| The Armenian Express Speeds On
With Second Grand Slam Victory
Chris "The Armenian Express" Grigorian continued his victory run at the Hustler Casino with his second Grand Slam win as he took down event number five, limit hold'em. His win in event number one was also for limit hold'em. And he had a first, a second and a third in the Hustler's Challenge Cup tournament earlier in the year.
Victory did not come easy for Grigorian. He was up and down "like a yo-yo" all night, he said. The final table, which didn't end until 5:30 a.m., was especially tough because players repeatedly would be all in, often with the worst hand, without being knocked out.
The tournament ended with a three-way deal with Chris as chip leader with $71,200. Robert "Chip-Burner" Turner had $51,000 and Ernie Sebastian finished third with $23,400 in chips.
Only nine made it to the final table as two players were knocked out at the same time at the second table. Ray Ghafour raised holding A-9. Sebastian called from the small blind with Kc-Qc and Fred Khazhakyan called from the big blind with 9c-7c. The flop was A-10-9 with one club. A Jc turned to give Sebastian a nut straight and a draw to a royal flush. A 7s on the river changed nothing, and Ray and Fred, both all in, were both all out.
Blinds at the final table started at $500-$1,000, with 1k-2k limits. The old chip-burner immediately began burning his opponents' chips as he won seven out of the first 12 hands, jumping from 23 to nearly 50k, and knocking out a player. Eric Lassen had arrived with only $3,200 and by hand seven was down to $700. One off the button, he committed his last chips with As-5s. There was four-way action, and Turner, with 10d-6d, won with two pair when a six flopped and a 10 turned.
Grigorian, who arrived with a below-average $9,400, was all in for $3,400 on hand 16 after limits went to 3-6k, winning when he paired a 10 to his A-10. A few hands later he raised with pocket kings. John Chang called all in with Q-J, and Sebastian also called with the same hand. With a board of J-8-2-10, Grigorian bet, all in again, then had to yell "Stop!" as the dealer started to burn and turn without waiting for the players to turn up their cards. The river was a six, and Chang was out. "She might have dealt a nine (giving both his opponents a straight) if I didn't stop her," Chris explained. Grigorian, now with about $26,000, turned aggressive and began steadily adding to his stacks.
Jeff Jerome, who had been nursing his last $600, finally committed it with A-10, the first of five times he would go all in and survive. "I don't like it," he said when Turner raised. But he ended up chopping with Sebastian when both had A-10 and an ace flopped. Meanwhile, Victor Dadon, who had started as chip leader, went all in for the first of four times himself, escaping when his A-Q held up against Grigorian's A-10.
Grigorian's little rush was halted when he ran into Emil Calitis' full house and was left with 8k. Then, with limits at 2-4k, he capped the betting and went all in against Turner with A-10, only to see Robert turn up 10-10. A river ace saved him as he wiped his brow. "I will not make another mistake tonight," he vowed.
Many more hands and all-in escapes went by. The fifth time Jerome was all in, he committed his last couple of chips in the small blind without even looking. He had Kc-5c against Sebastian's A-9, but won again with a flush.
When Jerome finally succumbed, he uncharacteristically had the best hand. Playing at 3-6k limits, he was dealt K-K on hand 65. Turner was far behind with Qs-Js, but flopped two pair. Finally the field began to thin as Yoon Ueo, in the big blind with 9h-5h, fell to Sebastian's pocket sixes three hands later. Eight hands lafter that it was Dadon's turn. He button-raised with A-7. With a flop of 10-8-5, Grigorian bet his pocket jacks, Dadon added another $1,000, then exited in fifth place when a river jack gave Chris a set.
At this point, Grigorian and Turner were virtually dead even with about $52,000 each, while Sebastian and Calitis were tied with about 20k each. A deal was discussed but not consummated. Then, two hands later, Sebastian went all in, pitting his A-K against Grigorian's pocket eights. An eight on fourth street gave Grigorian a set, and he jumped into a lead of about 20k over Turner.
Two more hands went by, and the three at last agreed to a deal that ended the tournament. With two wins in five events, "The Armenian Express," who also became the all-around points leader, was at full throttle.
Max Shapiro
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