| ‘Fat Boy’ Gets Fatter with $19,555
Payout in First Tournament Victory
Just call him “Fat Boy.” He’s only been playing poker professionally for a year, he’s a bit publicity shy, and that’s the moniker he wants to go by. Whatever you call him (and “Fat Boy” is somewhat of a descriptive exaggeration), he finished first in the 11th event of Hustler Casino’s Grand Slam of Poker Tournament III, $300 limit hold’em. It ended in a four-way chop, Fat Boy had a substantial lead and his official payout was $19,555.
He came to the final table with a very slight chip lead ($27,000 to $26,500 for Eddie Yade) after taking down a very big pot and knocking out two players at the second table. In that key hand he had J-9, Randy Holland had K-J, and a third player had pocket 4s.
A flop of Q-10-4 gave open-end straight draws to both Fat Boy and Holland, and a set to player number three. A king turned, giving Holland top pair and Fat Boy his straight. His two opponents went all in and Fat Boy, who had earlier been all in himself at the table, busted both of them.
Fat Boy, only in his fourth or fifth tournament, plays mainly side games, limit hold’em between $8-$16 and $20-$40, and $600 buy-in no-limit.
The final table started with blinds of $1,000-$1,500 and limits of $1,500-$3,000, 32:29 remaining. Though it started with 10 players, the official payout included only nine. Technically on the bubble, though he was voted a share, was Freddy Legaspi, who started second-lowest chipped with $9,000. On hand six he was all in on fourth street with Ac-5c, drawing to both a straight and flush. He called for a four of clubs, but got an offsuit six, missing and losing to Eric Nakahara’s A-10.
The most dramatic hand at the final table came down four hands later. Fitoussi Stephane raised with pocket kings, Ron Miller re-raised from the button with pocket 10s and Nakahara called the bets under the gun with A-Q. A flop of Q-Q-2 gave Nakahara trips. He slow-played and let Miller bet it, then bet out when a 9 turned. Then a river king gave Stephane top set. He check-raised when Nakahara bet his three queens, and Miller, all in, finished ninth.
John Bessent, a retired realtor who decided to become a poker player in 1990, and with a couple of tournament wins at Commerce, finished eighth. He had pocket kings and, not giving Fat Boy credit for an ace when one flopped, re-raised after Fat Boy bet out on the flop, and then kept betting until he was all in. Fat Boy showed A-8 and we were down to seven players.
Right after blinds went to $1,000-$2,000 with limits of $2,000-$4,000, Gioi Luong, making his third final table in Grand Slam III, went out on a very bad beat. On a flop of A-8-6, he was all in with A-J against Fat Boy’s J-9 and was close to a 95 percent favorite. A 10 turned, and then a 7 on the river gave Fat Boy an unlikely straight, and Luong finished seventh.
As play continued, Fat Boy added to his lead when he started with Ah-Kh against Stephane, and made a flush on fourth street.
Up until hand 32, Jae Cha had only been able to play a single hand. That time, he had raised under the gun with A-Q and got no action. Still, despite being blinded off with no play, he had managed to outlast four other players. Now it was his turn. He was very short-chipped in the big blind holding a reasonable A-J, and called Eddie Yade’s raise. A flop of Q-10-5 gave him a straight draw with an overcard and he called all in when Yade bet. A fourth street ace gave him the card he had wanted. Unfortunately, Yade, with a K-J, had hit his open-ender for a Broadway straight, and a frustrated Cha had to settle for sixth place.
A couple of hands later, Nakahara got back some of the chips he lost when Stephane made three kings to beat his three queens. He was in the small blind with J-5 of clubs and made a flush.
The tournament ended with still another very bad beat. Sheldon Hayashi had pocket aces and was nearly a 93 percent favorite against Yade, who had A-8. A flop of 8-8-7 gave Yade trips. Suddenly the tables were completely turned as Yade became the favorite by better than 95 percent. Hayashi was dead to the case ace. A trey turned and a jack came on the river. Hayashi bet and Yade put him in for his last $1,000.
There were now four players left, and, as has been routinely happening throughout this tournament series, a chip-count deal was suggested. Fat Boy led with $71,000; Fitoussi was second with $47.000; Yade was third with $41,000; and Nakahara was in fourth place with $36,500.
After the usual negotiations, a deal was struck, and the players cashed out as per their chip totals.
Fat Boy now had enough money to keep him in hamburgers for a long time to come. —Max Shapiro
|
