Jose Franco Plays All the Way For the Win
The 13th event of Winnin' o' the Green was the $550 buy-in No Limit Hold'em tournament. A field of 147 vied for a share of the $71,295 prize pool. The final table started at level 14 with a 500 ante and 2K/4K blinds. Lamyong Bunma arrived as the chip leader holding 183,000 of the 882,000 chips in play.
Our first elimination came on hand #4 as Ron Miller went all in with A-Q. Both Jose Franco and Kevin Lew-Hailer called. When the flop came 8-4-10 Lew-Hailer bet and Franco folded. Lew-Hailer showed 10-10 for a set of 10's. When the turn came a 6 and river came an Ace, Miller was eliminated in 10th place for $1,250.
Just a couple hands later Craig Chait was all-in with Q-4 against Ramzi Srour and Freddy Seale who held A-7 and A-3 respectively. They checked down a board of 9-3-5-6-K and Seale's pair of 3's were good enough to send Chait out in 9th place for $1,425.
On hand #8 Sirous Baghchehsaraie pushed all in under the gun with Kx-Tc. Lamyong Bunma called with A-4. The flop came 3x-Qc-6c which helped neither player. The turn brought the 3c and gave Baghchehsaraie a flush draw. The river came a Q and Bunma's Ace-high was enough to send Baghchehsaraie out in 8th place for $1,605.
The very next hand saw the 'Cicero Kid' all in holding K-Q up against Kevin Lew-Hailer's A-K. The board came 8-3-5-4-5 and Lew-Hailer's Ace-King high bested the 'Cicero Kid' sending him out in 7th place for $1,780.
Play finally slowed down a bit until hand #19 when Freddy Seale was all in with a chip left holding K-5. Ramzi Srour had pocket Aces and after the board came 4-2-J-3-2 Seale's chip and a chair comeback was not to be as he was eliminated in 6th place for $2,495.
Couple rounds later Kevin Lew-Hailer was all in for 73K holding A-4. Jose Franco called with 7-6. The board came 7-Q-9-6-10 and Franco's two pair outdrew Lew-Hailer's Ace high sending him out in 5th place for $3,210.
On hand #45 Robert Mason was all in with J-4. Jose Franco called with A-7. Franco flopped an Ace on the 5-A-Q flop. The turn came a Queen and river 6 and Mason, who made a final table earlier in the WOG series, out in 4th place for $4,280.
Franco kept his hot streak going as he called Ramzi Srour's all in with K-9. Srour held K-5. The flop came A-A-6 helping neither player. The turn brought a King and now Srour needed any card 9 or higher to have a split pot. However the river came a 6 and Franco's 9 kicker played and sent Srour out in 3rd place for $6,775.
Heads up play lasted for 3 hands and on tthat 3rd hand Lamyong Bunma was all in with Jx-10d against Jose Franco's K-6. The flop came 3d-K-6d giving Franco a pair of Kings. The turn brought the 8d giving Bunma a flush draw. The river brought a 3 and Franco's pair Kings bested Bunma, who was looking for his 2nd win at this year's WOG, out in 2nd place for $13,190. Jose Franco was left with all the chips in play winning event #13 and $26,905.
-- O.J. Alcaraz
BIOGRAPHY
Jose Franco spends most of his time playing poker especially tournaments. He occasionally plays cash games such as the $1K buy-in NLH games. Franco said he used to play real loose but has since tightened up his play and immediately started seeing results. With this win look for him to play the main event of the WOG series.
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