Las
Vegan Rajiv Rishi is
Crowned Limit Holdem Champion
Rajiv Rishi of Las Vegas stormed through
107 entries and won the $300 buy-in limit
holdem event. Rajiv came to the final
table with the second biggest stack, behind
chip-leader Robert Taylor. From the outset,
it appeared that Rajiv would be the main
threat to Taylor. During the course of
play at the final table -- which lasted
just over four hours -- Rajiv slowly but
deliberately hacked away at Taylor and
the other seven players until he had acquired
every single chip in the tournament. That
tenacity meant a first-place trophy for
Rajiv presented by the Four Queens and
$12,450 in prize money.
Another
local poker player, Las Vegan Mike Marzoog
was not quite as fortunate. Only a few
minutes into the finale, Marzoog was dealt
pocket 8s and hit a set of eights on the
turn. It appeared he might double-up with
some chips. However, Rajiv (holding the
Q-J of hearts) ripped Marzoog's heart
out when he spiked a heart flush on the
river. Marzoog went out 9th with $500.
Just
minutes later another local -- Deborah
Wohle with a short-stack put her final
chips into the pot with A-5 when the flop
came J-5-3. "Miami John" Cernuto was there
in the catbird seat with K-J to snap-off
her pair of 5s with a bigger pair. Miami
John's pair of jacks held up and Wohle
was out in 8th place with $620.
At
this point, Rajiv started to make his
move. Employing an aggressive and unpredictable
style that would endure throughout play
at the final table, Rajiv made a stunning
bluff to knock Taylor out of a big pot.
Those chips meant Rajiv enjoyed a slight
chip lead for the first time. Then, Taylor
got back some chips himself when he made
a straight (with 10-J) against Martine
Oules when the final board showed 9-8-3-10-7.
Oules, the final table's other female
player (after Wohle) went out soon thereafter
as the Las Vegan was forced to commit
her last chips in the blind with K-7.
Joe Paul called with Q-8 and flopped an
eight. The pair of 8s held up which put
Oules on the rail in 7th place with $750.
Alex Papachatzakis has enjoyed an impressive
year on the poker tournament circuit.
The naive of Athens, Greece who now lives
in Southern California made the final
table at the World Poker Open and other
majors since then. He hoped to add a Four
Queens title to his record, but could
never get enough chips to be much of a
factor. Papachatzakis made his final stand
of the night with 8-8 and was called down
by Rajiv (holding A-J) when the flop came
J-3-3. A much-needed eight failed to materialize,
which knocked Papachatzakis out in 6th
place with $1,050.
Three-time World Series of Poker bracelet
winner Miami John Cernuto, much like Papachatzakis,
could never gain momentum at the final
table nor use his immense talent and experience
to overcome his rivals. Miami John's final
hand of the night came when he made it
two bets with A-5, which was called in
the blind by Rajiv. When the flop came
with a five (9-5-4) Miami John bet out
with his final chips. Rajiv with two overcards
was committed at that point and called,
then caught a sweet little jack on the
turn to bust-out Miami John. The former
air-traffic controller who has become
one of the most successful tournament
poker players over the past decade, crash
landed in 5th place with $1,370.
With Rajiv holding a 2 to 1 chip advantage
over Taylor, it was time for another player
to make his move. Atlantic City crumudgeon
Fran Pinchot made the monster hand of
the night with quad-jacks, but he failed
to get paid-off. On the very next hand,
Taylor picked up the same pocket jacks
-- and this time WAS paid of by Pinchot
-- as the jacks won again making a straight.
That loss left Pinchot crippled, and he
had to go all-in on the next hand with
7-9. Again, Taylor had the winning hand
which bounced the retired ex-basketball
coach and teacher out on 4th place with
$1,657.
Next, a key hand took place when Rajiv
(with J-6 in the big blind) got involved
in a big pot against Taylor (holding Q-10).
Rajiv sensed something was up and called
down Taylor each time he made a bet (he
was semi-bluffing on a straight draw).
Rajiv ended up winning the huge pot with
a tiny pair of 6s -- not much of a hand,
but good enough to take a decisive chip
lead and put Taylor on the defensive for
the first time.
Joe Paul, a systems analyst from Toms
River, NJ, made the biggest pay jump of
the day -- by taking just $4,000 in chips
at the start of the final table and parlaying
that into a third-place finish. While
Paul was never much of a factor, nor was
he able to get any kind of rush going,
he did play a masterful final table and
moved up in prize money with patience
and good timing. Paul went "all-in" with
K-8 when he flopped a king, but lost when
Taylor ended up with two pair. Still,
Paul took home $3,100.
Now
down to the final two players, many in
the crowd expected the duel to go deep
into the night. Rajiv was out-chipped
slightly by Taylor -- $84,500 to $82,000.
But it didn't take long for Rajiv to launch
into Taylor's chip castle like a bulldozer
with no breaks, carting-off stack-by-stack
and chip-by-chip any dreams Taylor had
of winning the tournament. Rajiv caught
a rush of good cards and even better good
fortune at just the right time -- playing
head-up for big money. Less than half
an hour after they started the duel, Robert
made his final raise of the night with
A-2. Rajiv with K-8 called. The final
board came K-9-7-3-6. Rajiv's pair of
kings was the crowning blow to Taylor
who went out in second-place with $6,220.
Meanwhile,
Rajiv was ecstatic. Cheered on by his
wife (the couple have been together nearly
20 years), Rajiv congratulated Taylor
for his play and then beamed in the spotlight
as he was presented with the crystal trophy
and $12,450 in prize money.
Nolan Dalla
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