'AMAZON' JUST ROLLS ALONG
TO NO-LIMIT HOLD'EM WIN
Like the mighty river from whence he takes his nickname, "Amazon," a 75-year-old retiree from Sao Paulo, Brazil, just kept rolling along to a win in the 12th event of LAPC XIII, $1,000 no-limit hold'em. By the late stages his banks were overflowing with a torrent of chips and he washed away his final two opponents, Nam Le, a cash game player entering only his third tournament, and "Hollywood" Tony Kayden, a movie scriptwriter.
Amazon said he didn't make any mistakes, despite the ordeal of a 14-hour first day that went until nearly 5 a.m. The final table then returned at 3 p.m. for another three hours of competition. He said he prefers no-limit because the adrenaline keeps him going. "I can't sit still to watch a 90-minute movie, but I can sit 14 hours in a no-limit game," he explained.
Amazon, a familiar face at local casinos, has won numerous smaller tournaments, though his biggest cash-in came when he finished second in an Omaha high event at the World Series. Originally from Germany, he has lived in Brazil for 50 years where he once manufactured assembly line parts.
The final table got underway with $500 antes and $2,000-$4,000 blinds. Britain's Peter "The Poet" Costa started with a big chip lead of 172,500, well over twice anyone else's count.
On the third hand, Amazon limped from the cut-off seat with pocket aces. The move worked because Greg Hopkins moved in for 32k from the button with Q-Q. The board came 5-2-2-J-10 and Hopkins was first out. After winning another pot, Amazon had climbed from 68 to about 125k.
Six hands later, Robert Mizrachi, an online player with a win at the Sands, moved in for 18k with A-10. Costa called with A-K. On a board of J-J-2-Q-7, the king kicker prevailed and Mizrachi was kicked out. A short-chipped Luis Velador had all his chips in with Kh-7h on hand 22. Le had him covered, in chips and cards, with A-Q, and won with ace-high.
The seven left now were playing with $2,000-$4,000 blinds and $500 antes. Three hands into the new level, Amazon moved in with pocket 7s. Gioi Luong call for his last $26,000 with K-J and got to stick around when he made a straight. Two hands later, Costa raised to 12k and Moshe Menzur went all in for 42k more. Costa pondered at great length, finally calling with A-J. It was a good call because Menzur had Kd-Qd, the ace-high took it and Menzur finished seventh.
After taking a big pot from Le when his A-K stood up, Amazon moved into the lead ahead of Costa with about 175k. Getting low, Le now recovered by winning two straight pots. The first time, he outran Costa's pocket 10s when his Ac-5c turned into a wheel. The next hand put him back in business when he went against Amazon with K-Q versus A-K and hit a queen on the turn. Meanwhile, Costa, whose many titles include the Hall of Fame, the Aussie Million and a win at the Orleans over a world's record field of 1,116 players, was going in the other direction. He took a crippling hit when he raised 20k with pocket jacks, then called and lost when Amazon came over the top with pocket kings. Costa now was down to 18k.
Three hands later he moved in under the gun with Q-J. Ken Goldstein, younger brother to fellow pro Stan, called with A-Q and caught two more bullets. After Costa departed, the chip count was: Amazon, 211k; Le, 126k; Goldstein, 106.5k; Hollywood, 86.5; and Luong, 69.5k.
Goldstein busted out after blinds went to 5-10k. On a flop of Q-J-9, he moved in for about 85k holding A-10 for an open-ender. It didn't close and Amazon, who called with A-K, put him away when a queen flopped. Amazon was now gushing chips, about 420,000, and berating himself for making an earlier deal. He picked up more checks by check-raising Le and forcing him to fold. When limits went to $3,000-$6,000, he had about 450k to about 105k for Le, while Hollywood was low with around 50k.
But Hollywood, who has written scripts for such films as "Slipstream" and "Out of Bounds," tripled up 10 hands later. First Amazon raised to 40k with Qd-10d. Le moved in with pocket treys and Hollywood called for about 40k with Ac-Kc. A river king gave Hollywood the main pot, and Le the side pot of 24k. It lasted him a few hands until he moved in with pocket jacks. Hollywood called with A-Q and flopped an ace to get heads-up, now with about 230k in chips to Amazon's 375k.
The heads-up match lasted 26 hands, with the finalists alternately raising and taking the pot when the other player folded. But Amazon, with the chip lead, had the advantage and gradually wore his opponent down. On the last hand, Hollywood was down to 22k with Q-8 on a flop of K-J-8. He decided to move in. The amazing Amazon turned up pocket kings. For the screenwriter, that was all she wrote, and the man from Sao Paulo took home the trophy. Max Shapiro
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