Sam Engineers a Big Win!
Sam Sanusi, an oil patch engineer for Exxon, turned in a well-oiled performance as he scored a final-table wire-to-wire victory in the 11th event of Legends of Poker 2002, no-limit hold’em. The tournament ended when the last three players made a deal. Sanusi had $93,500, while research physicist Josh Wentlandt had $63,500 and Vince Burgio had $53,000.
Finishing tenth was Calvin Dykes who raised all in for $3,700 with pocket deuces. Warren Karp called with Q-8 suited and won with a queen on the river. The final table started with $200 antes and blinds of $600 and $1,200.
Sanusi came in with a big lead: $60,400. In early action, Salah Levy took an $11,000 bite out his stacks when he moved in with pocket jacks, which held up against Sanusi’s pocket 9s. Moments later, Levy noticed Sanusi drinking a Red Bull and ordered two of them for himself. For the hyper Levy, who is prone to jumping up, waving his arms and screaming “Send to papa!” whenever he wins a pot, an energy drink was probably the last thing he needed.
John Henson started with the fewest chips. He managed to survive a couple of all-in encounters before going out on hand 23. Burgio moved in with A-K and Henson called for his last $12,300 with A-Q. Burgio, a 3-1 favorite, hit two more kings while Henson missed a flush draw. On the next hand, blinds went to $1,000-$2,000 with $300 antes. Steve Shkolnik, a movie location manager who won a Legends no-limit event two years ago, moved in with Q-10 for about $6,000, and was in big trouble when Levy called with pocket kings. Steve flopped an open-ended straight draw but couldn’t complete it. Two hands later, Mike Romanos, an investment strategist, moved in for about $14,000. Holding pocket deuces, he was a slight favorite against Wentlandt, who called with A-Q. The board came 9-7-5-3-A, and Wentlandt’s paired ace cut the field to six.
Another 15 hands went by before the next player went south. Levy raised all in for about $20,000 with A-10. Sanusi covered him with J-J and won when the board showed 9-9-7-K-5. A little psychological jousting ensued a few hands later when Burgio moved in for $47,600. Paul Ladanyi had slightly fewer chips and hesitated. “I know I have the best hand,” he probed. “I don’t think so, my friend,” Burgio responded. “If you did, you wouldn’t be hesitating.” Paul folded his A-Q, which was definitely not the best hand against Vince’s Q-Q.
Down to $3,000, Karp put it all in with Q-7. “You’ll either double me up or send me home,” he commented when Burgio called. Actually, Karp tripled up when he caught a 7 on the river after Sanusi also called. “Send to papa!” Karp bellowed, mocking Levy’s trademark victory yell. On the next hand, Sanusi made it $6,000 to go, and Ladanyi came over the top for $20,000. It was a classic match-up: A-K for Sam, Q-Q for Paul. On the turn, Sanusi overtook his opponent, winning when a king came.
With four left, Sanusi now had about $125,000 of the $210,000 in play. Seven hands later, Karp, a tournament director and Card Player columnist, raised with his last $1,800 holding A-7. With blinds now at $2,000 and $4,000, Burgio called from the small blind with Q-J. Burgio flopped a queen, Karp caught a 7 on the turn, and Vince then finished him off with a third river queen.
The finalists then spent a very long time hammering out a deal, but couldn’t come to an agreement. After playing six hands, they had the same $93,500-$63,500-$53,000 they started with three-handed, and this time they shook hands and went home. –Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
Sam Sanusi, 52, is originally from North Africa, and has spent his entire career working as a drilling and production petroleum engineer. He’s been playing poker since his college days, and now prefers tournaments. His biggest win came when he beat a field of 1,600 players in the Bicycle Casino’s freeroll tournament last year and collected $100,000. In side action, he limits himself to yellow-chip games. His favorite game is hold’em -- either limit, pot-limit or no-limit. “Just give me two cards and a flop,” he says.
Sanusi says he mixes his style of play, depending on the general atmosphere at the table. In tonight’s event, he felt he just cruised along. “Nothing spectacular.” The two key hands for him at the final table, he recalled, came when he knocked Levy out with pocket jacks against A-10, and when he eliminated Ladanyi with A-K against Paul’s two queens.
CHIP POSITION FINAL TABLE
Josh Wentlandt
$16,300
Steve Shkolnik
$13,200
Vince Burgio
$16,600
Mike Romanos
18,000
Salah Levy
$14,400
Sam Sanusi
$60,400
Paul Ladanyi
$24,400
John Henson
$8,300
Warren Karp
$38,600
Chips raced and/or blinded off: $335
ALL-AROUND PAY-OFF POINTS
Name Total
1. Sam Sanusi 122
2 John Juanda 99
3. Marlon Delossantos 99
4. Russell Rosen 94
5. Kathy Liebert 91
6. Ron Faltinsky 88
7. Daniel Negreanu 87
8. Paul Ladanyi 87
9. Huck Seed 85
10.Paul Lee 79
SUPER SATELLITE PAY-OFF POINTS
Name Total
1. Jeff Yoak 244
2. Tony Cousineau 124
3. Randy Holland 99
4. Mickey Mouse 92
5. Jimmy Tran 89
6. Hassan Kamoei 88
7. Mike Fetter 79
8. Coach 69
9. Steve Kaufman 69
10.Can Hua 68
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