BJORIN WINS HI-LO STUD IN ALL-EUROPEAN MATCH-UP
The finale of the 10th event of World Poker Challenge, 7-stud hi-lo/8, was an all-European match-up. Two-bracelet holder Chris Bjorin, Swedish born and now living in London, was pitted against "Yukon Karel" Hejcman, a native of the Czech Republic who now lives in Vancouver. They jousted for nearly two hours, genially conversing about European Olympic athletes. Even in chips much of the time, Bjorn finally surged ahead with an aces-up scoop and ended it on the next hand, six hours after the final table started.
Last year's winner Tom McCormick was the day's host. In a refreshing change from the sweetness and light of the prior speakers, he said he was determined to defend his championship and issued a blunt challenge: "I'm in the construction business," he warned, "and if anyone gets in my way, I'll crush them like paving gravel, shake them like a vibrating machine and pour concrete on them." He couldn't back up his tough talk and was quickly paved over. Mike Caro, poker's "Mad Genius," played in the event and put a $100 bounty on his head. Like McCormick, who also put a price on his own head, his appearance was brief.
The final table started with $100 antes, a $200 bring-in and $600-$1,200 limits, 17:61 remaining. Low-chipped was Jerry Miller, a former tugboat worker whose wife is deputy mayor of the small town of Edgewood, Washington. ("She gives me a little money to play on," he explained.") He quickly went all in four times but made it to seventh place. First out was the headline-writer's nightmare, Sirous Baghchehsaraie, an L.A. pro who made 17 final tables last year. After 19 hands, all he had managed to do was pick up the blinds twice. Badly depleted after Sue Byrd scooped him with trip eights, he finally went all in with pocket kings and lost to Miller's six-card diamond flush. Only seven places were paid, but Sirous did collect a $1,000 "save."
Byrd, a hometown Reno girl with numerous tournament wins, went all in twice, the second time chopping a pot when she caught an ace for a full house on the river against Bjorn's low and straight. Nearly two hours into the final table, with $1,000-$2,000 limits, three players were suddenly knocked out in six hands. Tugboat Jerry was the first to sink when he missed his flush and got torpedoed by Chris' trip queens.
Four hands later, Sue, who had escaped four times already, paired an ace on fourth street but couldn't improve. Karel put her all in on the next betting round and won with kings and queens. And the next hand was the last for Debbie Burkhead, assistant editor at Poker Digest, and holder of titles at the Peppermill and 4-Queens, where she won back-to-back ladies events in stud and hold'em last year. Debbie had built her stacks only to see Chris knock them down with a straight. He then eliminated her after she went all in with pocket kings. He started with 4-5/5 and beat her with fours and fives.
At the 7 o'clock break, Chris led with about $32,000, but 20 minutes later, after losing two big pots to Scott Numoto, he was down to $16,000. Meanwhile, Ed Richardson, a 71-year-old accountant, had gone all in seven times. On his eighth time, at 7:30, he missed his low draw and Chris, with trip fours, closed the books on the CPA.
Three-handed now, Scott, who works for a design company, had a slight lead over Chris, about $28,000 to $25,000, while Karel, who finished third in the Seniors event, trailed with $15,000. At 8 p.m., Chris had dwindled down to around $10,000, but he made a big comeback when he scooped with a club flush and a 7-5-3 low to Scott's 7-5-4. Down to $1,000, Numoto hung on for a while, then went all in on third street looking for a low. He never found it. Chris, starting with split jacks, picked up a third one on the turn, filled on the river and Numoto was numero three in the tournament.
Heads-up, Chris had a substantial lead, but Karel soon pulled about even. At 8 o'clock, limits increased to $2,000-$4,000 with $200 antes and a $500 bring-in. An hour later, with limits at $3,000-$6,000 and $300 antes and $1,000 low card, they still weren't that far apart. Karel later went all in a couple of times, but recovered. It wasn't until nearly 10 o'clock that Chris made aces-up to beat Karel's jacks-up, leaving him with only about $4,000. That went in on the next hand. Karel started with A-8/7 but ended up with just two sevens. Chris, starting with 6-4/6, made jacks and nines to "Czechmate" Hejcman, end the long match-up and add one more title to his long list. How "Swede" it was. -Max Shapiro |
