| SEVEN CARD STUD CHAMPION! JOHN PHAN OVERCOMES 108 OPPONENTS
With 109 participants, it was a record turnout for today’s $1000 Seven Card
Stud Championship of the World Poker Finals 2004. The prize pool was $114,000
which easily topped previous years and brings the total prize pool for this year to
$2,138,900 with the number of participants at 4990. The winner of this year’s event was
John Phan of Long Beach, CA. His first place prize was $40,641, a leather jacket and a crystal
trophy. The top ten players received cash prizes and were awarded points toward the Best Overall Player Award; players eleven through sixteen received points only.
The final table began just after 11 PM and ended just before 4 AM to conclude a long day of poker. John Hoang, Alhambra, CA, who was at his second final table of this year’s WPF, survived three all ins. As the short stack by far at the table, he came up with a flush, a full house and two pair to build his chip count to a espectable level. The first to depart the table was Avdo Djokovic, Staten Island, NY, who went all in with two pair and was
out when Willard Noyes, Thompson, PA, caught an A high flush. Willard, who finished eighth in the Senior’s Championship, captured 7th place after his 7’s lost to John Phan’s 9’s.
Esther Rossi, Las Vegas, NV, was able to eliminate Noel Shankey, Yonkers, NY, and take a large stack from John Hoang in the same hand. She had 8’s full of 9’s to Noel’s straight.
John Hoang’s pocket A’s were useless when Natale Cofone, Westerly, RI, was able to catch a second pair to go with his split A’s. Hoang did well to finish in fifth place from his beginning position.
With four players left, the action accelerated and John Phan was the one applying the pressure. Fourth place was taken by Natale Cofone when his pair lost to John’s two pair.
Helmut Koch, New Baltimore, MI, survived three all ins before his pair succumbed to John’s straight. Esther had battled back from one all in but was unable to dent John’s chip superiority.
In the end she went all in with a pair but John had trip K’s and she had to settle for second
place money. John Phan was crowned the $1000 Seven Card Stud Champion for 2004! |
