players to continue trying to upgrade the image of poker.
The event got off to a late start because by the time OK Johnny had made all his introductions and mentioned his other Senior events, many of the elderly players had forgotten where they were and wandered off. In consideration of the participants' advanced ages, jumbo cards were used and hearing aids were available for a small rental fee. The number of bathroom breaks were doubled, with half-hour nap times thrown in for good measure.
To some of the seasoned pros, an event loaded with geezers seemed like easy pickings. Robert Turner, for example, quoted golfer Lee Trevino as saying, after he qualified for the seniors tour, "I feel like God has given me the key to the vault." But the field, once the jokes were over, was far from easy, as "chip-burner" Turner learned when he failed to make it into the money.
The final table started with $300 antes and $1,000-$2,000 blinds, 2:15 remaining. Estes arrived as the chip leader with $66,100. Not far behind, in third place with $56,400, was the man who wasn't there, "Not Available," a well-known pro who requests anonymity. The two used their big stacks like big sticks, over and over again pushing in big raises and picking up blinds and pots until they accumulated all the chips between them.
On the first hand, Gregg Wynn, who is in marketing, moved in for $15,000 with K-9 and was immediately called by Melvin Nelson, a machine tender in a paper mill. Nelson had A-A and caught a third bullet on the river to make pulp of Gregg. On hand seven, Bill Fain, owner of the Gold Strike Hotel in historic Virginia City, was second out. He raised to $10,000, and "NA" put him all in for about $10,000 more. NA had A-K to Fain's A-9 of diamonds. There were two diamonds on the turn, but Bill missed his flush. A few hands later, NA made another power play, re-raising "Yukon" Karel Hejcman and forcing him to fold.
The rounds for this event were 30 minutes each, and the blinds soon rose to $2,000-$4,000 with $600 antes. Two hands later a recreational player named Bill Elliott, who works as a consultant, raised $7,500 all in from the small blind. He was called by poker player Tony Nguyen, who had 3-3 to Elliott's A-6 of diamonds. Elliott made two pair on the end, but Nguyen flopped a set, and now seven were left.
A lot of chips changed hands when Karel moved in for $36,000 with two fives. Poker player Mike Materus called for all his $23,000 with two queens and doubled up when the board helped neither player. Then Estes had a rare loss when he muscle raised to $40,000 in early position with K-6. Nelson, in the $4,000 big blind, decided to call for $9,900 with J-3 and hit a trey on the turn.
Immediately after limits increased to $3,000-$6,000, with $800 antes, there was three-way action between Estes, Hejcman, and Englishman Frank Knight. On a flop of 8-5-3, Estes, with K-8, bet $6,000 to put Knight all in. Knight lost with 10-7 of clubs, but Karel, with two queens, was the one who took the pot.
Limits go to $3,000-$6,000. Mike button raises to $23,000 with A-K. Mel, in the big blind, calls for his last $9,000 as a big underdog with 10-5 of diamonds, but pulls it out when a 10 flops and another turns. Two hands later, Tony moves in for about $18,000. "I give you a gamble," says Karel. Some gamble. He has A-Q to Tony's K-Q and flops two aces to cut the field to 5. At 1 a.m., Mel looks at one of the few legit hands he's seen: 10-10. He moves in for about $19,000. Not Available is available to call. He has two deuces, and flops a set. And now the pace had picked up.
Three hands later, with $5,000-$10,000 blinds and $1,000 antes, Mike pushed in his last $12,000 on the button with A-Q. NA called from the small blind with 6-4 of clubs and cut the field to three when the board showed 5-4-2-J-5. Then, two hands later, NA again did the honors. On the button, he raised $25,000 with A-7. Karel, in the small blind with 10-10, called for his last $4,000. NA flopped an ace, and now he and Estes were heads up.
NA had a big lead. But on the first hand, after Estes bet $35,000, NA moved him in for all his $124,000. The cards are turned up. NA is a big favorite, Ac,Kc to Ks,10d. The board comes J-3-3 with two diamonds. But then two more diamonds give Estes a surprise flush. Now leading 4-1, he and NA make a deal and the first WPC Seniors event was history.
-Max Shapiro
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