Poker Tournament Results

Legends of Poker / WPT Event Season 8

Thanh Luong

Tournament Report

Thanh Luoug Wins the 2009 Legends of Poker Event #14 the $545 No Limit Hold’em Tournament The 2009 Legends of Poker had its fourteenth overall event at the Bicycle Casino’s newly remodeled Events Center. The $545 Buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament was a 2-day event which began with a total of 212 players and a prize pool of $92,820. In addition to a first prize of $14,225 the winner also received a championship ring, and a WPT seat worth $10K. Final table play began at level 17 with antes at $3K and blinds at $8K/$16K. Frank Ghezel entered the final table as the chip leader holding $646,000 of the $3,564,000 chips in play. On the 12th hand Tommy Wang raised pre-flop and was called by Andrew Mallott in the big blind. The flop came K-10-5 and the action was checked around, after a 2 hit the turn Andrew checked, Tommy pushed all-in, and Andrew immediately called turning over A-10 while Tommy turned over A-5. The 6 on the river helped no one and Andrew won the hand with a pair of 10’s versus Tommy’s 5’s. Tommy was knocked out in 10th place earning $1,260. Just two hands later Charlie Ng pushed all-in from the cut-off position with pocket 5’s and was called by Thanh Luoug with A-Q suited. The flop came J-10-7 keeping Charlie in the lead but adding an inside straight draw to the two overcards of Thanh. The turn was a 10 giving Charlie two pair but that lead was over when a Q hit the river giving Thanh the better two pair and knocking Charlie out in 9th place good for $1,490. The pace quickened on the 19th hand when Thanh Luoug raised to $50K and was immediately re-raised $90K more by Frank Ghezel, after a moment Thanh re-raised all-in and was again immediately called by Frank. The cards were turned up with Thanh holding pocket J’s and Frank holding A-K. The classic race was over before it began when the board came 3-2-J giving Thanh a lock on the hand with a set of J’s. The 7 on the turn and the 10 on the river did not improve Frank’s hand and it was not until a chip count of both players revealed that Frank was the one who was actually all-in that Frank was sent out of the tournament in 8th place taking home $1,850. On the very next hand Sean Riley raised all-in with pocket 8’s and was immediately called by Thanh Luoug with pocket Q’s. The rest of the players folded and the board came 6-3-5-7-2. Sean Riley’s day was done as he exited in 7th place earning $2,320. Three hands later our next player was eliminated. On the 23rd hand Randy Holland raised $87K all-in pre-flop in the small blind with K-5 and again Thanh Luoug made the call this time from the big blind with A-9. The board came 7-3-9-7-5 giving Thanh the top two pair and eliminating Randy in 6th place worth $3,240. The pace finally slowed as we would wait twenty hands before our next elimination. On the 43rd hand Andrew Mallott limped in from the small blind while Freddy Legaspi checked. The flop came A-9-5 and after Andrew checked Freddy bet all-in with Q-9 and was immediately called by Andrew who turned over 9-5 giving him two pair. The K on the turn and the 10 on the river could not help Freddy as he finished in 5th place earning him $4,170. Six hands later Thanh Luoug raised pre-flop with pocket 5’s in the small blind, Soheil Shamseddin re-raised all-in from the big blind with A-J, and Thanh called. The cards were turned up as the board came 10-3-7-2-9 keeping Thanh in the lead all the way to the end of the hand and eliminating Soheil in 4th place taking home $5,530. On the next hand Thanh Luoug raised pre-flop, was re-raised all-in by Mark Simmons, and instantly called the all-in. The cards were turned up this time with Mark holding the pocket 5’s while Thanh was holding pocket 10’s. The board came 7-3-4-Q-2 leaving Thanh with the winning pair of 10’s and knocking out Mark in 3rd place worth $8,320. The remaining 2 players discussed a chip count and after the staff ran the numbers the players were in agreement to a deal. Thanh Luoug was declared the winner of the Legends of Poker fourteenth event earning him the first place prize of $32,800, a championship ring, and a WPT seat worth $10K, while Andrew Mallott finished in 2nd place netting him $16,210. -- Matt Snodgrass BIOGRAPHY Thanh Luoug has been playing for three years with no limit hold’em being his favorite game, liking both tournament play and cash games equally. He felt that he knew how all the players at the final table played and in the player he was most concerned about was the second place finisher Andrew Mallott. Thanh finished in 12th place just last week in an earlier no limit hold’em event at the Legends of Poker.