| Viejas Dealer Jeff Chui Wins First
Tournament Ever in His Sixth Try
Playing only about his sixth tournament, Viejas poker dealer Jeff Chui scored his first win ever in the eighth event of Hustler Casino's Grand Slam of Poker, no-limit hold'em. Chui, who's been dealing for five years, got off to a tremendous start, personally disposing of three of the first four players. By the time he knocked out Amir Vahedi in fifth place, he had about 60 percent of the chips. Makram Merhom managed to overtake him at one point, but at the end, with Chui in the lead again, they agreed to a chop and played one hand for the trophy, which Chui won.
With the event lasting as long as last night's marathon, the three finalists agreed to speedier 20-minute rounds.
The final table started with antes of $200, playing with $600 and $1,200 blinds, nine minutes remaining. On the first deal, five players limped. The flop was 8c-6d-5d. Holding Ad-7d, with draws to a nut flush and an open-end straight, Nick Kurzon moved in for $5,800. Richard Tatalovich called. Then Chui, who had made eights and sixes, check-raised all in. After a hesitation long enough to bring on the clock, Tatalovich gave it up. Two jacks came, and Kurzon was first out.
On hand four, with $300 antes and 1-2k blinds, James Szymanski raised to 10k with queens and Chui made a speculative call with 4-h-3h. It paid off when he flopped a flush and Szymanski moved in with his queens. Szymanski still had a chance because one was a heart, but two offsuit kings came and he finished ninth. Four hands later, Tatalovich, who manufactures nutritional supplements, moved in for $13,700 with K-Q. Makram Merhom, an Egyptian-born full-time player, saw the bet with 5-5. A flop of 10-8-4-3-7 left one more seat open.
Soon after, David Cai tried to pull a steal by pushing in all his 15k with J-5. His timing was not good because Chui was waiting for him in the big blind with pocket aces. Cai flopped a five, but that's as far as he got, and he cashed out seventh. After winning the next hand, Chui had gone from $21,800 to about $85,000 in 17 deals.
Amir Vahedi, who made the final table at this year's WSOP, made it 30k to go from the big blind a few hands later. Taylor Randall, who had limped with Kd-Qd, called for his 17k. Rags came and Amir's ace-high was enough to put Randall out in sixth place.
With $1,500-$3,000 blinds and $500 antes, Chui had moved up to about 95k.
He then proceeded to relieve Vahedi of $70,800 in the pot of the night. Pre-flop, Vahedi opened from the button for 8k with J-J. As he did in the first hand, Chui gambled and called from the big blind with 6-5, making two pair when the flop came 8-6-5. Vahedi bet 15k, Chai moved in and Vahedi called. A six turned to fill Chui, and Vahedi departed in fifth place.
Merhom had a close call on hand 47. He was in the small blind with Q-7. With a board of Q-8-4-9, Merhom cautiously just called Chui's 10k bet. A river seven gave him two pair, but he just checked and called Chui's $9,500 bet, putting him on a possible straight. Instead, Chui had flopped a set of eights. "I should have gone busted," Merhom said, and it indeed was a hand where most other players would have done so.
Attorney Tod Dubow finished fourth. With blinds of 2-4k and $500 antes, he opened for 12k with A-10, called all in for about 14k more when Merhom came over the top with 7-7 and didn't hit his hand.
Now there were some big chip swings. First Martin Corpuz took $41,000 from Merhom when his A-Q beat Q-J. Then Merhom got a little more than that back from Chui when he re-raised all in with A-6 and outdrew Chui's A-Q by flopping a six. At this point, Chui had about 120k while Merhom and Corpuz had roughly 90k each. They agreed to chop most of the prize money and play for the rest. After a dozen hands had dragged on, they decided to cut the rounds to 20 minutes. With $1,000 antes and 3-6 blinds,there were numerous all-in/no-call bets. Finally, when Merhom opened for 15k with K-J, Corpuz came over the top all in for $71,900. Meerhom proceeded to make two pair. Corpuz started to leave, but was called back when a chip count showed he had $2,100 left. He won the next hand ("You're going to torture me," he said), but went broke the hand after that with 7-6 to Merhom's K-6.
Merhom now had a tiny lead over Chui. They played three hands, with blinds at 4-8k, and Chui retook the lead. They then agreed to an even chop with one hand for the trophy. Chui was dealt A-2 and Merhom 5-2. Merhom flopped a five but Chui rivered an ace, giving him his first tournament trophy. --Max Shapiro
|
