Maloof Swings Omaha Win
After numerous swings and chip lead changes at the final table, CPA and dedicated poker player Andre Maloof had a tiny lead and was declared the winner when the ninth event of Big Poker Oktober ended in a four-way chop. One of the other three players tried a “deal bluff,” refusing to go along unless he got a couple of hundred more. When his opponents called his bluff by taking their seats to resume play, he said OK.
The final table started assembled after Omaha poker host Marc Gilutin finished 11th. Limits started at $1,000-$2,000 and in two minutes went to $1,500-$3,000. Three players were short chipped: retiree Pat Waters with $7,500; realtor George Shahrezay with $6,500; and Jan “Kody” Stein with $5,000. In five hands they were all gone.
On the second hand, Waters bet all in on the flop and had three callers. At the end the board showed 10-8-4-J-A. Film producer Susie Genaro had an A-2-2-3 nut low and Maloof, with a set of jacks, took the high end. “What happens now?” asked Waters, turning up A-5-6-Q. “You go home,” the players told him. His payout was $265.
Two hands later, Denfield Eudelle raised with A-2-4-J, and Shahrezay three-bet all in with A-3-7-8. No low came, but Eudelle made a full house on a board of 9-4-4-Q-A. Ninth place paid $310. Two hands later, Stein called a raise for his last $3,000 with K-K-10-9. Hugo Mejia’s pocket aces held up for high while Tom Hong took the low end. Eighth place was worth $365.
On hand 12, Ricardo Abraham bet all in holding K-J-4-5 when a board of Q-7-6-3 gave him a small straight. Genaro, who started the final table as chip leader called and was left with one chip when her 10-7-9-9 went nowhere. Four hands later she was all in with A-Q-8-7 double-suited. She went broke when Hugo Mejia, holding A-A-5-5, made a set of aces and a better low with a live five. Genaro cashed out for $465.
Maloof, meanwhile was down to one chip when he made a river bet holding a full house. He wasn’t called, and now had about 33 chips. Three hands later he continued his swings when his straight lost to Hong’s river flush and he dipped down to 12k. Two hands later, Ricardo Abraham also showed Maloof a straight, and now Andre was down to $4,000. But three hands later a straight, this time king-high, rescued him when he scooped in four-way action after going all in. Abraham, meanwhile, was having his own see-saw run. On hand 31 he was all in, scooped with a nut low and two aces, won two quick hands after that, and took the lead with $46,000.
A few hands after limits went to $3,000-$6,000, there was five-way action. Shaughn Nichols, a substitute teacher, was in the big blind and posted his last $2,000 holding Q-Q-J-2. A flop of Q-8-3 gave him a set. Hong had A-2-4-5 and numerous outs for low. He went all in when a nine turned, then busted out when a river eight gave Nichols a full house for the main pot while Mejia took the side pot with a straight. Hong got $595 for finishing sixth.
As play continued, the lead changed more times, and several players went all in and got away. Finally, on hand 50, Nichols put up his last $2,000 in the small blind with A-Q-10-6. The board of J-J-9-9-6 was checked down. Maloof and Abraham both had a nine, but Abraham had the better kicker. It made no differnce to Nichols, who finished fifth and took home $795. A chip count showed Maloof in the lead with $46,000. Abraham had $43,000, Mejia had $34,000 and Eudelle had $21,000 and the deal was made. –Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
Andre Maloof is a Certfied Public Accountant originally from Lebanon who now lives in Burbank. He’s been playing poker since 1995 and estimates that he’s won about 300 tournaments of all types. Narrowing it down to major events, he’s still picked up about 50 wins. His biggest cash-out was $48,000 for winning an LAPC event at Commerce Casino last year. His favorite game is no-limit, followed by Omaha hi-lo. His style of play, he said, depends on the game. In Omaha, he takes a more conservative approach, while in no-limit he tends to be very aggressive.
Tonight, he said, he was in pretty good shape throughout the tournament and never went all in until the final table, and just once then. He was still a bit dizzy from his up and down swings: “Up to $26,000, then down to $8,000, then up to $40,000, then back to $4,000 and finally back to $46,000.”
CHIP POSITION FINAL TABLE
Jan Stein
$5,000
Susie Genaro
$28,500
Denfield Eudelle
$11,500
Ricardo Abraham
$15,500
Pat Waters
$7,500
Shaughn Nichols
$23,000
Andre Maloof
$14,500
Hugo Mejia
$11,000
George Shahrezay
$6,500
Tom Hong
$19,000
Chips raced and/or blinded off: +$100
ALL AROUND PLAY-OFF POINTS
Name Total
1. Van Mahesh 79
2. Eric Hamilton 78
3. Manalito Navarro 61
4. Viet Tran 61
5. James Mena 61
6 Angel Juarez 61
7. Michael Wong 61
8. Larry Jensen 60
9. Binh Do 59
10. Patrick Schulze 59
11.Jorge Legaspi 59
12.Andre Maloof 57
13.Chris Straghalis 53
14 Jin Son Gu 53
15.Gioi Luong 53
16.Gary Vick 53
17.Steven Goldman 53
18.George Shahrezay 53
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