WORLD SERIES OF POKER 2000
EVENT #5 SEVEN-CARD STUD HI-LO SPLIT
$1,500 BUY-IN
$1,500 in chips
THE LONG ARM OF THE LAWYER
By Mike Paulle
Who says you can't make a living playing poker? One player handed down the
law today. He was Judge, Jury and Executioner.
There were 218 entrants in the $1,500 Buy-In, Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo for a
total prize pool of $317,000. 3 tables were paid, a total of 24 players.
Like the Stud High two days ago, the names made it into the money. This time
it was a disgusted Rich Korbin who went out in 9th. We were through for
Thursday night.
Coming back Friday afternoon, Eli Balas looked like he might walk over this
table. Eli had nearly a 2-1 chip lead over his nearest competitor; Balas was
the player no one wanted to tangle with
THE FINAL TABLE:
35 mins left of 80. The ante is $300, bring-in $500, playing $2,000/$4,000
| Player/Hometown | Chip Count |
| Seat 1: Hassan Kamoei (Indio, CA) | $24,500 |
| Seat 2: Carlos Fuentes (Pamplona, Spain) | $54,000 |
| Seat 3: Steve Hohn (Leawood, KS) | $49,500 |
| Seat 4: Joseph Cutri (Southhampton, PA) | $22,500 |
| Seat 5: Eli Balas (Las Vegas, NV) | $92,500 |
| Seat 6: Randy Holland (Tallahassee, FL) | $28,500 |
| Seat 7: Jimmy Balestrere (Kansas City, MO) | $41,500 |
| Seat 8: Bud Moore (Phoenix, AZ) | $14,000 |
An early scoop in an all-in hand with Steve Hohn gave Bud Moore hope of
making a run, but it wasn't to be for the man called 'Spuds.' Moore returned
to the position of coach potato in 8th when Steve Hohn got his revenge with a
scoop of his own. Moore made trip 3's on 4th street and kept betting. Hohn
made trip Queens on the same card and was happy to oblige. This Bud's for
you, Steve. Moore made 3's full only to lose to an Ace on the river to give
Hohn Queens full of Aces.
From early childhood Carlos Fuentes saw grownups running through his
neighborhood in front of raging bulls. Maybe that's why he is so calm. Carlos
seldom speaks. His intensity is obvious as he watches every card fall. Almost
out of the event late, Fuentes went on a rush to become second chip leader.
The rush that brought him here reversed, however, at the Final Table. Now the
Spaniard couldn't win even half a hand. Repeatedly, Carlos was second best
for either the high or the low. As is his nature, Fuentes never whined or
showed frustration even though we knew he was being torn up inside like he
was being gored by one of those bulls that run through his streets back home.
All-in mercifully with a low draw, Fuentes could only make 3's while Eli
Balas caught a paired 4. Adios.
Unlike Fuentes, Joe Cutri's descent into 6th place began Thursday night. Once
near the chip lead, nothing went right for Joe from about three tables on.
His appearance at the table seemed more like a formality as the downward
slide continued. All-in with three baby diamonds, Cutri couldn't even catch a
pair and lost to trip 7's by Hassan Kamoei.
In a hand that both of them will talk about for years, best friends Jimmy
Balestrere and Steve Hohn were pounding each other like bitter enemies. On
the river, Steve bet and Jimmy made a crying call with only a pair of 9's for
the high. "I was in trouble, all my money was out there, " Jimmy joked.
Balestrere looked like a lock for at least 3rd place when the table turned on
him. Jimmy seemed to be the designated eliminator of the short stacks, but he
could never pull the trigger. The all-in hands by Randy Holland and Hassan
Kamoei kept winning. Now it was Jimmy turn to be chip pygmy. It always seems
to work this way, sure enough Balestrere went out 5th on his first all-in.
With a low draw that failed, Jimmy lost to Randy Holland's trip 9's.
When you have to ante $2,000 a hand and there are only four of you, winning
is mandatory. Hassan Kamoei's bag of tricks was finally empty. All-in with 3
4 5 7 and his last $4,000, Kamoei was chopped up by a better high from Randy
Holland and a better low from Eli Balas.
The last three players split $180,000 and played for $34k (oh, and something
about a bracelet). The ultimate trap hand in Stud Hi-Lo came for Steve Hohn
early in three-handed play. Steve knew where he was at, but he couldn't do
anything about it. Hohn had a seven high straight, a huge hand in this game.
But Steve could see that Randy Holland was drawing to a six low and Eli Balas
to a full house. You have to call and pray in that situation with all your
chips already in the pot. Hohn lost both ways to the hands he feared. All-in
soon thereafter with K's and 3's, Hohn went out 3rd when Eli Balas made the
nut Heart flush on the river.
Head up, Eli Balas had a 2-1 chip lead but this was going to be the
non-practicing attorney's day. Holland reached the long arm of the lawyer out
to pull in pot after pot. It's hard to believe that Holland, who was all-in
continuously with five players left would have all the chips, but that's what
happened. Playing $10k/$20k, Randy made a seven high straight to take over
the chip lead he never relinquished. The final hand was fitting for the
Judge, Jury and Executioner. Balas had buried Aces. Holland had Jacks. The
third Jack came for Holland to complete Randy's cross-examination of all
witnesses.
Official Money Winners
| 1. Randy Holland | $120,990 |
| 2. Eli Balas | $62,130 |
| 3. Steve Hohn | $31,065 |
| 4. Hassan Kamoei | $19,620 |
| 5. Jimmy Balestrere | $16,350 |
| 6. Joseph Cutri | $13,080 |
| 7. Carlos Fuentes | $9,810 |
| 8. Bud Moore | $6,867 |
9th-12th received $4,578
Rich Korbin, John Kim, Andrew Sacino and Gilbert Gross
13th-16th received $3,270
Tony Davis, John Yarmosh, David Chiu and Luigi Grilla
17th-24th received $1,962
Chuck Thompson, Alfred McCray, Alex Ting, Rick Roderick,
John Cernuto, Robert Toft, Artie Cobb and Ron McMillan
Alphabetical list of Super Satellite winners thru 4/27:
Dan Alspach, Louis Asmo, George Bartlett, Raymond Beck, Stephane Borrero,
Allen Cunningham, Charlie Custer, K.U. Davis, Rachel Denny, Mark Ervin, John
Farley, Tom Franklin, Granville Harp, Randy Holland, Phillip Ivey, Hassan
Kamoei (twice), Anastassios Lazarou, Ross Lichen, O'Neil Longson, Mansour
Matloubi, Steve Meyerson, Alex Papachatzakis (twice), Victor Perches, J.C.
Pearson, Gary Pollack,
Nick Salameh, Craig Shalhoob, Richard Tatalovich, Jerri Thomas and Bob Walker
(twice).
|
