EVENT #5 OMAHA (LIMIT)
Wednesday, July 12, 2000
$260 BUY-IN
$600 in chips
WAITING FOR ACES
By Mike Paulle
A dramatic change in the style of play has come over the fields in the last
two days of Open play. When the buy-in went to $260 the levels were made one
hour long rather than 45 minutes. So those fortunate enough to have some
chips nearing the Final Table could wait for better starting hands, because
the blind levels were markedly reduced from those of the first three events.
There were 142 entrants in the $260 Buy-In Omaha High for a total prize pool
of $36,920. One table was paid, a total of 10 players.
The Final Table was set up when Card Player Chairman Barry Shulman, in
apparent frustration, went all-in with 9's and 7's in defense of his big
blind. Barry was correct that Pat Wardlaw didn't have much, but Pat had what
he needed to give Shulman 11th place one out of the money. Wardlaw had a Jack
in his hand when a Jack hit the flop. Three short stacks on life support were
able to take their first breath in a while.
THE FINAL TABLE:
35 mins left of 1 hr. The blind are $200 and $500
| Player/Hometown | Chip Count |
| Seat 1: Perry Lewis (Las Vegas, NV) | $1,600 |
| Seat 2: James Hoeppner (Las Vegas, NV) | $11,200 |
| Seat 3: Hassan El-Sayed (Alexandria, Egypt) | $9,600 |
| Seat 4: Mike Bunis (Key West, FL) | $11,100 |
| Seat 5: Bernard Treynet (Santa Fe, NM) | $900 |
| Seat 6: Jim Spain (Montgomery, AL) | $8,800 |
| Seat 7: Glenn Abney (Bermuda, Dunes CA) | $1,200 |
| Seat 8: Pat Wardlaw (Las Vegas, NV) | $27,500 |
| Seat 9: Tom McEvoy (Las Vegas, NV) | $7,600 |
| Seat 10: Boris Alic (New York, NY) | $5,600 |
The three short stacks, who were just lucky to be here, all left quickly.
Bernard Treynet bet his $900 on an A K T 7 and flopped three 10's. Tom
McEvoy, the first former World Champion to make a Final Table this year,
called with K K Q 7 and turned a King high Spade flush.
Then tournament veteran Glenn Abney went all-in for his last $700 with an A K
K x and flopped an Ace. Abney lead to the river where Pat Wardlaw caught a 6
for A's and 6's to douse Glenn chances.
The only Binion's Horseshoe dealer to make two major event Final Tables in
the last three months, Perry Lewis, was next out. Perry had the good sense to
pick up an extra $700 in prize money by not playing a hand and moving up to
8th place. Lewis went all-in with K K 7 7 in his big blind. Boris Alic made
8's full of 5's from the small blind. (By the way, Perry says "Hi, Mom")
Every day, it seems, one of the starting chip leaders draws a 'dead seat' and
can't make a hand. Yesterday it was Ron Stanley. Today it was James Hoeppner.
In utter amazement about what was happening to him, Hoeppner finally went
all-in with a high wrap. As chip leader Pat Wardlaw was obliged to call from
the big blind with whatever he had. It wasn't much. Pat had no card higher
than a 7. But a 4 on the river was enough to beat Hoeppner into submission in
7th.
Tom McEvoy probably didn't pick up any material today for his next book
entitled 'How To Win An Omaha High Tournament.' The book will be co-authored
by anyone who knows how to win one. When there were 12 players left and Tom
was one of the short stacks he said, "If I don't make the final table they
will have to take me to the Insane Asylum. I've knocked out at least 10
players." Once here, they were still making him crazy. After winning a few
hands early, the cards went dead again for the former Champ. All-in from the
small blind with a suited Ace and a low wrap, Tom could only watch as Pat
Wardlaw made A's and 10's to boot McEvoy into 6th.
This table was so tight you could here it creak each time one of these rocks
thought about betting. Watching paint dry moved past this table as a
spectator sport. The tightest of the tight was Hassan El-Sayed. With the
patience of the Pyramids just down the block from his house in Alexandria,
Egypt, Hassan waited and waited, then waited some more for a hand he could
even call the big blind with. Finally forced to act by the escalating blinds,
Hassan went all-in after the flop with Q's as an overpair to the board. Boris
Alic made a King high Club flush on the river to send El-Sayed up the Nile in
5th.
With four players left the chip count was as follows:
Pat Wardlaw $32,000
Mike Bunis $23,500
Boris Alic $20,500
Jim Spain $9,000
Pat Wardlaw wouldn't accept a deal that guaranteed him a $7,000 save with a
chance to win $2,000 more and the TOC seat. Pat's chips were worth $7,600 on
a chip count basis. The band played on.
The reign of Jim Spain fell mainly in 4th place when Mike Bunis flopped the
nuts leaving Spain two chips to call all-in drawing nearly dead. Mike had a
10 8 with a flop of J 9 7. Jim had an A K Q and didn't get the 10 he needed
on board.
A few hands later the shoes were on the other's feet. Mike Bunis and Boris
Alic had about $32,000 and Pat Wardlaw had $20,000. Mike and Boris saved
$7,000, while Pat accepted a $5,000 save. They played for another $2,000 and
the seat. But the downtrend was unstoppable for Pat Wardlaw. Soon he was
all-in for his blind and went quietly out in 3rd to the red-hot Mike Bunis.
Boris Alic took $8,500 while Mike Bunis got the rest, $9,720. Head up it was
Bunis all the way as he bet almost every hand leaving Boris Alic wondering
what he had. "It's how I learned to play back home," Mike Bunis said. "Play
every hand." As the old poker adage says, 'If they are playing tight, play
loose.' Mike Bunis won this event because he was the only player at the table
that wasn't waiting for Aces.
Official Money Winners
| 1. Mike Bunis | $13,270 |
| 2. Boris Alic | $6,635 |
| 3. Pat Wardlaw | $3,315 |
| 4. Jim Spain | $2,795 |
| 5. Hassan El-Sayed | $2,355 |
| 6. Tom McEvoy | $2,010 |
| 7. James Hoeppner | $1,660 |
| 8. Perry Lewis | $1,310 |
| 9. Glenn Abney | $960 |
| 10. Bernard Treynet | $610 |
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