ARMENIAN EXPRESS ROLLS
TO VICTORY IN STUD HI/LO
After finishing second in no-limit hold'em and third in the first stud hi/lo event, Chris Grigorian, the "Armenian Express," finally got on the fast track and easily steamed to victory in the ninth event of Hustler Casino's Challenge Cup, 7-card stud hi/lo. By the later stages, after he had amassed a commanding chip lead, there was little doubt that he would win. With a third-place finish at Tunica, Grigorian would now rank high in Card Player's "Player of the Year" standings for this event.
And he finally broke the four-time jinx of his adamant no-deal policy.
Only seven players made it to the final table, but with 45-minute rounds, gradual level increases, and repeatedly chopped pots, the table still took a grueling three hours to finish past 6 a.m.
Two players dropped out the hand before. At one of the two second tables, Tim Raynak, previously a host at the Hustler and Hawaiian Gardens, was all in with queens and lost to John Inashima's aces and treys. At the other table, night club owner Cliff Cantor raised with split kings and was re-raised all in by recreational player Tim Fu. Cantor couldn't improve while Fu, who started with low cards, caught a third deuce on the river. Tim and Cliff both collected $740.
Demonstrating that "tight is right," Inashima was making his fourth final table. Earlier, after winning the first 7-stud hi/lo event, Robert Gray had said he was glad that he had played heads-up against Inashima rather than the more aggressive Grigorian, who had finished third. "Well, Robert isn't here tonight, so I guess I'll have to play against Chris," John cracked, getting in the last word. John put his vaunted survival skills on display, going all in and escaping eight times as he scratched his way to third place.
Limits started at $800 and $1,600 and after six hands rose to $1,000 and $2,000 with $200 antes and a $300 low-card bring-in. In early going, veteran tournament player Bill Henson was giving by far the most action by playing about 50 percent of the hands.
This got him in a lot of trouble as he went all in three times but managed to wiggle out each time. Grigorian, meanwhile, got a big break on hand 16 when he was all in against Fu's three aces, but scooped with a small straight.
Thor Hansen finished seventh for $985. He got low-chipped on hand 22 when he made a good fold against Henson's board of 4-Q-4-A because Bill had aces-full. On the next hand, though, he got broke after starting with A-J/7 and made nothing against Inashima, who began with split deuces and made kings-up.
Henson went out of business six hands later when limits were $1,500-$3,000 with $300 antes and a $500 bring-in. He started and ended with pocket deuces, calling all in on sixth street for $2,600. By that time Grigorian had a seven made and two 4s. He missed his wheel draw, but the two 4s were all he needed. Bill collected $1,230 for sixth place.
Another 34 hands would crawl by before another competitor could be forced out. Meanwhile, the players kept up a stream of light-hearted banter. One hand, Grigorian folded while digging into a plate of food. "You're lucky I'm eating," he said.
"Keep eating," said Corey Mandell. "Give him an out button," suggested Jack Howard.
Mandell, a screenwriter playing in only his third tournament, had built up a nice stack but then took a big hit, losing $15,000 with a made hand of jacks-full on sixth street. He bet blind, but had his eyes opened when Fu, who caught queens-full on the river, raised.
Inashima got a break on hand 56. "Let's go," he declared, raising for his last $500 with a promising start of A-5/4. He caught a 6 on fourth street, but was looking at three bullets held by Fu. On sixth street, John was free-rolling when a deuce gave him a 6-low. Calling for a 3, he caught it on the river to scoop with a wheel.
At 5:30 a.m., Howard was down to $1,100. He put it in with split aces and couldn't help while Fu, starting with A-3/7, knocked him out by making two pair. Howard, a retired computer programmer, picked up $1,475 for fifth place.
Grigorian, meanwhile, had held the lead for some time. But after the players returned from a break, the action speeded up and the Armenian Express really took command. Five minutes into the new limits of $3,000-$6,000 with $500 antes and $1,000 bring-in, he broke Fu. Showing A-J-Q-Q, he bet. Fu called for his last $200. Chris turned up another ace and Tim tossed in his 2-7-4-K without showing his down cards. Fourth place was worth $1,720.
By now Chris had about $74,000 of the $82,000 in play. A few minutes later the elusive Inashima finally got speared. John had only $1,400 left and had to bring it in with a door-card deuce. All he could make was king-high and lost to Mandell, who started with A-Q/J and won with two fives. John's endurance demonstration was worth $2,950 for third place.
Now out-chipped about 12-1, and only playing his third tournament, the screenwriter proved a scrappy competitor who refused to roll over. "He's a good fighter, fought me all the way," Chris later said in tribute. But he couldn't make much headway against the vastly more experienced Grigorian, who has several major tournament wins to his credit. On the seventh hand heads-up, Corey went all in for $1,500 with K-3/7. He paired his king on fourth street, but it was not nearly enough as Chris hit a heart flush on the river. Corey collected $5,600 for second place while the Armenian Express went home with an un-chopped purse of $9,100. --Max Shapiro
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