EVENT #15: TEXAS HOLD'EM (No Limit) $1,500
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY: $138,225
ENTRIES IN THIS EVENT: 95
PRIZE MONEY TO DATE (3/28-4/7): $1,836,210
TOTAL ENTRIES TO DATE (3/28-4/7): 2,693
Report by Don Larrimore
Edward Zidd, a relative tournament newcomer but demonstrably no stranger to top-level poker, outlasted a skilled final table to win the WPO's $1,500 No Limit Hold'em title. It was the first tournament victory in ten moneyless tries since 1998 for Zidd, a retired emergency room doctor and medical teacher.
"I feel great," he said. "Tonight I won every key pot. Every big pot I played was played before the flop. When I had the worst hand I drew out. I haven't made any flushes at all in a tournament before my three in this one. It never hurts to be lucky."
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Zidd said, "I played a lot of poker with many of the country's top players, including Johnny Moss, Sailor Roberts, Amarillo Slim Preston and of course Doyle Brunson (whose son he defeated in this tournament). Twenty years ago they said I was probably one of the top five hold'em players around. I'm not that good any more and I've had to gear my game down to tournament play."
Zidd was in high gear when he finally got heads-up against Todd Brunson, who held a slight, 10 percent initial chip advantage. Zidd quickly forged ahead, and just 10 minutes after they squared off, Brunson raised before the flop with K-8 of hearts, Zidd came over the top with with A-6 of spades and Brunson called all-in. The flop came 9d-3s-2s and Brunson's pair of threes were still ahead through the turn. But the spade seven fell on the river and Zidd was the winner.
Brunson, 30, who raises and sells dingoes (coyote-type canines), has won five major tournaments in his 10 years as a pro in poker, a game he did not learn from his two-time World Champion father. He said he was so ignorant about the game at age 18, "that I bet somebody two pair beat three of a kind." While he once finished 13th in the World Series championship event, he now plays tournaments rarely, this being his fifth in two years.
"I was happy," Brunson said. "I never fluctuated more than $6,000 from nine down to four players. This was a tough final table; there weren't any bad players." The winner told him, "You played more solidly than all the others."
For the second time at the WPO, David Pham took third place in a no-limit hold'em event, having had the same finish in the $1,000 tournament. "I feel great," the 33 year-old Vietnamese-born pro said. "It's unbelievable, most of the majors I've been second or third. No limit is my game. I used to make a lot of mistakes, but I've improved my play." He has had "many, many" final-table finishes in four years as a pro, while owning a nail salon with his wife.
Pham was eliminated in a $50,000 pot when his K-J lost to Brunson's A-2 with a board of A-6-4/3-10.
Kathy Liebert, a seven-year poker pro who has several major tournament wins, scores of smaller victories and two World Series money finishes including a runner-up placing, took fourth place when she went all in from the small blind with A-4 against Zidd, who pondered for long minutes before calling with pocket sevens. He flopped a set, the board coming 7-3-2/K-K. "I made a move and the man had a better hand," she said later. "I guess I can't win them all. It was a pretty tough final table. I had fun."
Fifth place went to Chris Tsiprailidis, celebrating his 41st birthday with this, his second WPO final table and fourth finish in the money. "I feel very good," he said. "I was low in chips, only had pocket nines once and pocket jacks twice, the last time they lost. You've got to get lucky, get a hand that stands up against someone else with a hand." Asked if he had a birthday resolution, the Greek-born pro, who has had 11 major tournament wins and two World Series runner-up finishes in eight years, said, "I want to win the $5,000 here and the $10,000 in Vegas." He was knocked out, all-in with pocket jacks in a $40,000 pot, by Pham's pocket kings when the board helped neither.
Steve Levin, 38 at his first major final table in five years as a poker pro, took sixth when his A-6 lost to Brunson's 10-4 which made a pair of fours. "I played my best," Levin said, "and five people played better."
Seventh place went to David Plastik, 36, former owner of a textile sales firm who has played serious poker for only two years, professional for one, and has two major victories and "a lot of seconds." He said, "I have won over $175,000 in the last four months," but about this final table, his first WPO money finish: "I'm very disappointed. I couldn't find a hand. I finally find a hand, get three callers, flop bottom set. I hate to make my hand and get unlucky." He was referring to the hand of the night, announced to the crowd by Jack McClelland this way: "We've got a four-way pot in no-limit hold'em!"
Plastik was all-in with pocket fives on a flop of 8c-7s-5s, Liebert bet $4,500 with pocket sixes, Tsiprailidis folded A-Q and Zidd called with As-10s. The turn card was the six of spades. Liebert checked, Zidd went all-in for $14,200 with his ace-high flush, and after intense consideration, she folded. An ace on the river was meaningless.
Sam Chehab, 50, a Lebanese-born poker pro "on and off for 20 years" with one major title and four World Series money finishes, took eighth place with a river beat delivered by Zidd. Chehab's pocket sixes led through the turn (J-J-2/4) but a final Queen hit Zidd's A-Q. "That's hold'em," Chehab chuckled. "It's all pure luck."
First out in ninth place was Michael Davis, owner of three pizza delivery stores and manager of professional boxers, who has had three World Series money finishes including a 30th place in last year's Championship event. His all-in A-3 fell to Brunson's 6-5 with a board of K-5-2/J-8. "I feel good about my play except for one mistake just before the final table which cost me a lot of chips," Davis said.
The Final Table Chip Standings & Seat Positions:
| Seat Position/Player | Chip Count |
| Seat 1: Todd Brunson (Las Vegas, NV) | $22,375 |
| Seat 2: David Pham (Bell Gardens, CA) | $37,775 |
| Seat 3: Chris Tsiprailidis (Syracuse, NY) | $9,450 |
| Seat 4: Kathy Liebert (Las Vegas, NV) | $18,600 |
| Seat 5: Sam Chehab (Las Vegas, NV) | $10,200 |
| Seat 6: Edward Zidd (Lampasas, TX) | $21,575 |
| Seat 7: Steve Levin (Las Vegas, NV) | $4,375 |
| Seat 8: Michael Davis (Harker Hts., TX) | $2,950 |
| Seat 9: David Plastik (No. Hollywood, CA) | $15,425 |
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