Poker Tournament Results

Legends Of Poker WPT Season 2

John Cernuto

Tournament Report

Miami John Loves H.O.E. Playing his three favorite games, with World Series bracelets in each, “Miami John” Cernuto had a fairly easy win in the 17th event of Legends 2003, $500 H.O.E. The veteran pro came to the final table with the chip lead, gave it up a couple of times, but was never far behind. When he got heads up with Chad Brown, an actor, Cernuto had a nearly 3-1 lead and quickly powered his way to victory. H.O.E. consists of rounds of hold’em, Omaha hi-lo and 7-card stud hi-lo. First game at the final table was hold’em, $1,000-$2,000 limits, 21:30 remaining. Tony Nguyen started with only $1,100. One away from the big blind, he decided to go with 10d-5d. He didn’t stand much chance against Miami John’s K-10 and was first out on hand six. The next game was Omaha hi-lo, with $1,500-$3,000 limits. Four players would depart during this round. Paul Davis was first in line. With the board showing K-5-2-2, he bet his last $800 holding Q-Q-J-8. The queens weren’t good enough because Jim Tarr, an environmental engineer, paired a king with A-K-J-10. Next to go was John Hoang, who had all his chips in with K-K-10-2. Luis Velador had pocket aces and caught a third bullet on fourth street. Then, on hand 25, Brown had pocket kings. Missing his low, the best that David Ho could find was pocket eights, and now four were left. (Ho’s departure was a disappointment because it spoiled a potentially great headline: “Ho Wins H.O.E.”) The fourth victim of Omaha, in three-way action, was Velador. He called all in from the big blind with A-5-7-9 after Brown raised pre-flop. Then, with the board showing A-J-4-6, Tarr, holding 2-3-5-6, had a total free-roll with all kinds of scoop possibilities. A deuce would give him a wheel. A trey or a five would give him a wheel and six-high straight. And a seven would give him a seven-high straight along with a nut low. Take your pick. A deuce came, and Velador cashed out fourth. A rough count now showed Cernuto in the lead with about 65k, followed by Brown with about 35k and Tarr, 15k. After a few hands, the game reverted to 7-card stud hi-lo, with $300 antes, a $500 low-card bring-in, $1,000-$2,000 blinds and limits of 2-4k. Tarr soon went all in for the third time at the final table with split fours. Miami John was ready to move in for the kill, but Tarr got away by hitting a third four on fifth street. One more time Tarr survived an all-in encounter, this time with jacks-up. By hand 50 the contest had tightened. Brown had moved into the lead with about 50k while Cernuto had dipped to around 35k and Tarr had clawed his way up to nearly 30k. Six hands later Miami John took back the lead. “I’ll pay you off,” Brown said reluctantly when Cernuto bet with 7-7-4-A showing, then scooped with two pair and an eight low. When the game changed to hold’em, 3-6k limits, Cernuto still led with about 45k, then fell behind Brown, then took it over again. On hand 70, Cernuto started with K-J, then made a nut straight on the turn to leave Tarr with just one chip. Tarr posted it the next hand in his big blind with nothing but 7-2. Brown, with K-J, made a flush when four spades turned up. Cernuto now had 85k to Brown’s 30k. After losing or surrendering several hands in a row, Brown was down to $5,500 and put it all in with J-9 suited. “You got me crushed,” he said when his opponent turned up A-J. The board came J-3-3-K-K, and the ace kicker gave the pot and the title to Miami John. – Max Shapiro BIOGRAPHY: Miami John Cernuto said he needed this win because he had a very disappointing World Series where he only had a single cash-out. Tonight’s win also comes on the heels of his victory in June at the World’s Heads-up Championship, where he was sent by Paradise Poker as part of their “Team of Champions.” Cernuto loves H.O.E. because it consists of his three favorite games. He also has WSOP bracelets in no-limit hold’em, 7-stud eight or better and Omaha high. The no-limit victory was his biggest to date, paying $250,000. Cernuto, a former air traffic controller, has been playing poker professionally for 18 years. Tomorrow he’ll be joined here by his son Tony, who has his own share of final table cash-outs. In tonight’s event, Cernuto said he had a couple of major setbacks earlier, but quickly recovered and moved steadily upward from there. He also praised the Bicycle Casino for fine-tuning the structure to give more play to the participants.