Tony & Joel Tie in Lowball!
A record of sorts was set when tonight’s lowball event ended in a tie for first place, the first time that any Bicycle Casino tournament has ever ended in a two-way finish. For that matter, nobody could remember such an ending for a tournament anywhere else. When the four finalists accepted a chip-count deal, Tony Yoshida and Joel San Pedro, both occasional recreational players, had exactly $47,000 in chips. Yoshida won the trophy in a high-card draw, but both were awarded the title and points. Even more remarkable for a lowball tournament, neither of the two was anywhere near retirement age.
Earlier, Frank Henderson attempted to set another world’s record, this one for perversity. Dealt a pat royal flush in spades, he tried a steal so he could forever claim to hold the highest hand ever to win a lowball pot! He nearly pulled it off, but Jack Shnoravorian spoiled everything by calling with a 10. “It cost me some chips, but I had to do it,” “Hollywood Henderson” said. “Anyway,” he added, “it was still a record for the world’s largest attempted snow.” Attention, Guinness Book of Records.
Tony Swartz finished ninth. On the third hand he posted his last $2,500 in the big blind and had to draw five cards. He made a 9-7, beating Henderson, who drew to a 2-3-4-5 and paired, but it wasn’t good enough to beat Bill Norman’s pat 8. “I’m still ahead and had a good time, “ Swartz said cheerfully as he collected his $415.
The final table started with $1,500-$3,000 blinds, playing for 3-6k, with 19:32 remaining on the clock. Shnoravorian, starting lowest chipped with $7,000, was first out and collected $510. He bet his last $1,000 after standing pat with an 8-7-6-4-1. Norman called and squeaked to a win with 8-7-6-2-1. Shnoravorian, a sales manager, was paid $510.
Hollywood Henderson followed him out three hands later. He called all in for $2,500 with much the best draw: A-3-5-6 against Yashida’s 2-4-9-10. Tony caught a queen. Frank squeezed his draw card. “Good luck,” he said to the table as he turned up a paired 5. Frank earned $705 for fifth.
A hand later, Ralph Sabatella went all in and survived for the first of two times when his pat straight-8 held up. The next hand brought the biggest pot of the evening. San Pedro raised, Yoshida re-re-raised and Boris Kolas called. Boris drew one and bet out with a 7-5, only to be raised by Tony, who drew one and made a 6-4. “I’m surprised you even bet that hand,” Tony remarked, pulling in a $52,500 pot and taking a big lead with $59,000 in chips.
With blinds at $2,000-$4,000, playing for 4-8k, James Mena raised all in for $6,000 with joker-5-6 and was called by San Pedro, who stood pat and announced he had a 10. “10 what?” Mena asked, turning up his first draw card, a 9. It didn’t matter because Mena’s second card was another 9. His payout was $900.
Norman, one of only two retirees at the table (along with Henderson) was next to go all in when he raised $3,000 more. His one-card draw made a 9-7 to get past San Pedro’s 9-8. Meanwhile, Joel was the most aggressive player at the table, picking up blinds enough times to begin to draw abreast of Tony.
Tonight’s event lasted a brief 20 hands. After surviving a second time on hand 19 with a 9-6, Sabatella on the next hand raised all in for $8,000, and stood pat with a 9-7-6-5-4. Kolas drew one and made an 8-7 as Sabatella cashed in for $1,100.
The four finalists now did their chip-count deal. Kolas had $34,000 and Williams just $8,000. Officially, first place paid $7,950, second paid $4,035, third, $2,080 and fourth, $1,300. –Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
Tony Yoshida is a 44-year-old computer programmer. He’s been playing poker for three years. All he ever plays is tournaments, and gets in about one a month. His favorite games are hold’em and lowball. This is his only tournament win, and in fact, he’s only made a final table once before. Now competing for his poker time is pan, a game that Barbara Enright and Bobby Baker introduced him to, for good or ill.
Joel San Pedro is a poker dealer who worked at the Normandie Casino and before that at the old Bell club, now taking a break from dealing for a while. He doesn’t play that much, he says, and will just enter a tournament, regardless of the game, whenever he feels like playing. This is his only tournament win. Tonight, he said, he went all in six times at one table with about 12 tables left, and somehow lived to tell about it. “I just got lucky,” he shrugged.
CHIP POSITION FINAL TABLE
Bill Norman
$24,000
Joel San Pedro
$27,000
Jack Shnoravorian
$7,000
Ralph Sabatella
$9,500
Tony Yoshida
$26,000
James Mena
$14,500
Frank Henderson
$7,000
Boris Kolas
$21,500
ALL-AROUND PAY-OFF POINTS
Name Total
1. M. Duckworth 81
2. Mario Esquerra 79
3. Joe De Nicola 62
4. Barry Bergida 61
5. Joe Boghossian 61
6. Suriyan Bhinestien 61
7. Robert Bakovic 61
8. Steve Badger 59
9. Nash Rizk 59
10.Kathy Liebert 59
11.Ibrahim Jajo 59
12.Daniel Dahan 58
13.John Hoang 57
14.Russ Rosen 53
15. “Not Available” 53
16.Joseph Isagulyan 53
17.B. J. Behboudi 53
18.Joel San Pedro 53
19.Tony Yoshida 53
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