| Chris Reslock was driving a cab up until six years ago. Then one day, he parked his taxi in a casino parking garage and started playing poker to earn a living. Reslock decided to take a chance. He made an investment in himself. Reslock vowed that he could always go back to the garage and get the cab, return to the streets, and start making a living by driving again -- if he went broke. Now, after winning nearly $20,000 in the "Showdown at the Sands" Omaha High-Low event, it appears Reslock won't have to worry about hustling for fares for a while. In fact, if anyone is interested in a 1992 Chevrolet Caprice with a dead battery and 230,000 miles on it, please contact Mr. Reslock immediately.
After the first 97 players in a 106-player field were eliminated, the final table began with nine Omaha High-Low masters. Blinds started at $2,000-$3,000 and betting limits were $3,000-$6,000.
Jerry Atkins was the first player to be eliminated. He was scooped and went out in ninth place, good for a $1,325 payoff.
Ten minutes later, Hustler Casino executive, Jim Miller flopped a set of Aces and looked to be in an excellent position to double-up. Unfortunately for Miller, the set of Aces was cracked when Ron Faltinsky made runner-runner straight and scooped the large pot. Miller, who finished second in an event at this year's World Series of Poker, added $1,590 to his poker bankroll.
Michael James Nuzzi came in very low on chips, with only $16K. He made his final stand of the night with 2-3-J-Q, which was topped for both the high and low by chip-leader Chris Reslock's A-7-K-K when the final board showed 4-6-7-6-3. Nuzzi, a Vietnam Vet who lives in nearby Philadelphia, collected $1,855 for seventh place.
Kelly Voci was making her second final table appearance at this year's Sands tournament. Voci, who placed 9th in yesterday's Limit Hold'em event, ended up as the sixth place finisher when she was dealt A-3-4-9 versus Michael Cimino's A-2-5-9. The final board showed 2-2-5-5-J, giving Cimino trip 5s (no low). Voci added $2,385 to her tournament winnings.
An hour elapsed before the next player was eliminated. During that hour, Chris DeBock saw his ship stack dwindle slowly. Many of DeBrock’s hands, which initially looked appealing, were counterfeited and he watched in disappointment as his final hand of the night unfolded. Dealt A-2-3-10, DeBock was down to an inside-straight draw when the flop came K-Q-9. When a 7 and 9 fell on the turn and river respectively, DeBock had missed everything as Chris Reslock's A-2-7-8 was good for a pair of sevens. DeBock, who won an Omaha High-Low event at the Four Queens Poker Classic a few years ago, took home $2,915 for fifth place.
Californian Robert Faltinsky held on all day with a small number of chips. He made his final stand with A-8-10-K, but lost to Michael Cimino's 2-4-5-9 when the board showed A-J-6-8-2. Faltinsky took $3,710 for fourth place.
James Van Alstyne lost two big pots in a row and was the next player to be eliminated. First, he lost a key hand to Chris Reslock, then moments later went out when he was dealt K-K-10-3. Once again, Reslock dealt a stinging blow as his Q-Q-x-x matched a queen on board, giving him three queens versus Van Alstyne's overpair. Van Alstyne had some hope on the turn when the board showed J-10-3-Q, since any Ace or Nine would give him a straight. But a blank fell and put Van Alstyne on the rail with third-place prize money of $4,770.
Reslock took a formidable 9-1 chip lead into heads-up play. The showdown between the final two players pitted an Atlantic City poker dealer against one of the city's most recognizable faces. In fact, Taj Mahal dealer had dealt to Reslock many times, and the two players had faced on in live-action games frequently. Now, it was time for the showdown.
Michael Cimino's attempt to turn the tables on Reslock proved unsuccessful. Although he managed to survive a whopping ten all-ins during his three-hour stay at the final table, Cimino could not overcome the insurmountable chip disadvantage. Cimino put in a raise with his final chips when he was dealt 10-9-5-3 and saw the flop come 9-4-2. Cimino had a low draw along with a pair and a straight draw -- certainly a decent hand in heads-up play. However, Reslock caught two perfect cards when a 10 and Jack fell on the turn and river. Reslock smiled, rolled over A-8-K-Q, and had won the tournament with the nut-high straight.
Cimino must be proud of his play the past two days. Just 24 hours after winning the Limit Hold'em event the previous day, Cimino almost pulled off a parlay that would have made him a back-to-back champion. Still, he collected $9,540 for second place.
This was a day where just about everything went right for Chris Reslock. The local pro came into the finale with the chip lead and was never in serious danger of elimination.
When asked about going back to driving a taxi, Reslock didn't express much enthusiasm. In fact, now six years after leaving the cab locked inside a local parking garage, Reslock now admits that he forgot where exactly he parked the car. Odds are, Reslock might stick with playing poker for at least a while longer.
Final Table Started: 8:45 pm EST
Final Table Ended: 12:05 am EST
|
