|
Billy Duarte Earns Impressive Win in
Pot-Limit Holdem Event at 2004 JBWPO
Billy Duarte won $76,062 and first place in the $1,000 buy-in Pot-Limit Texas Holdem event. The win marked a personal milestone for Duarte, who has made several previous final tables at the Jack Binion World Poker Open during its five-year history. But up until tonight, the coveted gold and diamond bracelet had eluded the 65-year-old retiree from Colorado. That all changed when Duarte played a nearly perfect tournament and won the final hand in dramatic fashion, besting the runner up – George Abdallah.
Duarte began Day Two with a sizable chip lead -- $80K to his closest rival, Ali Sarkeshik who had $51K. All others had $29K or less.
The shortest stack was Ray Henson, from Houston, who had $12K. Henson found a good hand to go "all-in" with -- A-K. Buddy Williams called from the big blind with K-Q. Both players flopped top pair when the board showed K-9-6, but Williams managed to catch two running hearts to win with a heart flush. It was a bad beat for Henson, who has cashed at a number of major poker tournaments in the past. He received 3,289 for ninth place.
John Phan took a big hit when he lost most of his stack with A-J against Roger Guerrette's 6-6, when the final board showed J-6-3-5-2. Down to just $3K, Phan had to move in with 10-3 in the blind against Nicky DiLeo's K-Q of diamonds. The final board showed A-Q-7-2-10 with three diamonds, giving DiLeo a flush. Phan, who has already won two titles at this year's JBWPO, could not pull off the tournament trifecta. He collected $4,112 for eighth place.
Nick DiLeo won the Limit Holdem event here in 2002. He was shooting for his second gold and diamond bracelet, but came up short. He took a bad beat when his 4-4 looked to be the best hand on the flop, which came K-7-2. Scott O'Bryan held A-Q, and watched with delight as the final two cards were 10-J, good for the runner-runner straight. DiLeo, from New York City, stormed off with $5,139 for seventh place.
Yet another horrible beat took place a few hands later when Buddy Williams was dealt K-K and faced Scott O'Bryan's A-K. O'Bryan's frown turned into a big smile when the flop came A-Q-4, essentially leaving Williams with just one out (the case King). Two blanks fell giving O'Bryan the big pot. Buddy Williams, from Oklahoma, who made the final table in the championship event last year, picked up $7,195 for sixth place.
One of the most interesting hands of the final table occurred when Billy Duarte and Scott O'Bryan went heads-up. After a flop of 9-9-7, Duarte checked and O'Bryan bet $8K. Duarte then raised $8K more, and placed $16K into the pot. O'Bryan didn't hesitate and moved "all-in" with a $20K re-raise. Duarte was convinced he was beat and folded. Although the hands wee not shown, the pot rocketed O'Bryan into the chip lead for the first time.
Roger Guerrette was low on chips and moved "all-in" with K-J versus Scotty O'Bryan's A-J. Neither player made a pair, which meant the Ace-high played and Guerrette was out. Guerrette, from Houston, received $9,251 for fifth place.
Ali Sarkeshik, a high-limit player from London, went out next when his 8-8 was routed by Billy Duarte's A-A. When the flop came A-J-Q, Ali was nearly drawing dead. The board paired on the turn, giving Duarte a full house and a $60K pot. Ali was not “the greatest” on this day, but still managed a $12,335 payoff for fourth place.
With Ali's elimination, Duarte regained the chip lead. A few minutes later, George Abdallah ripped a sizable chunk out of Scott O'Bryan's stack when he hit a fifth diamond on the river, completing a flush. That key pot put Abdallah up close to Duarte in chips and left O'Bryan down by about 2 to 1.
O'Bryan went out a short time later when he flopped top pair with K-10. Billy Duarte had J-9 when the flop came 10-8-3, for the open-ended straight. When an 7 fell on the turn, that ended O'Bryan's stay in the finale. Scotty O'Bryan, who won the Jack Binion World Poker Open championship event in 2000, finished in third place and collected $19,529.
Down to two players, Duarte had a slight chip lead. Duarte won a few small pots before dropping an atomic bomb on Abdallah on the final hand of the tournament.
Duarte -- A-A
Abdallah – 9-9
Board – A-10-8-A-4
Abdallah raised before the flop. Duarte re-raised, and Abdallah moved “all-in.” Duarte couldn’t get his chips into the pot fast enough and flipped over the pocket rockets. Abdallah needed a Nine desperately, but watched in horror as the flop came with an Ace, giving Duarte trip-Aces. To add insult to injury, Duarte caught a fourth Ace on the turn, which blew Abdallah off the final table as the runner up.
George Abdallah, from Houston, is in the restaurant business. Although disappointed he did not win, he still earned $39,059 for second place. Meanwhile, Billy Duarte stacked up chips from the final pot of the night and collected $76,062, plus a seat in the $10,000 championship event.
FINAL TABLE STARTED AT: 4:00 pm CST
FINAL TABLE ENDED AT: 9:05pm CST
For further information, including any media inquiries, please contact Nolan
Dalla -- Media Director for the World Poker Open. He can be reached directly at: (703) 786-6038.
His e-mail address is: nolandalla@aol.com
| 
