| Robert Willis became only the fifth player in JBWPO history to win two titles when he survived a wild roller-coaster ride at the final table of the $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event, and walked away with $150,726 in prize money. Although Willis enjoyed a comfortable chip position most of the night, he survived a late scare by Tony Lay, and ultimately secured the victory.
Day Two began with an international mix of pot-limit stars – including several high limit cash game players, including Robert Willis, George Paravoliasakis, Ben Roberts, and Sam Grizzle. “Gentleman” Ben Roberts survived the first significant pot of the night when he went "all-in" against the early chip leader, Robert Willis. Roberts flopped trip Kings, but Willis made a straight on the turn and put his opponent down to the felt. Roberts needed the board to pair and that's exactly what happened on the final card, giving Roberts "Kings-full" and $60K in chips.
George "The Greek" Paravoliasakis was not so fortunate. He played his final hand of the night with K-K-Q-8 and squared off against Ben Roberts' A-A-J-2. The final board showed J-10-5-6-6, giving Roberts the higher two-pair. The Greek, a high-stakes poker player who lives on the Mediterranean island paradise of Crete, swam away in ninth place with mere chump change -- $6,030.
The two big early hands rocketed Ben Roberts up close to the chip leaders -- Kevin Zarandi and Robert Willis. Then about an hour into the final table, the cantankerous Las Vegas pro, Sam Grizzle went out when he played A-Q-6-2 versus Danny Dang's A-Q-10-2. Although the two players held nearly identical hands, all of Grizzle's chips went into the pot when the flop came Q-Q-J -- giving both players trip Queens with an Ace-kicker. Grizzle had extra outs with a spade draw, but then a dreaded King fell on the river, giving Dang an Ace-high straight. Grizzle, the grizzly South Carolina native who has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of poker's most colorful personalities, received $7,536 as he muttered an expletive and exited the final table in disgust.
Kevin Zarandi suffered a string of cruel misfortune and went out a short time later, when he made a full house, losing to Robert Willis' higher full house. Zarandi showed 3s full of 9s against Willis' 9s full house 6s and won an $80K pot. That hand propelled Willis into a significant chip lead. Meanwhile, Zirandi, from the industrial city of Brirmingham, England, received $9,421 for seventh place.
Shannon Westbrook, from Dawsonville, GA was low on chips and went in with his last $14K with A-Q-10-6. Unfortunately, his timing could not have been worse, as Tonly Lay moved over the top with A-A-7-5 double suited. The flop, J-9-7, gave Westbrook several outs with a straight draw, but two successive blanks fell on the turn and river, which gave Lay the big pot with a lonely pair of Aces. Westbrook collected $13,188 for sixth place.
Arturo Diaz had his stack slowly eaten away as the $2K-4K blinds cost $6K to play per round. Down to about $20K, Diaz made his final stand of the night in the big blind with J-10-6-3. He picked up a flush draw when the flop came A-K-5, with two to his suit, but failed to make a hand in the end. Tony Lay made a Broadway straight (A-K-Q-J-10) and scooped up Diaz's chips like taking candy away from a baby. Diaz, from San Diego, took $16,957 for fifth place.
One of the biggest pots of the night took place when Tony Lay got into a huge confrontation with Robert Willis. With $160K already in the flop before the flop, Lay -- holding K-K-10-9 -- bet his last $35K after the flop came J-10-3. Willis made a very bold call with 5-6-7-8 and failed to connect on a straight. Suddenly, it was Lay who had the chip lead -- with nearly $200K.
Lay's chip lead would last exactly one hand. Two minutes later, Willis reclaimed a portion of his former stack when he made a club flush against Lay. Then, about 20 minutes later, Willis took a decisive chip lead when he eliminated Ben Roberts. Willis and Roberts got into a pre-flop raising war -- Roberts' K-K-7-4 was the clear underdog versus Willis' A-A-Q-2. Roberts managed to make trip Kings on the hand, but lost when the final board showed J-10-5-7-K, giving Willis the straight with his A-Q. Ben Roberts, who finished sixth in the main event at the World Series of Poker in 1998 and is one of the best high-limit cash game players in the world, received $22,609 for fourth place.
Willis enjoyed a 4 to 1 chip lead when play became three-handed. Danny Dang came into Day Two third in chips and that's exactly where he finished in the tournament. Dang, who never acquired enough chips to be a serious threat at the final table, went out when he was "all-in" with A-J-10-9 versus Robert Willis' 10-9-5-3. The flop came K-8-7 with two clubs, giving Willis an outside straight-flush draw. A fifth club fell on the river, which made Willis the flush and put Dang on the rail in third place, good for $37,682.
Willis had a 5 to 1 chip lead when play became heads-up against Tony Lay. The two players battled for 20 minutes and Lay had whittled down his opponent to the point he was down only 2 to 1 in chips. Then, the chip lead reversed on a hand when Lay made trip-5s and Willis missed a monster wrap-around straight draw. Lay won several big pots in a row, and within a half hour span had taken the chip lead by a 2 to 1 margin.
With blinds at $15K, Willis was down to just $50K in chips and was on the verge of elimination. He cheated the hangman by winning a critical hand with a full house versus Lay's club flush, and was back to within striking distance of the chip leader. He then won four pots in a row, and in a stunning reversal of fortune – misfortune for Lay – had his opponent on the ropes when the final hand of the night was dealt:
Willis - K-J-6-2
Lay -- A-K-Q-5
Board – J-8-7-K-2
On the turn, Willis has two pair – Kings and Jacks. But Lay had a huge draw, holding four cards to a royal flush. Unfortunately for Lay, a worthless deuce hit the board on the river and Willis’ two pair scooped the last pot of the evening.
The runner-up was Tony Lay, from Oklahoma City. He received $75,363 for second place. Meanwhile, Robert Willis snapped on his second gold and diamond bracelet at the Jack Binion World Poker Open (he won a bracelet back in 2002). Afterwards, Willis was seen approaching a big cash game. One of the players asked Willis if he won the tournament.
“Of course I won it,” Willis said.
It was as if the outcome was never in doubt.
Final Table Started: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended: 9:10 pm CST
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