| CHRISTOPHER LOVELAND PREVAILS!Captures Limit Hold’em Crown
Christopher Loveland of Somerville, MA, was able to overcome 153 opponents
in the $1000 Limit Hold’em event and take home the first place prize of
$51,310. The prize pool for this event this year totaled $159,000. So far, through
eight events, there have been 4881event participants and the total prize pool is
$2,024,900. The Best Overall Player Award for the World Poker Finals 2004 is
taking shape after eight events. Larry St Jean, Jason Wood and Robert Ferdinand
are leading the pack. It looks like it will be a fight to the finish for the Rolex watch
and hotel accommodations for WPF 2005.
The final table in $1000 Limit Hold’em got underway just before midnight
with nine players. There would have been 10 players at the table but Paul
Dubois, Auburn, ME, and Henry Porcaro, Warwick, NY, numbers 10 and 11, were
knocked out simultaneously. The players at the table were remarkably close in chip count. The first to
leave the table, albeit reluctantly, was Mitchell Pruett, Whitesburg, GA, who had KQ versus an AJ for
Men “The Master” Nguyen. With no help on the board, Pruett collected 9th place money. Men, who
won the Seniors event, had John Lahoud all in but John survived with AK. Branko Benci, West Babylon,
NY, faced off against Lahoud and lost with A3 to John’s AJ for 8th place. Lahoud was forced all in
by Chris Loveland, who had two pair, and John finished in 7th. Anthony Gifoli took home 6th place
when he lost in three way action to Men who hit a straight on the turn. David Mindich, Englewood, NJ,
was Men the Master‘s next victim. David went all in with K8 but, unfortunately for him, Men had AK
and David was relegated to 5th. J C Tran went all in and thought he had Men where he wanted him with
AQ to A10. However, a 10 on the river left J C with 4th place money.
The three players left, Loveland, Men and Kenny Chanthamala, East Lyme, CT, waged a spirited
contest. Chris won a huge hand versus Men with 10’s which gave him the chip lead. Kenny survived
three all ins and built up a small stack. He then stood aside as Chris and Men faced off. Men was
all in five times before finally succumbing to Chris, who had 108 to his A3, when the board showed
QA5JK giving Chris a straight. Kenny caught a straight on the turn to survive another all in but couldn’t
overcome Chris’s dominating chip advantage and was finally defeated when his K7 lost to A4 as Chris
got an A on the river (547KA). Chris Loveland collected the trophy, leather jacket and $51,310 cash
awarded to the 2004 $100 Limit Hold’em Champion.
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