Sebastian Beats Tough Table!
A 62-year-old Filipino retiree faced down a tough table that included two world champions to win the second event in Legends 2002, $100 limit hold’em. After lengthy heads-up play against Kathy Liebert, Ernie Sebastian had about a 3-1 advantage over the million-dollar Party Poker cruise tournament winner. He proposed they play no-limit and she agreed. On the first hand, he put her in, A-7 against her K-Q of clubs. The board came 9-9-6-8-7 to give Sebastian a victory worth $13,460. “Maybe it was not a good idea,” remarked Kathy, who settled for a $6,820 payday.
The final table was set after Sam Sanusi left. All in with A-4, he was blown away when Phil Hellmuth Jr., with pocket queens, filled on the turn.
Sebastian arrived with a $54,000 chip lead. Limits were $2,000-$4,000. Software engineer Bob Gafaney lasted three hands. His pocket queens couldn’t catch pro player Andy Simon’s pocket kings. When limits became $3,000-$6,000, student Asher Lower immediately flunked out. He had K-10 while Florencio “General Poy” Umel had A-J and flopped a winning jack.
Hellmuth, who came in third at a Hustler Casino tournament the night before, at one point amused the spectators by doing a sort of jig and tipping his cap to expose the close-cropped haircut he retained after being shaved at the World Series. Later, after losing a $50,000 pot to fellow WSOP champ Huck Seed, Hellmuth was all in two hands later, but survived with a set of 4s.
With $4,000-$8,000 limits, pro player Rocky Enciso threw in his last $1,000 chip with pocket 3s on a K-K-4 flop. Sebastian called with J-9 and hit a 9 on the turn to put Rocky on the canvas. A few hands later Hellmuth was hurt badly when he raised with 10-8 of clubs and Liebert re-raised on the button with J-J. A flop of J-9-2 gave Hellmuth an open-ender and Liebert a set. She went all in and won. A few hands later he went up against Kathy again. He had J-8 suited, she had A-Q. She put him in and then busted the seven-bracelet holder with her ace-high.
A rough chip count showed Sebastian and Liebert about even with $80,000 each, while Seed had about $60,000, General Poy $40,000 and Simon $30,000. As play continued with $6,000-$12,000 limits, Liebert made a big draw-out. All in again, she caught a third 9 on the river to beat Simon’s paired kings. Two hands later, Simon posted his last $5,000 in the big blind with 10-6. The general called from the small blind with pocket deuces, which were enough to do the job.
Around hand 70, Liebert went on a tear. After winning several straight hands, she executed General Poy by raising him all in with K-9, then catching two more 9s on the flop to easily beat his A-4 and accumulate about half the chips on the table.
Hand 83 was Seed’s last. He had $22,000 left when Sebastian bet into a board of J-3-2-Q. Huck stared at Sebastian, pondered at length and finally raised all in with J-8, losing to Sebastian’s set of queens. The two finalists, now fairly even in chips, started their duel. First Sebastian took the lead, then Liebert. With limits at $10,000-$20,000, Sebastian took serious blood by check-raising with a nut flush on the turn.
The advantage kept changing. Low-chipped and all in a couple times, Kathy made a nice comeback just before the break. But then, with $15,000-$30,000 limits, she lost a $100,000 pot when Sebastian paired a queen on the turn. Finally, on hand 121, they agreed to play no-limit, and in one hand the sparring ended. –Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
Los Angeles resident Ernesto “Ernie” Sebastian came to this country from Manila in 1976 and worked in accounts payable for the Los Angeles Unified School District until his retirement two years ago. He’s been playing poker for seven years, splitting his play between tournaments and live action. He likes both limit and no-limit hold’em, playing anywhere from $3-$6 to $30-$60, depending on how much money he has at the time. He describes himself as a “semi-aggressive” player.
Previously, he won the first freeroll held by Hollywood Park, beating over 800 players and collecting about $20,000. His biggest win was a second worth $29,000 at Commerce. Tonight, he said, he had a tough time before the break, had to hang on, and didn’t expect to get very far. But then he began picking up pots and moved steadily upwards.
CHIP POSITION FINAL TABLE
Rocky Enciso
$12,000
Florencio Umel
$44,500
Asher Lower
$5,000
Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
$42,500
Andy Simon
$33,500
Bob Gafaney
$20,000
Liebert
$49,000
Ernie Sebastian
$54,000
Huck Seed
$27,000
Chips raced and/or blinded off: $300
ALL-AROUND PAY-OFF POINTS
1. Ernie Sebastian 61
2. Kathy Liebert 53
3. Huck Seed 47
4. Florencio Umel 42
5. Andy Simon 38
6. Phil Hellmuth Jr. 34
7. Rocky Enciso 30
8. Asher Lower 26
9. Bob Gaffaney 22
10.Sam Sanusi 20
11.Mike Lam 18
12.Fernando Ramirez 16
13.Charmion Burns 14
14.Frenchy LaRue 12
15.Jan Somchub 10
16.Toby Atroshenko 8
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