1st | Phil Hellmuth, Jr. | Palo Alto, CA | $204,000 |
2nd | Tom McEvoy | Las Vegas, NV | $102,000 |
3rd | Perry Green | Anchorage, AK | $51,000 |
4th | Jamie Ligator | Miami, FL | $33,150 |
5th | Barry Shulman | Las Vegas, NV | $25,500 |
6th | Yong Pak | Bainbridge Island, WA | $17,850 |
7th | Jeff Lisandro | Breganto, Italy | $12,750 |
8th | Thomas Sparks | Houston, TX | $10,200 |
9th | Dr. Willard Noyes | Kutztown, PA | $7,650 |
10th | Dolph Arnold | Houston, TX | $6,120 |
11th | Liam Flood | Kildare, Ireland | $6,120 |
12th | Todd Brunson | Las Vegas, NV | $6,120 |
13th | Robert Veltri | Anaheim Hills, CA | $5,100 |
14th | Clyde Coleman | Marlow, OK | $5,100 |
15th | Anthony Guerriero | Paterson, NJ | $5,100 |
16th | Don Barton | Pahrump, NV | $4,080 |
17th | Alex Brenes | Miami Lakes, FL | $4,080 |
18th | Kathy Liebert | Las Vegas, NV | $4,080 |
Only four times before in WSOP history have two
World Champions been heads-up for a title. They were:
- Johnny Moss vs. Puggy Pearson
1979 Seven Card Stud - Johnny won.
- Stu Ungar vs. Bobby Baldwin
1980 Deuce to Seven - Stu won.
- Tom McEvoy vs. Berry Johnston
1992 Omaha (Limit) - Tom won.
- Johnny Chan vs. Mansour Matloubi
1994 Seven Card Stud - Johnny won.
|
|
Las Vegas, May 7, 1997.
The Deuce to Seven Event #16 unexpectedly (for me) turned out to be a one
day tournament and it's Final Table started about 30 minutes after the
Pot Limit Holdem Event #15, which is the primary concern of this Daily
Report. The 2/7 competition didn't finish until after 1:00 AM, and was
the scene of my second major goof of the 1997 WSOP. I am writing this
about 8:00 AM the next day, and have already completed and posted the
Daily Report for the 2/7 Event #16. If that explanation isn't
sufficiently confusing, then you are probably just as groggy as I am, and
I won't attempt any further clarification.
It was another hot day in Las Vegas today, with blue skies overhead, and
some large clouds looming in the western sky over Mt. Charleston. The
temperature sign on top of the Horseshoe read 93 degrees at 2:00 PM, and
my car thermometer read 82 degrees when I was driving home around 2:00 AM.
"www.wsop.com"
*** CHECK IT OUT ***
I was informed by Charles Coveny (Chief do-it-all'er, all around good
guy, and the owner of the transcribing machine I am using) that
"www.wsop.com" went on line last night, and is now available to view
videos that Charles has been shooting of various past 1997 WSOP Events,
and that it will have live feeds in the future. Charles says that
everything you need for viewing is on site and downloadable.
Smoking Survey: I do not remember seeing anyone smoke at the Pot Limit
Holdem Final Table.
Dr. Willard Noyes made his second Final Table appearance of the 1997
WSOP, and would have captured my best dressed award again, but repeat
winners are not allowed. Instead, I'm singling out Barry Shulman for
"worthy of note" attire. Barry wore a "Reykjavik Hard Rock Cafe" Tee
shirt that he had picked up on site in Iceland.
Pot Limit Holdem Quips
Jeff Lisandro, responding to Phil Helmuth's insistent questioning of what
cards Jeff held when he re-raised a PH raise: "I don't want to lie, but I
don't want to tell you what my cards are either".
Phil Helmuth when folding and showing pocket deuces, after Perry Green
had made a sizable re-raise of a PH raise: "In the old day's, I would have
gambled with you". Tom McEvoy retorted: "What do you mean the old days?,
you're only 31 now".
Phil Helmuth displayed a very jovial and pleasant attitude today enroute
to his Pot Limit Holdem Event #15 title.
One very minor situation occurred at the Final Table when Phil put four
$1,000 chips into the pot when the blinds were $2,000/4,000, and making
no declaration in so doing, had released the chips, but kept his index
finger slightly above and near the four chips. He then tossed a single
$5,000 chip into the pot and said "raise". Several players chorused
"string bet", led by Barry Shulman in the big blind. Jack McClelland
disallowed the raise, and Phil disagreed , but accepted the decision
gracefully.
Then to add insult to injury, Barry and Phil played the rest of the pot
heads-up in an unraised pre-flop situation, and Barry check raised Phil
on the flop to win the hand.
Before besting Tom McEvoy in a short heads-up match, Phil told Tom that
he wasn't going to be doing too much big stack pre-flop raising, and
although I haven't done the hand by hand transcribing data yet, I don't
recall Phil making a single raise pre-flop on the button. As I recall,
Phil primarilly adopted a counter punching approach, that served him
well.
Phil also reminded Tom several times during their encounter, that he
(Phil) was being nice, and he chided Tom on the occasuions that Tom
"didn't act nice" by raising on the button pre-flop.
PENALTY BOX
There was one 20 minute penalty assessed during last night's super
satellite to an unknown offender.
The WSOP Floorpeople are strictly enforcing the rules, with zero
tolerance. Although no official list of violators is maintained, Steve
Morrow, Head Assistant Tournament Co-ordinator, advises me that all of the
following have received a 20 minute penalty during the 1997 WSOP. Most of
the penalties were for using abusive language or throwing cards.
Huck Seed | Johnny Chan | Unknown |
Phil Helmuth | John Bonetti | Unknown |
J. J. Volpe | Nhut Tran | Jeff Chapman |
Tom Sullivan | Unknown |
Binion's still had some of their 1997 WSOP commemorative coins ($20 +
tax) available today. As long as they are available, I will purchase a
coin(s) for anyone who will pick them up COD from me in Las Vegas
sometime in the near future. I don't want to get into the mailing
business though. They don't have a whole lot of them left.
Chuck Weinstock said that enough was enough on my CONJELCO plugs, so I am
now officially out of any commercial mode whatsoever.
SINGLE TABLE SATELLITES
(Becky Kerber and Barbara Lotief)
The $320 buy-in no-limit single tables continue was the featured
satellite today. These are ten handed, players start with $1,200 in
chips, and the winner gets six $500 tournament chips + $100 cash.
$10,000 No-Limit single table satellites are scheduled for 4:00 and 6:00
PM daily. Ten players buy-in for $1,010 each and receive $4,000 in chips.
Blinds start at $50 and $100. They ran three of these yesterday. Tom
Jacobs and two repeaters were the winners.
SUPER SATELLITES
(Patty Hughes and Rudy Lotief)
The No-Limit Super Satellites start at 8:30 PM each evening. Last night
there were 12 ten handed tables competing for $10,000 Final Event seats
and cash. Buy-ins are $220 for $200 in chips, and re-buys can be made for
$200 during the first hour of play. Blinds start at $5/10 and increase
every 20 minutes. There were 156 entrants, who made a total of 155
re-buys last night. Here are last nights pay outs:
1-5. | 1 - $10,000 Seat = $439 cash |
6. | 9 - $500 tournament chips + $380 cash |
7. | 5 - $500 tournament chips + $306 cash |
8. | 2 - $500 tournament chip + $464 cash |
9. | 1 - $500 tournament chip + $354 cash |
$10,000 CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRANTS
1. | Nevada Stupak | 2. | Chris "Jesus" Ferguson |
3. | Chuck Thompson | 4. | Ken Flaton |
5. | Ken Buntjner | 6. | Mo Fathpour |
7. | Amadeo Parado | 8. | Laurence Clenau |
9. | Jay Reisler | 10. | Joseph Winston |
11. | Keith Taylor | 12. | Andre Boyer |
13. | Kev Nettles | 14. | Tormod Roren |
15. | Kenneth Davis | 16. | Stephen Kaufman |
17. | Marko Trapini | 18. | Steve Kim |
19. | Sam Merchant | 20. | Andrew Black |
21. | Anthony Guerriero | 22. | George Gerus, Sr. |
23. | MacDonald Kempf | 24. | Ron "Carolina Express" Stanley |
25. | "Midnight" Pete Haugan | 26. | Jack Fox |
27. | John Hendrix | 28. | Dave Crunkleton |
29. | Jim Brown | 30. | Mike Pilkington |
31. | Martin Comer | 32. | Samir Khoveis |
33. | Gary Benson | 34. | David Roepke |
35. | Don Holt | 36. | J. C. Pearson |
37. | Tommi Han | 38. | Phuc Bao |
39. | Dave Welch | 40. | Ken Jacobs |
41. | Pete Dixon | 42. | Bruce Van Horn |
43. | Bill Fain | 44. | Myron Rosenbaum |
45. | Robert Henry Kojfer | 46. | David Rubin |
47. | Jim Mascher | 48. | Al McCoy |
49. | Mallie Hoyer | 50. | Angus Hill |
51. | Herb Potter | 52. | Allen Barker |
53. | Dr. Max Stern | 54. | Robert Dale Ellis |
55. | Peter Lameureaux | 56. | Milt Myers |
57. | Ken Sahek | 58. | Cal Dykes |
59. | Alex Horowitz | 60. | Thomas Sparks |
61. | Monte Kouz | 62. | Phil Helmuth |
63. | Jack Keller | 64. | Patrick Bruel |
65. | Louis Asmo | 66. | Dan Fairly |
67. | Jerre Juhl | 68. | John Strzemp |
69. | Tibor Tolni | 70. | Gustavo Weiss |
71. | Melissa Hayden | 72. | Paul Ladanyi |
73. | John Spadavecchia | 74. | Ivin Mladen |
75. | Tom McEvoy | 76. | Peter Brehm |
77. | Minh Ly | 78. | Bill Gazes |
79. | Praviz Roudi | 80. | Humberto Brenes |
81. | Pascal Perrault | 82. | Joel Chaseman |
83. | Marsha Waggoner | 84. | Randy Holland |
85. | Maria Stern |
| | 86. | Tom Jacobs (s) |
87. | David Ulliot ($) | 88. | Noel Furlong ($) |
89. | Brad Daugherty (S) | 90. | Phil Brodrick (S) |
91. | Thomas Chung (S) | 92. | Vic Kramer (S) |
S = Super Satellite Winner, s = Single Table Satellite Winner, $ = Paid Cash
HELP !!!!
I am looking for a 1997 WSOP $10,000 Championship Event participator who
will allow me to unobtrusively sweat him/her (and record for posterity, in
detail, all of her/his hole cards and how he/she played them) through to
victory or elimination. Jim Albrecht has sanctioned this project, and
CARDPLAYER is interested in doing an article on this subject.
ALL I NEED IS A VOLUNTEER.
Reasons for Volunteering:
- I will emanate positive vibes to the Poker God in her/his behalf.
- I might distract the competition more than him/her.
- The Volunteer may play better than otherwise, since her/his play will
become a public record.
- Good P. R. for the Volunteer.
- The knowledge that opponents may gain about his/her playing style can
be manipulated to her/his advantage in the future.
- He/she would be making a worthwhile contribution to the Poker world,
and would have a detailed memento of her/his participation in the 1997
WSOP.
Tom Sims
702-255-6146
Email: simst@nevada.edu
The Final Table
Card by Card and Bet by Bet
WSOP Event #15: $3,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em
170 Entries, $510,000 Total Prize Pool and chips in play
Final Table chip position:
Standard Abbreviations:
Bet [b] | Big Blind [bb] |
Bring in [bi] | Call [c] |
Check [ck] | Fifth Street [5:] |
First In [fi] | Flop [fl] |
Fold [f] | Fourth Street [4:] |
River [rv] | Seventh Street [7:] |
Sixth Street [6:] | Small Blind [sb] |
Show Down [sd] | Third Street [3:] |
Turn [t] | Winner [w] |
Standard Flop Game Notations
[K] Kevin Song Seat #1
[Y] Yvan Lanvin Seat #2
96. sb K - c K - ck Y - fl 9s 5h 7h - ck Y - b K - f Y - w K
Interpretation: On hand #96 in heads-up play, Kevin Song had the small
blind on the button, Kevin called and Yvan checked. The flop was the
9s 5h 7h. Yvan checked, Kevin bet and Yvan folded. Kevin won the hand.
Standard Stud Notations
[B] Peter Brownstein Seat #1
[L] Linda Johnson Seat #2
170. 3: 4h 9s - bi L 9s - c B 4h - 4: Ad Kc - b B - f L - w B
Interpretation: On hand #170 in heads-up Razz play, the doorcards on third
street in seat order were the 4h for Peter and the 9s for Linda. Linda's
9s made the bring-in bet and Peter called. On 4th street Peter got the Ad
and Linda got the Kc. Peter Bet. Linda folded. Peter won the hand.
Cards were in the air at 4:08 PM with Jack McClelland and Jim Albrecht
presiding. Blinds were $2,000/4,000 with 38 minutes remaining at this
level.
- sb B - bb P - fi r10000 S - f B - r10000 P - c2000 S all in -
P shows Ad 9d - S shows Ah 8s - board Qd 5s 8h 4s 7s - w S
- sb P - bb Y - fi r10000 S - all fold - w S
- sb Y - bb S - fi r10000 T - all fold - w T
- sb S - bb T - fi r10000 Y - all fold - w Y
- sb T - bb L - fi r9000 Y - all fold - w Y
- sb L - bb G - fi r10000 W - all fold - w W
- sb G - bb J - all fold to bb - w J
- sb J - bb W - fi r5000 P -all fold - w P
- sb W - bb B - fi c P - f W - ck B - fl 8h Ah Js - ck B - b10000 P -
f B - w P
- sb B - bb P - fi r8000 B - r20000 P - f B - w P
- sb P - bb Y - fi r6000 P - f Y - w P
- sb Y - bb S - fi r10000 W - r16000 Y - all fold - w Y
- sb S - bb T - fi c W - r14000 B - f S - f T - c W - fl Kh 7c 5d - ck W -
b2000 B - c2000 W all in - W shows Ah 4h - B shows Ac Jh - t Qd -
rv 2s - w B
*** Dr. Willard Noyes finishes 9th at 4:26 PM.
- sb T - bb L - r5000 P - f T - r20000 L all in - f P shows 3 3 - w L
- sb L - bb G - fi r10000 T - all fold - w T
- sb G - bb J - fi r8000 L - all fold - w L
- sb J - bb B - fi r8000 L - all fold - w L
- sb B - bb P - all fold to bb - w P
- sb P - bb Y - fi r10000 B - f P - r30000 Y - f B - w Y
- sb Y - bb S - fi c P - f Y - ck S - fl 6c 8s Jd - b5000 P - f S - w P
- sb S - bb T - fi r8000 L - c G - f S - f T - fl Th Ts 6c - b1000 L -
c1000 G all in - J shows Kd Qd - P shows As Qc - t 9d - rv 4c - w G
- sb T - bb L - fi r8000 S - all fold - w S
- sb L - bb G - all fold to bb - w G
- sb G - bb J - all fold to bb - w J
- sb J - bb B - fi c P - f J - ck B - fl Qs Kd Jd - ck B - b8000 P -
r26000 B - f P - w B
*** Blinds increase to $3,000/6,000 at 4:46 PM
- sb B - bb P - fi c B - r12000 P - f B - w P
- sb P - bb Y - fi c P - ck Y - fl As 7h Qc - both ck - t Kc - both ck -
rv Ah - both ck - P shows Js 6h - Y shows Ts 5d - w P
- sb Y - bb S - fi r10000 G - all fold - w G
- sb S - bb T - fi r15000 L - all fold - w L
- sb T - bb L - fi c P - r13000 S all in - c P - P shows Ad 7d -
S shows Ah 5d - board Kc Jh Ts 7c 5c - w P
*** Thomas Sparks finishes 8th at 4:55 PM
- sb L - bb G - fi r6000 J - f L - r29000 G all in - c J - G shows Ad Ac -
G shows Kh Kc - board 2d Jc 9c 6d 6s - w G
- sb G - bb J - fi r15000 B - all fold - w B
- sb J - bb B - c P - r18000 J - all fold - w J
- sb B - bb P - fi r10000 G - f B - r20000 P - f G - w P
- sb P - bb Y - fi r15000 T - all fold - w T
- sb Y - bb T - fi c J - c B - f Y - ck T - fl Qs 5c 9c - all ck - t 2d -
ck T - ck J - b10000 B - f T - c J - rv Ac - both ck - B shows Ad 6d -
J mucks - w B
- sb T - bb L - fi r12000 T - r12000 L all in - c T - T shows Qs Js -
L shows As Qd - board 9d 4c Jc Ah Jh - w T
*** Jeff Lisandro finishes 7th at 5:07 PM.
- bb G - fi r10000 P - all fold - w P
- sb G - bb J - fi r9000 P - all fold - w P shows K K
- sb J - bb B - fi c P - r20000 G - all fold - w G
- sb B - bb P - fi r9000 G - all fold - w G
- sb P - bb Y - fi r15000 J - all fold - w J
- sb Y - bb T - fi r11000 Y - f T - w Y
- sb T - bb G - fi r9000 P - r35000 T - all fold - w T shows As Kh
*** Approx chip count: T 125K G 75K J 80K B 85 K P 100K Y 45K
- sb G - bb J - folded to bb - w J
- sb J - bb B - fi r9000 P - all fold - w P shows As Qc
- sb B - bb P - fi r18000 Y - f B - r 60000 P - f Y - w P
- sb P - bb Y - fi c P - r20000 Y all in - f P - w Y
- sb Y - bb T - fi r15000 B - all fold - w B
- sb T - bb G - fi r9000 P - all fold - w P
- sb G - bb J - fi r10000 G - f J - w G
- sb J - bb B - all fold to bb - w B
- sb B - bb P - fi r15000 T - all fold - w T shows K K
- sb P - bb Y - fi r15000 B - all fold - w B
- sb Y - bb T - fi r10000 G - all fold - w G
- sb T - bb G - fi c T - ck G - fl (h Ks Jc - b10000 T - c G - t Kd -
both ck - rv 5s - b20000 T - c G - T shows Kc 9d - G mucks - w T
- sb G - bb J - fi r9000 P - all fold - w P shows Ah Qs
- sb J - bb B - fi r9000 P - r5000 Y all in - f J - f B - c P -
P shows Ah 6s - Y shows Qc Qh - board 3s 8h Tc Ac Th - w P
*** Yong Pak finishes 6th at 5:32 PM.
- sb B - bb P - fi r10000 T - all fold - w T shows Ad Qs
- sb P - bb T - fi r10000 P - f T - w P
- sb T - bb G - all fold to bb - w G
- sb G - bb J - fi r15000 B - all fold - w B
- sb J - bb B - fi r10000 G - all fold - w G
- sb B - bb P - fi r12000 B - f P - w B
- sb P - bb T - fi r10000 G - all fold - w G
- sb T - bb G - fi r9000 P - f T - r45000 G - f P - w G
- sb G - bb J - fi r9000 P - all fold - w P shows K T
*** Approx chip count: P 160K T 120K J 60K B 100K G 70K
- sb J - bb B - fi r10000 G - all fold - w G
- sb B - bb P - fi r12000 B - r50000 P - f B - w P
- sb P - bb T - fi r15000 B - all fold - P shows K T - w B
- sb T - bb G - fi c T - ck G - fl Tc Jc 3d - both ck - t As - both ck -
rv 9s - b10000 T - r20000 G - b10000 T - r20000 G - f T shows 5c 6h -
w G
- sb G - bb J - fi r9000 G - f J - w G
- sb J - bb B - fi r8000 G - f J - r31000 B - f G - w B
*** Break at 5:46 PM. Blinds increase to $5,000/10,000.
Cards back in air at 5:58 PM.
- sb B - bb P - fi r25000 T all fold - w T
- sb P - bb T - fi r20000 B - r70000 P - c B all in - B shows 9h 9s -
P shows Qc Kh - board Qs Jh 8c 5c 4s - w P
*** Barry Shulman finishes 5th at 6:01 PM.
- sb T - bb G - fi r25000 J - all fold - w J
*** Approx chip count: P 270K T 105K G 85K J 50K
- sb G - bb J - fi r25000 P - all fold - w P
- sb J - bb P - fi r20000 J - r20000 P - c10000 J - J shows 8c Qd -
P shows As Ah - board 2h 9s Qs 6c - w P
*** Jamie Ligator finishes 4th at 6:04 PM.
- sb P - bb T - fi r20000 P - f T - w P shows Ac Qc
- sb T - bb G - fi c T - ck G - fl 8h 9h 4s - b20000 T - f G - w T
- sb G - bb P - all fold to bb - w P
- sb P - bb T - fi r20000 P - c T - fl Jc Qc 9d - both ck - t 6c -
both ck - rv 3c - b15000 P - f T - w P
- sb T - bb G - fi c T - r20000 G - c T - fl 7d Js 9s - b45000 T all in -
c45000 G all in - T shows 8c 9d - G shows Qh Kd - t 2h - rv 9c - w T
*** Perry Green finishes 3rd at 6:09 PM.
Break until 6:19. Possible that a deal was made.
Chip Count: T 150K P 360K
- sb and button P - c P - r20 T - f P - w T
- sb T - f T - w P
- sb P - c P - ck T - fl Ks Qs 4c - both ck - t Kh - both ck - rv Ts -
T shows 6s Td - P shows Th 9s - w P
- sb T - r20000 T - c P - fl 5s 3s 2d - both ck - t 8s - b20000 P -
f T - w P shows 8
- sb P - c P - ck T - fl Ks 7s 4d - both ck - t Ah - both ck - rv 6d -
both ck - T shows Qh 4h - P mucks - w T
- sb T - f T shows 2s 7c - w P
- sb P - f P - w T
- sb T - f T shows 4s Jd - w P
- sb P - c P - ck T - fl 8s Qh Jd - ck T - b15000 P - f T shows Kh 7d -
w P
- sb T - c T - ck P - fl Th As Qh - ck P - b20000 T - c P - t Ts - both ck -
rv 9d - b60000 P - c T - P shows Td Ks - T shows Ad 8s - w P
- sb P - c P - r20000 T all in - f P - w T
- sb T - r10000 T - r20000 P - c20000 T all in - T shows 8d 8h -
P shows 5s 5d - board Kd Th Ad Jh Tc - w T
- sb P - c P - ck T - fl 5h 2d 7d - both ck - t 3h - b20000 T -
f P shows A K - w T shows 5d Th
- sb T - c T - ck P - fl 6s 7s 7c - b20000 P - r60000 T all in - c P -
T shows 4s 3s - P shows Jd 6d - t Kc - rv Ad - w P
Tom McEvoy finishes 2nd and Phil Helmuth, Jr. wins the $3,000
Pot Limit Holdem WSOP Championship at 6:31 PM.
|
Final Table Chip Standings - Seat Positions
|
|
|
In a World Series rarity, 1989 World Champion Phil Hellmuth,
Jr. defeated 1983 World Champion Tom McEvoy heads-up to take
the $3,000 buy in Pot Limit Hold'em event. This was the
sixth gold winner's bracelet for Hellmuth, who collected
$204,000 and moved significantly closer to the number one
spot on the WSOP Top Money Winners list long held by Johnny
Chan.
Hellmuth's earnings now total $1,984,825, just $164,619 less
than two-time World Champion Chan's. This was the 16th final
table in 18 in-the-money finishes for Hellmuth, 32, who
said, "I feel great. This is very special -- I've not won a
tournament at the World Series since 1993, and I was
determined to do it this year. I believe I'll win at least
one more this year" (five events remain).
Hellmuth said he wanted to dedicate this victory to Barb
Mickel Sanborn, his brother-in-law's wife, who died this
past New Year's eve. "We were very close," he said. "I'd
told her that if she died, she'd be with me in spirit at the
World Series. Yesterday in the shower I suddenly thought of
her and felt she was here to help me. I'll give this
bracelet to her husband, John Sanborn, my brother-in-law."
Having outlasted another record field, the two champions
were heads-up for only 12 minutes, with Hellmuth enjoying an
initial chip lead of $360,000 to $150,000. The critical pot
came quickly when McEvoy flopped a pair of aces and Hellmuth
a pair of tens, which became three tens on the turn. McEvoy
survived the next hand all in with pocket eights, which
stood up against Hellmuth's pocket fives with a board of
A-K-10/J-10. Moments later, McEvoy was all in again,
holding 4s-3s, on the flop of 7-7s-6s, having called
Hellmuth whose Jd-6d made two pair. A king and an ace
followed, neither a spade, and the $180,000 pot and the
title went to Hellmuth.
"I loved this final table," McEvoy said as he collected
$102,000 which moved him from 16th to 12th on the WSOP Top
Money Winner's list with earnings of $1,147,397. "I have to
admit that from the opening gun I was hoping it would get
down to Phil and me. If I had to lose, he's the one I'd want
to lose to. We're longtime friendly rivals."
McEvoy, 52, has four gold bracelets and 16 final tables
including three already this year in 21 times in the money.
He noted that "the last time I went broke at a final table,
last week, it was also on a busted straight flush draw."
The poker author and columnist attributed much of his
success at this WSOP to strategy and technique he learned
from tournament regular T.J. Cloutier, his collaborator on a
newly completed book on no limit and pot limit play.
Third place went to another World Series veteran, Perry
Green, whose prize money of $51,000 brought his total
winnings to $511,470. Green, 61, a businessman active in
civic causes, was the 1996 Alaskan of the Year. He first
came to the World Series in 1976 and has three gold
bracelets and 12 final table finishes including a runner-up
and a fifth in championship events. "I'm a true amateur who
loves to play with the professionals," he said. "I'm not
intimidated-- I've played with both Phil and Tom.
Considering that I started the final table with only $25,000
and blinded away $12,000 before playing my first hand, I'm
not displeased with third place."
Green noted that in the hand in which McEvoy eliminated him,
"I raised it up with the best hand. I felt he wasn't there,
but when you put $15,000 in the pot you can't get away from
the hand." Green held K-Q against McEvoy's 9-8, the board
showing J-9-7/2-9.
Jamie Ligator, 55, a Russian-born casino manager in Costa
Rica, collected $33,150 for fourth place, the same finish he
achieved in the final event of the U.S.Poker Championship in
Atlantic City last November. Although he started the final
table as chip leader, Ligator said, "Actually I'm very happy
to get this far against such super good players. The World
Series is a wonderful tournament, especially how
professionally it's run." He was knocked out going all in
with Q-8 against Hellmuth who had pocket aces.
Fifth place went to Barry Shulman, a day short of his 51st
birthday, who is a real estate developer and a serious poker
player in Las Vegas. Asked how he felt, he replied, "Not
great. I got all in with the best hand, and he got lucky."
Shulman held pocket nines against Helmuth's K-Q which won
with a board of Q-J-8/5-4.
Korean-born Yong Pak took sixth place, his second time in
the money at this World Series. He was knocked out with
pocket queens against Hellmuth's A-6 when the board showed
8-7-3/A-10. His winnings total $20,814.
Jeff Lisandro, a resident of Italy who plays on the
international tournament circuit, finished seventh when he
went all in before the flop with A-Q against McEvoy's Q-J.
The flop came J-9-4, an ace on the turn gave Lisandro the
lead, but another jack on the river gave McEvoy the $70,000
pot. It was Lisandro's second finish in the money here so
far this year.
Eighth place went to Thomas Sparks, runner-up in last week's
$2,000 No Limit Hold'em event who also had finished in the
money in the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold'em. His WSOP earnings now
total $157,330. His A-5 offsuit lost to Hellmuth's A-7 of
diamonds with a board of K-J-10 7-5.
Dr. Willard Noyes, another two-time final table contestant
this year, finished ninth which brought his total winnings
to $52,125. He was all in with Ah-4h against Shulman's A-J,
losing to the better kicker when the board came K-7-5/Q-A.
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