KHIEM ANH NGUYEN TAKES TROPHY AFTER 5-WAY CHOP
Khiem Anh Nguyen, a part-time machinist from San Jose, flew in, played one World Poker Challenge event, and won it. Officially, he collected $15,525 for taking first place in the $1,000 limit hold'em tournament. Unofficially, the five finalists chopped the prize pool by chip count and played for the trophy. Brian Cunningham, then the chip leader, actually got the most cash.
Nguyen turned in a memorable performance at the Peppermill in 2,000 when he won three events, took two seconds and ran off with best all-around. The runner-up, Cunningham, is an engineer originally from Scotland.
Meanwhile, poker player Andy Gamboa, also from San Jose, collected $7,113 for winning the first of four $225 added afternoon events. It was no-limit hold'em, and it attracted 95 entrants.
Today's host was Steve Gulbelson, winner of last year's $300 no-limit event. In his brief speech, he urged players to take care of the dealers.
The last nine players started with $100 and $200 limits. Richard Charltone was first out. He had Q-J and flopped a pair when the board came Q-10-2. It wasn't nearly enough. Maureen Feduniak had pocket aces, but Ron Long took it all with a set of jacks. Later, David Enoch went all in with pocket eights and stayed alive when Jack Fox couldn't hit either of his overcards, then survived a second time with the same two eights. As the 6:30 p.m. dinner break approached, Ron Long wasn't long for the tournament. He went all in with two fives and lost to Nguyen's king-high straight.
Returning from the break, with limits now at $200 and $400, Nguyen was the big chip leader with $10,900, followed by Fox with $6,100. It wasn't until the limits went up again to $300-$600 that the next player, David Enoch departed. He raised to $600 with 6-6 and Jim Moore re-raised with A-J. An ace flopped, Moore put him all in for his last $300, and six were left.
Twenty minutes later, Fox, in the big blind with 9-3 off, flopped top pair. He bet, then bet the turn dark for his last $400. Maureen had A-J and caught a river ace to overrule the Reno attorney.
The five finalists agreed to chop and play for the trophy. Cunningham now had the most chips, $9,650, and collected an unofficial $9,360. Other unoffical pay-outs, in each case 3 percent less than the chip count, were: Nguyen, $8,002; Haveson, $5,892, Feduniak, $5,674.; and Moore, $3,080. And now the race was on for title and trophy.
Right after limits went to $400-$800, Moore, a physician from Eureka, California, dropped out of the race. Holding 10-9, he flopped a nine to pull ahead of Maureen's pocket sevens. On the river he bet all in, but the last card gave Maureen three sevens and she built her dwindling stacks up to about $6,000.
As play continued, the two chip leaders strengthened their positions. First Nguyen, starting with K-10, made two pair to outrun Maureen's pocket queens. Next, Cunningham, dealt K-J, ended up with three jacks to cut Haveson down. Nguyen, meanwhile, was hitting his draws, as he made his second wheel.
By now Nguyen and Cunningham had commanding leads, with Feduniak and Haveson hanging on. Maureen was the first to get knocked out. After going all in and escaping three times, she raised with A-10 and was happy to flop two pair. Unfortunately for her, the A-10-Q also gave Cunningham a straight. He slow played the flop, then put her all for $600 and out of action on the turn.
Now Haveson went into survival mode, also putting all his chips in three times and escaping. Finally, he had to put his last $400 in when he got the big blind. He had 7-4. Cunningham, with pocket sixes, and Nguyen, with K-7, checked it down. Haveson, who works for Nutra Systems, a weight loss outfit, flopped a seven, but with a worse kicker than Nguyen's, and then Cunningham nailed him by hitting a third six on the river.
Heads-up, Nguyen had a commanding lead of $24,300 to Cunningham's $8,700. The match lasted six hands. On hand four, Khiem cut Cunningham down to $4,800 with a diamond flush. On the final hand, Khiem had pocket queens. Brian, with A-9, opened with a raise. The flop was 9-5-3. Khiem checked, Brian bet his nines, Khiem check-raised and two more raises capped it. Khiem bet the turn card four and Brian raised all in. He lost to the queens when an eight on the river brought no help, and Khiem was now one for one in World Poker Challenge 2001. -Max Shapiro
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