A Winning Show for Rusty!
By Max Shapiro
Rusty Bagaygay
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A crowd of spectators watched a great show as Rusty Bagaygay and Allen Cunningham battled heads-up for 100 minutes in the 11th event of Legends of Poker, no limit hold 'em. It had big draw-outs, frequent chip-lead changes and plenty of entertainment as Cunningham, a quiet, well-mannered young pro, played straight man to Bagaygay's manic, over-the-top theatrics. Rusty, anxious to nail down first-place points, repeatedly begged, cajoled, flattered and tried to intimidate Allen into chopping, but Cunningham steadfastly refused. In the end Rusty won it outright and jumped to second in points.
Rusty brought a huge chip lead of $48,700 to the final table. More than once, after drawing out and winning a pot, he'd go into a wild touchdown dance worthy of any NFL hot-dogger. Jack Gevshenian, a real estate salesman, lasted two hands. He raised $2,000 with A-Q. Danny Lewis, moved him in and won with K-K.
As action proceeded, Rusty complained that he'd stayed out of too many pots because the points consideration messed up his game and made him temper his usual super-aggressive style. "Don't think we don't appreciate it," Lewis answered.
Tran, in the big blind with only about $4,000 left, bet it all when he flopped a four to his 4-3. Lewis, in the small blind with 8-6, called with a paired eight and J.J went bye-bye. Gary Solomons, a software consultant from London, then got lucky after he re-raised all in against pro player Steve Pestal. Pestal flopped aces and eights, but two running jacks gave Solomons aces and jacks with a higher kicker.
Lewis, a businessman as well as top player, got low on chips by betting $6,000 into a flop of A-5-10. Toto Leonidas raised all in and Lewis, putting him on A-10, folded. Two hands later, Lewis tried to steal a pot by raising all in for his last $6,000 with a nine-high. He flopped a nine, but Cunningham paired an ace on the turn to bust him.
Four hands later, Rusty raised to $6,000. Skyhawk moved in for $15,000. Rusty was about to call but then backed off and saved mucho chips when Cunningham moved in, too. Allen had aces to Flaton's A-8, and caught another on the turn to shoot down Skyhawk with three bullets. Solomons cashed out in fifth place after he moved in for $10,500 with 10-8 suited. Cunningham called with A-Q and again made three aces. Rusty then lost $16,000 but had plenty left after Pestal, with A-J, caught a jack on the river to outrun his A-K. Tired of being cautious, Bagaygay then said "I go all in" six times in a row with no call. "Where did you learn that phrase?" Leonidas asked. "I want to use it." Leonidas used it the next hand but got re-raised by Pestal. "Every time I bluff you, you re-bluff me," he complained.
With blinds at $2,000-$4,000, Rusty raised $10,000 with 10-9, and called when Toto re-raised all in for $10,000 more with king-high. Rusty hit a straight, leaving three. He then relieved Pestal of $38,000 when his pocket eights held up against A-8 suited. On the next hand, Rusty button raised $11,000 with K-8. Pestal, in the big blind, called all in with 10-5. He flopped a 10 but Rusty blew him away with two running kings.
Heads-up, a hand soon came up that was pure theater. Cunningham bet into a board of 6-Q-Q-4, and Rusty came back for $15,000 more. Cunningham studied his opponent at length. "Why look at me, I have no tells," said Rusty, who then ran and hid behind the results board. When Cunningham continued to ponder, Rusty called for a clock, and then Cunningham moved in. Rusty called. Allen showed him a third queen and picked up $35,000. What an act! But Rusty gets his money back later when his A-4 beat Allen's K-10.
The jousting and verbal antics continue for many more hands. It looked bleak for Rusty after he moved in with aces and lost $45,700 when Cunningham, with pocket threes, caught a third one on the turn. But after that it's all Rusty's game. When Rusty moves in, Allen turns up Q-10 and says, "Time to think." "No time," says Denny Williams, killing his hand for Allen's unwitting rule infraction. Then Rusty wins $52,000 when his 6-6 beats Allen's A-4. In the final act, it's Allen all in for $41,000 with K-5 of spades. Rusty has A-Q, catches two more ladies and does a final victory dance to end a very long night.
Biography - Rusty Bagaygay
Rusty Bagaygay, 43, came here from the Philippines 20 years ago and now lives in Diamond Bar, California. A "part-time pro," he has a clutch of titles, including limit and no limit hold 'em wins in other Legends tournaments, victories at Commerce Casino's L.A. Poker Classic, and a lot of World Series cash-outs. Despite winning, he felt hampered because he wanted to move up in the points standing, and had to be careful. "But that's not my style," he emphasizes.
Rusty said one of the things he did well tonight was giving out phony tells to fool opponents. But he acknowledged that his success came from getting "monster" hands. Before the first break he had $7,000. A key hand came before the second break when he busted Beverley Kruskol and another player at the same time by flopping a set of nines.
He was willing to make a deal with Cunningham, he added, because he very much respects his play.
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