EVENT #10: SEVEN CARD STUD (Limit) $1,000
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY: $59,380
ENTRIES IN THIS EVENT: 54
PRIZE MONEY TO DATE (3/28-4/6): $1,128,110
TOTAL ENTRIES TO DATE (3/28-4/6): 2,163
Report by Don Larrimore
Outlasting a final table marked by high drama unusual for seven card stud, Jim Lester was awarded the title in the $1,000 event at the World Poker Open. It was the second final table for the 39 year-old building contractor; two nights ago he took third place in $500 no limit hold-em.
"It feels fantastic," Lester said. "I'm going to buy a new three-carat diamond ring for my wife, Cathy." And he wanted to tell a story about how he got in position to win his first-ever poker tournament.
"Two tables ago, with Scotty Nguyen on my left, I was inadvertently exposing my cards to him. Scotty whispered in my ear, "It's obvious you're a great player. I want to beat you fair and square, I don't want to see you hole cards." That shows what a great champion he is."
With three players left, Lester had the title after Dr. Max Stern and Nguyen were knocked out in two hands which took three minutes, making the heads-up contest as short as any in poker history. After disposing of Nguyen's pair of deuces with a pair of queens, Lester then overpowered Stern's all-in pair and straight draw with kings full of queens. Stern, 60, a video poker game inventor, poker author and holder of three World Series bracelets in a 12-year professional career said, "It was a great tournament and a terrific final table. I'm pleased with the way I played, but Jim got lucky on two crucial hands. Both times I had the best hand be he drew out on me, making a flush and a straight flush. Jim played wonderfully. And what can you say about Scotty" He's one of the greatest."
Nguyen's scarcely credible "rush" at the WPO flowed on in amazing style at this, his fourth final table. He has won two events, finished sixth and now third, and was also in the money with a 17th place finish. The 38 year-old 1998 World Champion promised, "You will see me again and again. I've been playing the best poker of my life. I'm in the zone."
And what a zone: With four players left, Nguyen was short-stacked and being eaten away by the antes. Finally all-in with his last $700 he caught two higher pair than Lester's, stood up and said, "Watch out, Scotty's on the move. In the next 10 minutes I'll be the chip leader." There was polite laughter.
The next hand Nguyen was all-in again with aces against Burton's no pair. The next hand saw him with a door-card deuce re-raise Lester's king and win the pot right there. The next hand, Nguyen bet and called raises with only pocket fours to the river when Lester, with Q-9-5-2 and a possible flush showing, bet out. Nguyen thought for a moment and then called and turned over his fours. Lester, stunned that his river bet had been called said, "A hell of a call, I've got nothing." Two hands later, totally defying probability, Nguyen again had pocket fours, this time against Pat Burton who bet until he was all-in with A-K-Q-10-8, then caught another three and a five - a loser to Nguyen's fours and a second pair on the river. In just nine minutes, Nguyen had the chip load.
Burton, 30, a restaurant manager and poker "semi-pro," was at his first major final table and the fourth place finish was his biggest tournament win ever. "I don't feel too good right now," he said after being swept out in the Nguyen whirlwind. "But it was great making the final table."
Fifth place went to Jo Jo Cutri, at his second WPO final table, who nursed his short stack through three all-in ventures until Stern rivered a second pair to beat his jacks which had led throughout. "I played my heart out," the 53 year-old poker pro said. "I just couldn't make it. But I'm tickled pink to make final tables in my two main games, stud and high-low stud. This was another tough table; everyone played well."
Ned Cruey, 52, former owner of 51 taxis in midtown Manhattan and now owner of a new medical website (www.md.com), took sixth in this first WPO event he had entered. "My performance was good, my bad beats weren't," quipped Cruey, who has played poker, "since adolescence." He was eliminated making an ace-high flush against Lester's full house in five cards.
The most astonishing hand of the day saw Lester, all-in with 9-8-6-5 of clubs hit his gut-shot straight flush on the river to beat Stern's kings up. Lester leaped up, shouted "Give me the money!" and the audience roared.
That was just after Men Nguyen, holder of four World Series bracelets and countless other poker honors, was knocked out in 7th place, missing a full house against Cruey's made straight. Nguyen, 46, the initial chip leader here, said with understandable hyperbole, "This is the worst day of my life. Every time I'm chip leader I never catch any hands." This was his second WPO final table.
Phillip Ivey, winner of a $500 Hold'em title here and, at 28, still the WPO's youngest finalist, exited in 8th place. "I'm happy to make my second final table," he said. "I was short-stacked and just wanted to get in and get some chips." He was out cruelly when Nguyen caught a case six for trips on the river against Ivey's tens.
The Final Table Chip Standings & Seat Positions:
| Seat Position/Player | Chip Count |
| Seat 1: Phillip Ivey (Atlantic City, NJ) | $3,300 |
| Seat 2: Ned Cruey (Las Vegas, NV) | $5,550 |
| Seat 3: Scotty Nguyen (Henderson, NV) | $4,250 |
| Seat 4: Dr Max Stern (Las Vegas, NV) | $12,450 |
| Seat 5: Jo-Jo Cutri (Southampton, PA) | $3,950 |
| Seat 6:Men Nguyen (Bell Gardens, CA) | $14,575 |
| Seat 7: Pat Burton (Virginia Beach, VA) | $5,325 |
| Seat 8: Jim Lester (Cincinnati, OH) | $5,500 |
|
