‘ASPIRING PRO' ROBERT GRAY
WHEELS A WIN IN STUD HI-LO
Describing himself as an "aspiring pro," Robert Gray added some impressive credentials to his portfolio by winning the fifth event of Hustler Casino's Poker Challenge Cup, 7-card stud hi-lo, with a last-hand wheel.Gray, from Silver Springs, Maryland, formerly owned a small cellular phone business and signed on as a prop at the Hustler Casino just a few days ago. He has had other wins at Tunica and Atlantic City, but tonight's top prize of $8,190 is his biggest cash-out yet. His best games, he said, are 7-card stud high and hold'em.
His final opponent was John Inashima, best known for his extremely conservative play and for not giving anything away. Gray picked up on that and played super-aggressively against him. "He would lay down a lot of hands when he already had $4,000 or $5,000 in the pot," Gray noted. Once I even raised blind against him."
Finishing third was Chris "The Armenian Express" Grigorian, a local journeyman pro with numerous wins to his credit. Gray said he was relieved when Chris departed because he found him to be a much more aggressive and tougher opponent.
The final table was called to order after Danfield Eudel busted out in ninth place. After hanging on short-chipped for several hands, he was low carded with 7-5/3, and had to throw in his last $125. He made nothing and lost to Gray's two pair.
Final table limits started at $800 and $1,600 with $100 antes and a low-card bring-in of $200. In early action, Henry Fereguson was all in on fifth street. He had 3-4-5-7 against Leandro Alvarez' 3-4-5-6. "Does that mean I'm winning?" he cracked. No, but he eventually got a split when he paired and Alvarez made a 6-4 low.
Some 25 minutes into the next round, with limits of $1,000-$2,000, two players got eliminated on consecutive hands. Inashima had just taken a slight lead when Glenn Smith and Hustler casino floorman Bill Moy got involved in a pot. Smith started with split fours and made two pair, but Moy, starting with pocket 10s, made a flush on the river. Smith departed with $420.
Next, Ferguson raised all in on fifth street for $2,100 with pocket kings. Alvarez, who had started with A-3/6, proceeded to catch two more treys and then an ace to fill up andsend Ferguson home with $420.
Immediately after limits were kicked up to $1,500 and $3,000 with $200 blinds and a $500 bring-in, two more players fell by the wayside. First out was Alvarez, who was crushed by Inashima's six-high straight. He got
$840 for finishing sixth. Next out was Moy. Holding split aces, he went all in on fifth street, but ran into rolled-up kings held by Jay Helfert, who owns the billiard parlor at Hollywood Park Casino. Moy's cash-out was for $1,050.
A few hands later, Inashima re-raised and his two opponents folded. "Maybe I shouldn't have raised," he said ruefully as he turned up rolled-up 10s. A reasonable assumption, since a re-raise by John Inashima would cause the bravest of players to turn pale.
A very long and very boring time then passed as pots were split and chips moved back and forth, a typical scenario with stud hi-lo. Finally, with blinds of $2,000 and $4,000, Helfert, down to $1,000, went all in but survived in three-way action with aces full. A hand later, though, he went all in again holding 10-8/A-4-10 and couldn't make anything more.. Inashima had 2-4/4-87 and ended up sinking the pool room owner in the corner pocket with 4s and deuces. Four place was worth $1,385.
Two hours had passed since the final table started, and now the three finalists began another marathon. By now Gray had taken a good lead with about $39,000, while his two opponents each had a little over $20,000.
By the time limits went to $3,000-$6,000 with $500 antes and a $1,000 bring-in, Gray had increased his lead to about $46,000 and was never headed after that. At one point, Inashima went all in with pocket 9s, but they held up. Next it was Chris' turn to put in all his chips, but the Armenian Express survived with pocket jacks.
Chris finally succumbed when, low-chipped, he was forced to go all in with just a pair of sevens and some low cards. He couldn't improve and was crushed when gray started with pocket aces and caught a third bullet. Third place was worth $2,100 to the Armenian Express. Heads-up, Gray had a 3-1 chip edge and, supremely confident, declined an offer to make a deal.
He missed a chance to break Inashima by drawing to 5-6-7-8, but failed to complete his straight when he caught a king on the river and the pot was split. But he kept the pressure on, and Inashima was unable to build his chips up. Finally, with limits of $5,000 and $10,000, Inashima, down to about $6,000, was on the ropes. On the last hand, he started with 9-10/8 and ended up all in with just two 10s. Gray, with 5-8/2-4-Q-A, squeezed his last card. It was a trey, giving him a wheel and victory. --Max Shapiro
Entries to Date: 622
Prize Money to Date: $196,600
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