| "Jett Rockets to Victory"
In one of the most impressive No-Limit Texas Hold’em performances on record, poker pro Chip Jett fearlessly made all the right moves at just the right times and won a well-deserved $129,589 for first place at the World Poker Open. Jett seized the chip lead about halfway through the final table and got into a spectacular heads-up finale with the second-place finisher, "Beaumont Billy" Williford. In the end, Jett rocketed to victory and won his first gold and diamond bracelet.
Colorful Texan "Beaumont Billy" Williford almost didn't make it past the first 15 minutes. In a key early hand, Beaumont Billy moved all-in with 8-8 and was called by Jamie Ligator with Q-J suited. Although he was a slight favorite, Beaumont Billy had to sweat out five cards, none of which brought Ligator the help he needed. The final board showed A-5-5-6-6, giving Beaumont Billy two pair, 8s and 6s.
That loss left Ligator short on chips with just $8K. A short time later, Ligator called Chip Jett's pre-flop raise with Q-10. Jett showed 6-6. Again, Ligator desperately needed to catch a pair, which didn't come. Jamie Ligator, from San Jose, Costa Rica went out in 9th place and collected $5,184.
Ron Rose took the worst beat of the night when he was dealt K-K and moved all-in pre-flop against Carl McKelvey (with 10-10). Rose wilted when he saw the flop: J-10-6. McKelvey had flopped trip 10s. Rose quietly stood up from the table and accepted his fate -- an 8th-place finish which amounted to $6,480 in prize money.
Next, David Plastik melted when he tried to steal a pot with J-9 suited. Jason Viriyayuthakorn called Plastik's all-in pre-flop raise with A-5. The final board was a case of massive overkill -- A-10-4-7-A. Trip aces torched Plastik's no-pair. Las Vegas pro David Plastik received 7th-place prize money of $8,100.
Another interesting hand came when chip-leader Scotty Nguyen made it $25K to go with a button raise. Beaumont Billy moved all-in. After thinking for several minutes, Scotty folded. Beaumont Billy showed 8-8, which initiated a game of cat and mouse between remaining finalists.
Jason Viriyayuthakorn became the mouse on the next hand. Viriyayuthakorn (with 8-8) raised $13K before the flop. Beaumont Billy (with K-Q suited) re-raised all-in from the big blind. Viriyayuthakorn called. The flop came Q-6-6 and Beaumont Billy's pair of queens and 6s dragged a huge pot. Atlantic City pro Viriyayuthakorn collected $11,339 for 6th place.
A few hands later, the new chip-leader Beaumont Billy lost two-thirds of his stack to Chip Jett. Beaumont Billy (with Q-10 suited) openned for a $24K raise and Jett (with K-K) exploded over the top for $44K more. Beaumont Billy called, but Jett's pocket kings held up to win the pot. Suddenly, Chip Jett was the chip leader.
Next, 1998 World Poker Champion Scotty Nguyen ran into serious trouble when he tried to steal the blinds with Q-9. The strategy might have worked had Beaumont Billy not been dealt pocket queens. When a queen came on the flop, giving his opponent trip queens, Nguyen might as well have started walking. Scotty Nguyen, one of poker's most dynamic champions, received $14,579 for 5th place.
Old-time road gambler Carl McKelvey came to the final table 4th in chips and went out next, in 4th place. McKelvey got into a "battle of the blinds" when he and Chip Jett moved all the money into the pot before the flop. McKelvey showed 9-9 versus Jett's K-K. A king fell on the turn, which essentially ended McKelvey's chances of drawing out and surviving. Carl McKelvey, from Houston, is a true "rounder." He was at the inaugural World Series of Poker in 1970 and has now made the World Poker Open every year. Fourth place paid $19,439.
No player at the final table had a better pedigree than Derek Tomko. His name is legendary in poker circles and it will be a challenge for the young Floridian to live up to high expectations. Tomko managed to survive for two hours by either folding or moving all-in anytime he was dealt a hand. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to catch many premium cards and was gradually left short stacked. Tomko finally moved all-in with K-9 against Jett's A-J. The board showed J-5-2-5-3, giving Jett two pair, jacks over deuces. Tomko received $32,398 for 3rd place and will certainly be a player to watch at future major tournaments.
The heads-up match between Chip Jett and Beaumont Billy was a dramatic contrast in styles. The youthful and charismatic Jett was up against the much older Williford, a player very much from the "old school," when poker required feel and instinct. The two poker masters engaged in several intense psychological battles that brought the capacity crowd to its feet. Often, one of the two players would move all-in and the other would "stare down" the adversary, looking for a flinch or an eye blink -- any clue that revealed the strength of the hand.
Perhaps the most stunning of the night came when Jett had a 2-1 chip lead. With $40K already in the pot, Jett bet $40K more into a board of 8-8-6-4-3. Beaumont Billy paused for seven full minutes. He counted down his chips several times. Then just as it appeared he might call, he grabbed his cards and made it look as if he was folding. Finally, with hundreds of spectators on the edge of their seats, Beaumont Billy stunned the crowd by moving his entire stack into the pot. Jett leaned back and folded. Then, Beaumont Billy turned over K-J which amounted to a stone-cold bluff. It was great poker. It was great theatre.
Jett seized the chip lead back by taking 4 of the next 5 pots. Then, the two finalists locked into another intense battle of nerves when Beamont Billy faced another grueling decision. This time, Jett moved all-in and Beaumont Billy pondered his action for six full minutes. At one point, Beaumont Billy turned to his adversary and barked out, "I can win this right now if I call down your bluff!" Jett snapped back, "Yeah, you can definitely lock-up second (place)." Beaumont Billy folded and neither player's cards were shown.
The final hand of the tournament came out of nowhere. Jett held a 3-2 chip advantage and was dealt 6-6. Beaumont Billy, with K-Q suited, raised before the flop and then called Jett's all-in reraise. The final board showed A-7-2-A-10 giving Jett all the chips with a pair of 6s.
Unconventional and unpredictable, Beaumont Billy Williford took 2nd-place prize money of $64,796.
Chip Jett, an Arizona native who now lives and plays poker in Las Vegas, won yet another major tournament. This victory at the World Poker Open comes just two months after Jett won two big events at Foxwoods late last year. Chip Jett continues to rocket to the top of the poker tournament circuit.
-- by Nolan Dalla
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