Phi Nguyen Scores First Win!
Phi Nguyen, a Hawaiian Gardens host, made his tenth final table this year - two at the World Series - and scored his first-ever tournament win in Big Poker Oktober's second event, $100 limit hold'em. The key hand came when he made a straight to crack runner-up Makram Merhom's pocket aces and take the chip lead.
(Meanwhile, tournament director Denny Williams reminds all players that each event winner and the all-around points champion will automatically be entered in the BPO Appreciation Tournament on Tuesday, October 16, and will be cash bounties.)
The final table was set after Tom Lockhart went all in with 8-7 of diamonds. He picked up flush and straight draws, but the only thing he hit was the exit after personal trainer Guy Spano paired his king on the flop. With limits at $3,000-$6,000, poker player Jimmy Tran got short-chipped after he bet into a K-J-8 board with A-4. Spano called all in with A-K. "Runner, runner," Jimmy requested. "Runner, runner what?" asked David Kelly, another personal trainer.
Ray Karp, a movie script re-writer, was written out after going all in with pocket fours. Todd Berman, a route salesman for Snapple, snapped him off with J-2 in the big blind. "Oops," said Karp when a jack flopped, then "Oops" again when another jack turned. Three hands later, Tom Connors, a Bicycle Casino dealer who won the opening Legends event this year, busted out with J-10 when Tran, with Q-3, flopped two pair. Joseph Zambri Jr. finished seventh. He raised with 10-9 and then lost his last $1,500 with Jimmy, with A-5, again flopped two pair.
A hand later, Texas-born "Cowboy" Kelly shot himself out of the saddle. He tried a move by raising with 7-5 of hearts, then three-bet for his last $1,000 when Spano re-raised. "I made a good move," Kelly said wryly as Spano turned over two kings and caught another on the river. Hand 16, with limits at $5,000-$10,000, was Spano's last. He raised with A-3 and Merhom decided to put him in with K-4, winning when a four flopped. Two hands later, Jimmy put Todd all in with A-Q. "I love my hand, he said, and proceeded to flop an ace. But Todd, with pocket sixes, loved his hand even more because he flopped a set.
Jimmy busted out fourth in three-way action with Phi and Todd. Four clubs hit the board, and Phi, with a jack, held the only club. Phi's big hand then came when Makram held the chip lead. After calling a re-raise with just Q-J, Phi flopped an inside straight draw with K-9-2, then hit his miracle ten on the turn to outrun aces. "Unbelievable," his Egyptian-born opponent lamented.
Limits went to $10,000-$20,000 on hand 27, Todd's last. He started with A-4 to Phi's J-8, but a board of Q-9-8-J-8 gave the poker host a full house. After a few hands, Makram held a $106,000 to $91,000 lead. The finalists discussed a deal but couldn't agree and played it out. On hand 34, Makram, holding J-4 of spades, tried a river bluff when a fourth club fell. Phi didn't fall for it, called and won with ace-high. On the next hand Makram raised all in for his last $16,000 with Q-7 of hearts. Phil called with two sevens. They held up and Phi had his first trophy. -Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
Vietnamese-born Phi Nguyen, 39 came to this country 21 years ago. He's been a top-section poker host at Hawaiian Gardens for two years, and before that was a host at the Normandie Casino. His two WSOP final-table finishes were tenth in the $2,000 limit hold'em opening event, and ninth in $3,000 limit hold'em. All-told, this is his best year by far in his 11 years playing poker, but he doesn't plan to quit his job and play full time. "I like being a host," he said.
Phi describes himself as a solid player, and his best game is hold'em. He said he was in trouble throughout the tournament tonight until the fourth table, when he won a big pot with two jacks against two queens. He thought the toughest player at the final table was Joseph Zambri. "If he has chips, he's pretty tough," Phi commented. "You can't put him on a hand."
CHIP POSITION · FINAL TABLE
Joseph Zambri Jr. $23,500
Tom Connors $13,500
Jimmy Tran $17,000
Makram Merhom $12,500
Guy Spano $22,500
David Kelly $18,500
Ray Karp $4,000
Todd Berman $46,000
Phi Nguyen $39,500
ALL AROUND PLAY-OFF POINTS
Name/ Total
1. Kelly Behunin 61
2. Phil Nguyen 59
3. Don Larrimore 53
4. Makram Merhom 51
5. Sean Evans 47
6. Todd Berman 45
7. Mai Hung 42
8. Ngoc "Jimmy" Tran 40
9.Chuck Williams 38
10.Guy Spano 36
11.Michael Sandor 34
12.David Kelly 32
13,Hector Ricarte 30
14.Joseph Zambri Jr. 28
15.David Williams 26
16. Tom Connors 24
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