Alex Predicts It and Wins It!
By Max Shapiro
Alex Papachatzakis
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Before the start of the eighth event of Legends of Poker, Chris Grigorian suggested a small "save" with Alex Papachatzakis. "Why bother?" Alex replied. "I have a feeling I'm going to get heads-up with you." That's exactly what happened (mathematical probability: 13,000-1). They ended up one-two, with Alex holding a roughly 3-1 chip lead. The tournament ended right there as the two very good friends, Alex, a semi-pro originally from Greece, and Chris, a player from Armenia, quickly agreed on a deal.
At the third table, "Super Mario" Esquerra had the chip lead, or close to it, when he got cut down playing seven or eight hands in a row, finally losing it all when Papachatzakis busted him and Tony Ma in the same hand with a full house. Just missing the final table was Sergey Khromov. Starting with 5-6-A, he missed his low as Walter Baronick made jacks and threes.
After two hands were played, the limits at the final table were increased to $3,000-$6,000, with $300 antes and a $500 low-card bring-in. Right off the bat, Alex demonstrated an almost supernatural ability to know what players had as he called down Baronick's bets despite a scary board of A-2-4-3. Alex had two of the Arizona pro's wheel-card fives, and that's all he needed to split with Baronick, who made a 6-4 low.
First out at the final table was Gary Lent, who started with the fewest chips. He went all in on fifth street and couldn't improve his pair of eights, no match of Baronick's kings-up. A little later, full-time player Ken Davis, with a low-card deuce, bet out for the full $3,000 , leaving him with only $100. He didn't get much action, perhaps because he tipped his strength, and then showed an A-2-3-4 when Hustler Casino floorman Julio Anicete declined to call his fourth-street bet, even for one chip. Then Grigorian, starting with 3-5-6, ended up scooping Baronick with a lowly pair of threes. "It's a confusing game," Chris commented.
Papachatzakis reached his low point in chips, about $4,000 when Baronick, showing a 4-J-5-4 and three clubs, bet the river. Alex studied the hand, which could be anything from a wheel to a flush to a full house, for a good two minutes before finally folding. But he quickly recouped when Davis got tied to a hand with three baby cards and a pair of jacks and put his last chips in. He failed to make anything more and Alex's five and deuces sent him packing.
Grigorian and Baronick made an interesting study in contrasts when they got involved together in a hand. Grigorian is intense and explosive while the Arizona man is easy-going with a quick sense of humor. Dealt A-3-4-7-5, Chris rubbed his down river card, calling, "deuce." Every time he did, Walt put a hex on him by saying "boo." "Don't say 'boo,'" an annoyed Grigorian finally asked. He missed his straight and they split.
Margo Schmidt, an occasional player, started off with a promising 3-4-6 and put in her last chips going for a low straight. She failed to make any low when another card came on the river, and was run over by Baronick's kings-full. Then, Walt and Chris tangle again. Chris, with three sixes in the hole, flings in his last $5,600 and thinks he has a scoop. He can't believe it when Baronick turns over an emergency low and "How many times are you going to look at it?" Baronick taunts him.
Anicete next put in his last chips on sixth street with 7-8-K-2 showing. He made an 8-7, but Alex, with 6-5, not only had a much better low, but his ace also took high, and Anicete took fifth place. Grigorian went all in again, against Bronick, with aces up on sixth street. But they split when each caught a bullet on the river to give Grigorian a full house and Baronick a low. "You make me sweat," Grigorian complained. "Turn on your fan," Baronick replied.
John Juanda, a familiar face at final tables, settled for fourth place when he started with queens, then chased a flush when he caught four spades, but failed and fell victim to alex's jacks and sixes.
With limits raised to $5,000-$10,0000, Baronick got in a hand with Papachatzakis and kept calling as Alex kept catching low cards and betting. Finally, Baronick went all-in with two pair. But Alex, with a six-low, also turned over aces-up to eliminate the last person standing between him and the realization of his eerie heads-up prediction.
Biography - Alex Papachatzakis
Alex Papachatzakis, 40, arrived here from Greece 15 years ago. He owns a restaurant, but has stepped up his tournament activity lately as his cash-outs keep piling up. He made 15 final tables so far this year, including a second in the Orleans $1,000 no-limit event. Two years ago he won All-Around in the Winnin' o' the Green tournament. Last year he got an honorable mention in the hi-lo category in the player annual rankings compiled by Card Player's Nolan Dalla.
His breakthrough in this event came at the third table when he went all-in for $1,500 and made a scoop wheel with three-way action and then, on the next hand, made fives-full to break Esquerra and Ma. Hi-lo is his best game, and his strong point is his ability to read players. "I'm right about 99 percent of the time in figuring out what players have. The old saying is true: your first instinct is usually the right one."
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