IT'S TWO FOR TWO AS KHIEM DESTROYS NO-LIMIT FIELD!
Winning his second consecutive event (the only two he's played) Khiem Nguyen put on an awesome performance as he ran riot over the final table for a wire-to-wire victory in the $1,000 no-limit hold'em event of World Poker Challenge. He personally knocked out four of the last five players, three times when he flopped three of a kind! The day before, he won the limit hold'em tournament. The part-time machinist, who played with his proud parents looking on, was scheduled to return to San Jose and couldn't play in the next day's event ("I guess you're running bad," Steve Morrow cracked.)
Meanwhile, David Kopp topped a field of 85 in the second $225 afternoon event, Omaha hi-lo/8, to win $6,431.
Host for today's no-limit event was Ron Stanley, who won the 1991 WSOP $2,500 no-limit event. He said he plans to win the big one this year.
The nine players at the final table started with $50-$100 blinds. In 15 minutes, three of them were gone. Alex Roberts departed after an all-in confrontation with management consultant Bob Slezak. He had A-Q, Bob had Q-Q, and when the board came 6-6-6-9-K, one seat was empty. A few minutes later, blinds went to $75-$150. Marcel Sabag, a Los Angeles tournament player, opened for $900 with J-J and Khiem moved him in with pocket kings. A board of A-A5-8-6 couldn't rescue him, and Marcel was eighth.
Matt Lefkowitz, short-chipped in the big blind, was next to go. He had A-5 to Slezak's pocket jacks and broke when Q-9-3-3-7 was dealt.
A few hands after the blinds went up to $100-$200, M.F. Wong went up against Khiem holding pocket aces. Earlier, he had bet $2,000 on the flop without being called. This time, when he again bet $2,000, on a flop of 8-4-7, Nguyen moved in. Khiem, still catching cards like crazy as he did the night before, had flopped a set of eights. Two fives filled him and finished Wong, who ended sixth.
Khiem now had increased his lead to $11,375, followed by Slezak with $8,350. On the 25th hand after they
had consolidated to five players, Khiem opened for $575. "I'm ready," he said confidently from behind his big stacks. "Ready for what?" wondered Andy Sohn, a young San Francisco ad agency copywriter playing his first major tournament. But he called, holding A-J. It was a good flop for him: J-10-7. He bet, Khiem called. A four turned, Andy bet $2,000 and Khiem smooth called again, which should have sent a warning signal. Another four on the river. Andy bet another $2,000 and Khiem moved in for about $7,000. Andy called all in, And Khiem the human card rack turned up 10-10. Once again he had flopped a set and filled!
It was now down to four, with the remaining players in the money. Two hands later, Bob raised $600 from the small blind and Steve "Seymour" Gulbelson, an auto dealer who last year won the WPC $300 no-limit event, moved in with pocket nines. In bad shape against Slezak's K-K, he busted out.
When the players returned from a dinner break at 7:30, the blinds were upped to $150-$300. And now Khiem went on a rampage. It went like this. Hand 3 after the break: He raises and South Dakota farmer Bill Eichel, who came in second in last year's WPC championship event, folds. Hand 5: Khiem bets and takes the pot. Hand 7: Bill opens for $700 and Khiem raises $1,500. On a flop of A-J-6, Khiem makes a small bet and Eichel, not biting, folds. Hand 9: Bill opens for $650 and Khiem calls with J-5. On the river he catches a jack, bets $1,050 and wins after Bill calls. Hand 10: Khiem calls Bob's opening bet of $500. With the board showing J-9-3-9-4, Khiem river bets $3,000, is called and wins with pocket kings.
Then, just four hands later, he broke Slezak. Bob raised to $800 before the flop and Khiem re-raised another $1,200. When the board showed 8-2-2-5-Q, Bob, holding Q-J, bet his last $2,700. Khiem called with a queen and a better kicker, a king, to get heads-up.
Nguyen now had about $30,000 to Eichel's $8,000. Still, it took about 30 hands before Khiem could finish off the stubborn farmer. On the final hand, Eichel held K-7 offsuit. The flop was 10-10-5. The pot was checked. On the turn, Bill was unlucky enough to hit his king. He bet $800, Khiem raised $1,000 and Bill moved in for his remaining chips. Khiem had - what else - three tens, with a 10-9 in his hand. The players here will be relieved to know that he won't play the next day. But beware: He plans to return for the $5,000 event. -Max Shapiro |
