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Greg Jamison Wins $1,500 Event
After Buying Planet Poker Seat
Turning a straight on the final hand, Greg Jamison, a freelance investor from Cedar Falls, Iowa, captured the $1,500 no-limit hold’em championship event of the 2004 St. Maarten Open. Jamison, who holds World Poker Challenge titles in Omaha hi-lo and no-limit hold’em, got here by buying the seat-and-trip package from a player who won a satellite on Planet Poker.
When the three finalists were all in the 300k range, a deal was made so that each got $55,000 and played for the remaining $17,630 Finishing second was Chicago currency trader Adam Kahn, who won his seat with a $9 satellite investment on Party Poker. This was his first live tournament ever. He found live play an eye-opener. “Much better,” he said. “On the Internet someone bets and you have no idea what’s going on.” Third place went to Danish player Martin Wendt.
The prize pool of $275,020 broke all St. Maarten records to date.
Day one was scheduled to play down to 18 players, but with 29 still left at 4:30 a.m., tournament director Warren Karp sent them to bed to return at 2 p.m. the next day. Each player had 5,000 chips. Under the “second chance” format, players started with 2,500, and could get their second portion any time during the first two levels. Rounds were 45 minutes, becoming an hour at the final table.
Only nine players made it to the final table when two Americans were knocked out simultaneously. Adam Dujmoric lost with A-K to pocket 7s and finished 11th while James Hoeppner finished 10th when his pocket jacks lost to a nut flush.
Blinds at the final table started at $3,000-$6,000 with $1,000 antes, 29 minutes left. Wendt, along with Willie Tann of England (who had been down to $3,500 with two tables left) were virtually tied for the lead with a bit over 190k each.
Luzke Zhang of China quickly picked up $54,000 in dead money with three big, uncalled raises on the first three hands. As other players took turn picking up antes and blinds, 12 hands went by without a flop until an all-in Kahn paired an ace to outrun Tann’s pocket 9s and survive.
Restaurant businessman Max Gsottschneider of Puerto Rico finished ninth when he moved in with K-7 and couldn’t catch Zhang’s A-5. When blinds went to $4,000-$8,000, Wendt had increased his lead to about 265k. German architect Thomas Orlowski followed him out when his A-9 couldn’t overtake Jamison’s A-K.
Hand 34 was the last for Finland’sJani Karke. He pushed in for 25k with K-7. Daniel Marklund of Sweden, a poker player also playing his first live tournament, had him with A-6 and also paired his ace on the river.
Kahn took a slight lead after winning a couple of all-ins, but the lead would change hands any number of times as play continued. Zhang, winner of a pot-limit hold’em event, finished sixth after moving in for 55k with Q-J. Jamison decided to call blind. When he looked, he discovered two aces.
After blinds moved to $6,000-$12,000 with $2,000 antes, Jamison claimed another kill when his A-K held up against Marklund’s K-10. With four players left, Jamison now had about 365k. He passed the 400k mark a couple of hands later when he re-raised Kahn on the flop and made him fold.
Tann finished fourth. He went all in for 52k with pocket 8s. Wendt saw him with A-Q and caught him on the turn when the board came J-6-5-Q-3. More than 70 hands had gone by, with 50 more still to come.
Three-handed, Jamison still led with around 420k to 380k for Wendt and 170k for Kahn. Playing with blinds now at $8,000-$16,000 and $3,000 antes, Kahn doubled up on hand 82. Holding pocket 9s, he bet $35,000 on a flop of 8-6-4 and two hearts. Jamison moved in on a semi-bluff heart draw and missed.
On hand 93, Wendt, starting with K-Q, flopped top two and just smooth called when Jamison bet 40k. Wendt filled on the turn, checked, then bet a modest 40k on the river. Jamison, who had opened for 35k, smelled something fishy and didn’t call, and Wendt settled for winning a 165k pot.
It was Kahn’s turn to take the lead when he flopped a king to his A-K and beat Wendt’s pocket 8s. A deal was discussed, but got nowhere.
Then Jamison’s big hand came on the 108th deal when he had J-10 and flopped trip 10s against Kahn’s A-8, then filled. Not far apart, the three finalists now made their 55k deal.
Eight hands later, Wendt made his move with K-10. After Jamison opened for 50k with Ah-7h, Wendt moved in for 130k more. The board came J-9-7-7-2, and Jamison’s trip 7s blew Wendt away in third place.
A rough count showed Jamison leading, about 520k to 450k for Kahn. The heads-up match lasted 10 hands, and there wasn’t much action until the final deal. Jamison was dealt 7h-5h to Q-9 off for Kahn. With a board of Q-6-3-4, Kahn bet 40k, and Jamison just called with his made straight. The river card, a 9, was disastrous for Kahn because it gave him top two. He bet 80k, Jamison moved him in, and it was all over. —Max Shapiro |
