EVENT #3 SEVEN CARD STUD
Monday, July 10, 2000
$130 BUY-IN
$600 in chips
INEXPERIENCE PAYS... PRETTY WELL
By Mike Paulle
Taking nothing away from our winner today, the most compelling story of this
event was the continuing success in this year's Orleans Open of new players.
The effect that the Tournament of Champions is having on the game of poker is
profound is unexpected ways. Players are trying to learn games they don't
normally play, in order to have a chance in the multi-game TOC format, and
finding that they can compete in those new games amazingly well even at the
highest levels.
There were 400 entrants in the $130 Buy-In 7-Card Stud for a total prize pool
of $52,000. 4 tables were paid, a total of 32 players.
The Final Table was set up when Dimitri Magdalinos tried to scare Pat Nixon
with an open pair of deuces on board; going all-in. Pat was having none of
it. Nixon had a pair of 9's and he was calling all the way. The nines were
good and we had eight.
THE FINAL TABLE:
8 mins left of 45. $500 ante, $1k bring-in, playing $3k/$6k
| Player/Hometown | Chip Count |
| Seat 1: Jeff Niedelman (Murietta, CA) | $39,100 |
| Seat 2: Stan Schrier (Omaha, NB) | $28,600 |
| Seat 3: Ray Wasson (Las Vegas, NV) | $12,200 |
| Seat 4: Bob Perry (Rocklin, MA) | $17,800 |
| Seat 5: Richard Roach (Ocean Springs, MS) | $6,300 |
| Seat 6: Tex Flaniken (Austin, TX) | $27,200 |
| Seat 7: Bill Johnson (Klameth Falls, OR) | $43,700 |
| Seat 8: Pat Nixon (New York, NY) | $66,800 |
Maybe Bob Perry knew something. He was campaigning for some sort of chop or
save prior to the first hand. The chip disparity was too great to get
anything done and Perry left for the North Pole in 8th on that first hand he
dreaded playing without extra compensation. Bob made Kings and spaces betting
the whole way, Tex Flaniken hit a 7 high straight calling the whole way.
We had an unusual situation at this Final Table. The eight players came from
eight different States in the Union. Mississippi was the next State to secede
when Richard Roach went all-in with Jacks. The man with a name a First Lady
made famous, Pat Nixon, started with split 10's and caught a third to send
Roach scurrying to the rail in 7th.
The strange thing about Stud is that in one hand the winner will be a full
house over another full house and on the next hand neither player can make a
pair. Ray Wasson only had $2,700 left so he went all-in with high cards and a
straight draw. Tex Flaniken called and could do no better than A K high.
Wasson tossed his river card in the air as the A K was the best hand. Ray
could only get to A Q high.
It took nearly two full levels, an hour and a half, to eliminate the 5th
place finisher as the all-in players kept surviving. Jeff Niedelman pressed
the betting and went all-in with the best hand, 10's and 9's. Stan Schrier
called until he got what he needed a gut shot Broadway on 6th street.
Isn't it frustrating when the same player beats you in every hand? Bill
Johnson could have won this event but he couldn't beat Pat Nixon. Repeatedly,
Bill would have the best hand to 6th street or the river only to lose to a
miracle card pulled by Pat. Johnson's last hand was no exception. Bill went
all-in with Aces. Pat called with 7's. On the river Nixon caught a 3 for two
pair. "I can't beat him," Johnson said of Nixon as he left. "He gets whatever
he needs."
The story of the event for me was Stan Schrier. "I've never played in a Stud
tournament in my life," Stan told me. "And I haven't played a hand of 7-Card
Stud in 25 years. I was just practicing in case I get into the TOC." You
would never know Schrier was inexperienced by watching his betting. He was
very aggressive and held the chip lead through most of the last two hours.
"I'm a Hold'em and Omaha player," Stan said. "Maybe I should play more Stud."
Three-handed they were playing $10k/$20k now so anything could happen. Stan
remained aggressive and went all-in with a Royal draw. Tex Flaniken had
enough chips to cover Schrier and called with a low wrap and a baby flush
draw. Stan was one Jack of Spades off of his Royal and Tex made both his
straight and his flush to send the rookie out in 3rd. What a finish to your
first Stud tournament, Stan.
Two-handed, Tex Flaniken had about a 2 1/2 to one chip lead over Pat Nixon.
Pat had no interest in the TOC seat and tried to make a deal for the seat
with Stan Schrier while there were three players left. Nixon proposed to
Schrier that if Pat won the event he would sell the seat to Stan. There were
two major problems with the proposed deal. One, no deals can be made between
two parties without the acceptance of the third and Tex Flaniken didn't want
to participate. Second, a TOC seat can't be sold. It is won in "Name Only."
Head up it was no contest. Tex Flaniken won every pot and put Pat Nixon out
in 2nd with an 8 high straight. Inexperience paid pretty well for Stan
Schrier, but experience paid real well for Tex Flaniken.
Official Money Winners
| 1. Tex Flaniken | $18,500 |
| 2. Pat Nixon | $9,250 |
| 3. Stan Schrier | $4,500 |
| 4. Bill Johnson | $3,250 |
| 5. Jeff Niedelman | $2,500 |
| 6. Ray Wasson | $2,000 |
| 7. Richard Roach | $1,500 |
| 8. Bob Perry | $1,000 |
9th-12th received $555
Dimitri Magdalinos, Maureen Feduniak, P.K. and Ivan
Trepner
13th-16th received $405
Mike Fetter, Dave Mason, Mike Marzouk and Selby Hanson
17th-20th received $305
Phil Gagliano, Alan Green, Xia Byrne and Ted Haun
21st-23rd received $250
Jerry Molinario, Max Stern and Nikki Papler
24th-27th received $200
Frank Gagliano, Jerry Altschull, Frank Sordi and Gary
Hart
Tie 28th received $180
Mike Hills and George Noricks
30th-32nd received $160
Jan Newton, Tony Masters and Sed Day
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