Two World Series champions, Mansour Matloubi (1990) and Russ Hamilton (1994) graced the final table of the World Poker Challenge $1,000 pot-limit Omaha event, a table which also included five-bracelet holder Jay Heimowitz. But “Syracuse” Chris Tsiprailidis, himself no slouch with a WSOP bracelet in limit hold’em and a clutch of other titles, amassed a big chip lead half-way through and never looked back after that.
“It was a very tough, very classy table, the best players in the country,” Chris said. Even the Ohio player (Ron Rose), who never played an Omaha tournament before, was very good.” Chris also paid his highest compliments to the staff and to the structure, which gave him plenty of time to play. “I’ll be back next year,” he promised. Chris, 41, born in Greece, is a former restaurant owner turned food wholesaler.
Tripled up early in the tournament, Chris lost a big pot to Tournament of Champions chief Chuck Humphrey at the second table after missing a wraparound straight, and then “started over.”
The legendary John Bonetti was host for this event. Phillip Ivey, a relatively new tournament player making his third WPC final table, started as chip leader with $33,100. Blinds started at $300-$600 and moved up to $500-$1,000 on the sixth hand. On that hand, with a flop of A-Q-8 and two clubs, attorney Roger Easterday bet $7,500 with a set of queens. Matloubi called all in with a set of aces and completed his flush to win a $30,000 pot and stay in action. On the eighth hand, Jay bet a flop of K-9-7 and Russ raised all in. Russ had K-Q-10-3 for kings and a straight draw. Jay held 8-8-10-J. He hit his wraparound with a river 8 and Russ exited.
Rose had a narrow escape when he bet all in for $1,100 before the flop. Attorney Roger Easterday and Ivey called and checked the pot down hoping to put him out, but a board of 10-8-4-J-10 gave Roger 10s full of eights. It was a brief reprieve. Four hands later he’s all in again for $2,900 with A-10-9-8. Bruce “Bulletproof” Yamron, sees him with A-9-8-3. A board of J-4-2-3-5 gives Bruce a bicycle, and Ron is wheeled out.
On hand 31, Bruce loses a lot of chips when he bets $3,000 into a flop of 9-7-5, another $4,000 when a 7 turns and then folds when Jay bets $18,000 on the river when a third club falls. A few hands later Bruce loses everything when he raises pre-flop with A-K-Q-7 and Chris puts him in with A-A-5-7 and a suited club ace. Three clubs come and six players are left. The same number are still left after blinds are raised twice. They’re now $1,000-$2,000 and Heimowitz, who works as a Budweiser beer distributor when he isn’t collecting bracelets, is leading with about $40,000.
On hand 74, Tony Cousineau, a professional making his second final table, goes all in for $7,500 with A-K-6-2 loses everything when Chris wins with queens and jacks.
On the 91st hand, Mansour and Roger go at it. The WSOP champ goes all in for $8,500 with K-9-8-7 and two clubs against Roger’s A-J-Q-9 and higher clubs. But a board of 6-5-2-A-4 gives Mansour a straight and leaves Roger with about $6,000. He loses it a couple of hands later when he and Jay call Phillip’s pre-flop raise. Roger has A-Q-J-2. Jay, with J-8-7-7 flops a straight, puts Roger in and wins.
Five hands later, the biggest pot of the night builds. On a flop of 10-6-3, Chris bets $4,000 and Jay calls. When a jack turns, Chris bets $12,000 and Jay calls again. On a river ace, Jay, who had flopped 10s and 6s, leads with a $19,000 bet. Chris, who had flopped a set of 3s, calls and suddenly is the chip leader with about $78,000. Jay is second with around $36,000, while Phillip has around $33,000 and Mansour, $22,000.
After blinds are raised to $1,500 and $3,000, Jay cashes out in fourth place. He calls Chris’ pre-flop raise of $9,000. On a flop of Q-Q-K, Chris bets $18,000 and Jay raises his last few thousand. He has a third queen, but so does Chris, and his ace kicker beats Jay’s 9.
On hand 106, Mansour raises Chris and goes all in when he flops a nut straight, but Chris has the same hand and it’s a split. Mansour goes in a couple more times, doubles up once when he makes 9s full, but finally surrenders on hand 117. Mousour, with J-J-K-5, raises $7,500. Phillip, after long deliberation, calls with Q-Q-A-10. He catches a third lady, puts Mansour all in, and prepares for a heads-up match with Syracuse Chris, who has a big chip lead of about $140,000 to $30,000. Chris chips away at his stacks with several uncalled bets and raises. Phillip finally wins a hand when he raises $9,000 with K-K-9-3, then calls all in for $3,500 when Chris bets a flop of A-4-3. His kings hold up, but it’s too little too late against Chris’ relentless onslaught.
The next hand, 132, is the last one. Chris raises $9,000 with 8-7-6-4 and Phillip sees him with 9-9-8-5. On a flop of 8-4-3, Phillip bets the pot, $18,000, and Chris, who has flopped two pair, puts him all in. A king and an ace don’t do Ivey any good, and Syracuse Chris is the pot-limit Omaha champ. —Max Shapiro
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