| Tony Abesamis Scores Win
Against Tournament Novice!
Tony Abesamis, a programmer who's played poker about 13 years, scored his first major tournament win in the opening event of Big Poker Oktober, $50 limit hold'em. His final opponent, Richard Dagres, who's in advertising and real estate development, amazingly was not only playing his first tournament, but had a grand total of two hours experience playing any casino poker (one hour at Casino Morongo and one at the Bicycle Casino). He came to the final table with a big lead, and still had it heads-up. But his inexperience was evident (asking how much he could bet, starting to fold before Abesamis could bet), so it wasn't surprising that Tony soon took the lead and won without much sweat.
This opening event attracted a field of 404 players. Instead of playing hand-for-hand, 10 players were brought to the last table, with the finale officially getting underway after one player was eliminated. That didn't take long. With $201,000 in chips in play and limits starting at a hefty $4,000-$8,000, players immediately started going all in. On the first hand Sarkis Talakan had only $2,000 and waved it all in with a pair of 4s. Badia Khalil, with A-J, bet his last $5,000 on a board of Q-6-3-4. But Dagres, holding 7-5 in the big blind already had a straight. Two players were suddenly gone, and the final table started with one seat empty. On the fourth hand, Clinton Moore, a student, held A-J of clubs, made a flush and eliminated Ngoc Huynh, who had played 7-6 from the big blind. And just two hands after that, Gus Cornejo raised all in for $6,000 with A-7. Tony called with K-10. The board came 10-6-4-3-K, Tony had a winning two pair, and in just six hands, four players had fallen by the wayside.
Limits were now $6,000 and $12,000. On hand 11, Tony Sheets went all in with A-K against Abesamis' A-7. Tony A. was a 2.7-1 Dog against Tony S., but the board came 7-6-5-10-A, and one more player was out. On the next hand, Randy Douthat folded with only $1,000 left when Edward Moncada bet with the board showing Q-10-4-10-8. The next hand he was the big blind with only Q-2 against Dagres' Q-10. He was exactly the same dog as Abesamis had been, but this time the odds proved correct. The board came Q-6-4-9-7, and now only four were left.
Clinton suggested a deal, but Dagres, having too much fun, said he wanted to play it out to the end. There was no letup in the attrition as two more players left in the next four hands. On hand 15, Moncada raised, Abesamis re-raised, and Clinton four-bet it for $24,000. "I think I'll just watch," Dagres said. "I'll sleep in the street with this hand," Clinton vowed. He had pocket kings, bet all in for $6,000 when the board came A-Q-8 and was last seen sleeping on Eastern Avenue right outside the Bike when Tony showed him A-K. Just two hands later, Moncada lost to a bad beat. Holding J-9 of clubs, he had two pair when the board came J-10-9. When a river ace came, Dagres bet and Moncada called all in. But Richard, with A-10, now had a bigger two pair.
Heads-up, with limits now $10,000-$20,000, Dagres held a lead of about one stack. Faltering now, he folded three hands in a row midway through, and Tony quickly pulled into a substantial lead. The match-up lasted nine hands. On the final hand, Richard had pocket 4s. Tony, with J-6 flopped trips when the board came 6-6-Q. Richard bet and he just called. On the turn-card king, Tony check-raised to $40,000. "It looks like I'm getting rid of chips," Richard said, making a weak call. Tony put him all on a river 3, and the match was over. -Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
West Covina resident Antonio Abesamis, a programmer for Rose Hills cemetery, has had a couple of final tables at the Commerce Casino, finishing fourth and seventh. His biggest prior cash-out, though, about the same as tonight's, came at the Bike's freeroll last year, when three tables chopped the prize pool. He started out playing live games, took up tournaments a few years ago and now plays smaller side action, $6-$12 or $9-$18, hold'em and stud.
Tonight, he said, he was in very good shape throughout, and at the final table he won about two of every three hands he played. "I had an inkling I was going to win tonight," he said. "I felt very good when two guys asked to take 5 percent of my action, which never happened before." Now that he has points under his belt, he said he looks forward to playing more events and shooting for the all-around championship.
EVENT #1 RESULTS
LIMIT HOLD'EM
$50 + $10
$20,200 PRIZE POOL
404 PLAYERS
1. Tony Abesamis $7,025
2. Richard Dagres $3,590
3. Edward Moncada $1,825
4. Clinton Moore $1265
5. Tandy Douthat $895
6. Tony Sheets $710
7. Gus Cornejo $525
8. Ngoc Huynh $430
9. Badia Khalil $335
NEXT
Limit Hold'em
$100 + $20
Friday, Oct. 4, 7:15 p.m.
TOURNAMENT RESULTS:WWW.THEBICYCLECASINO.COM
CHIP POSITION FINAL TABLE
vGus Cornejo
$12,000
Tony Abesamis
$33,000
Ngoc Huynh
$19,000
Clinton Moore
$19,000
Tony Sheets
$20,000
(Vacant)
Randy Douthat
$18,000
Richard Dagres
$52,000
Edward Moncada
$28,000
Chips raced and/or blinded off: $255
ALL-AROUND
PAYOFF POINTS
Name Total
1. Tony Abesamis 61
2. Richard Dagres 53
3. Edward Moncada 47
4. Clinton Moore 42
5. Tandy Douthat 38
6. Tony Sheets 34
7. Gus Cornejo 30
8 . Ngoc Huynh 26
9 Badia Khalil 22
10. Sarkis Talakan 20
11. Wally Saikaly 18
12. David Brightman 16
13. Kan Tran 14
14. Omar Campolongo 12
15. Ben Combs 10
16. Massoud Setayesh 8
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