Peter
Costa, one of three Brits at the final
table playing their pot-limit road game,
topped a field of 81 to win the $300 pot-limit
Omaha event of the Four Queens Poker Classic.
It was his fourth money finish here to
date. When he got heads-up with An Tran,
who holds a World Series bracelet for
this event, he had a slight chip lead
and accepted An Tran's request for a chop.
This event was played down to 10 players
at the final table, though only nine spots
were paid. Ten were left after ex-Wall
Street executive Bob Feduniak moved in
for $2,700 with 10-10-J-9 and was called
by "Miami" John Cernuto and Ken "Skyhawk"
Flaton, who checked the hand down. Bob
flopped a set when the board came 10-9-8,
but then a K-J gave Cernuto, with Q-8
in his hand, a straight.
Chip Position, Final Table
Seat
Player Chip Count
1.
Scotty Nguyen $7,200
2. John McIntosh $30,300
3. Ken Flaton $18,600
4. Robert Williamson $12,600
5. An Tran $36,500
6. David Ulliott $14,300
7. John Cernuto $30,800
8. Ron Stanley $26,200
9. Tony Khan $12,600
10. Peter Costa $42,900
Blinds started at $800-$1,600, 21:41 remaining.
Costa, whose countless tournament victories
include this year's Hall of Fame championship,
held the chip lead with $42,900. Robert
Williamson III, a Dallas investor, was
quickly cut down to only $300 when Tony
Khan, another Brit, made a straight.
Hand number 8 generated the most discussion
and controversy. Williamson had clawed
back to $1,200, which he had to post in
the big blind. David "Devilfish" Ulliott
(the third Brit), Scotty Nguyen and poker
player John McIntosh all called for $1,600.
Then Ken "Skyhawk" Flaton, in the small
blind, raised $7,100 holding only A-9-8-4.
Everyone folded except McIntosh, who had
Q-Q-A-7. When the flop came Q-8-3, Flaton
bet all in for $7,800. McIntosh quickly
called with his set and busted Flaton
and Williamson, who had nothing. Devilfish,
who had folded J-10-10-9 because he had
to give Flaton credit for aces or a bunch
of pictures, would have won the pot with
a straight after a 10 turned. He said
he couldn't believe that Flaton could
raise against three callers with such
a weak hand and give Williamson protection,
then bet all in on such an unfavorable
flop. Costa agreed, calling it the "worst
play I have ever seen."
And Skyhawk didn't even get to keep all
of the $1,680 ninth-place prize money
for having more chips than Williamson.
The arrangement, in this one instance,
called for an even split.
Miami John was left with $500 on hand
13 when McIntosh made a bigger straight
than his. He put it in a couple of hands
later with A-9-4-5 and lost to Nguyen,
who had A-K-Q-5 and flopped a king. On
hand 32, McIntosh had a difficult decision
after he opened for $6,000, An Tran called
and then Ulliott came over the top for
$20,000 more. Spectators began making
comments. "No discussion," warned tournament
director David Lamb. "Can I sing?" asked
the colorful Devilfish, breaking into
a chorus of "It's now or never."
MacIntosh finally called all in for $13,500
and made two pair to beat Devilfish's
pocket aces.
As blinds rose to $1,500-$3000, Costa
still held the lead with $83,000. McIntosh
had $52,000, An Tran $34,500, Khan $18,000,
Ron Stanley $16,500 and Nguyen, $5,000.
Scotty doubled up but later button-raised
all in with Q-J-9-7, ending up in seventh
place when An Tran called with K-K-10-8
and flopped a set. Two hands later, Khan
also moved in for $10,000 from the button.
He had J-J-7-4 but got blown away when
a board of K-A-10-Q-A gave McIntosh aces
full.
Playing cautiously, An Tran, with about
$25,000 left, abandoned a $46,000 pot
when Stanley bet all in for $7,500 on
a flop of A-6-2. McIntosh later went out
fifth when An Tran made a river straight
to outrun his two pair and a few hands
later took the lead with about $78,000.
Everyone had a lot of chips, however,
and play continued for another 19 hands
before the next player exited after blinds
went to $2,000-$4,000. Devilfish, tired
of An Tran robbing his big blind, finally
re-raised $30,000, then flashed three
junk cards after An Tran folded. "You
can't keep doing that," he warned. But
Ulliott, missing draws, finally was left
with $4,000 by folding when An Tran raised
his blind yet again. Costa finally speared
the dangerous Devilfish by flopping a
set of queens after Ulliott had called
all in with A-J-9-2.
Costa now led with about $125,000. The
event ended abruptly on hand 87 after
Stanley raised to $14,000 with A-9-Q-7.
An Tran called with 3-3-10-6 from the
big blind. Ron bet all in for $24,000
on a flop of 9-6-2. An Tran called and
won by hitting a third 6 on the river.
It was 2 a.m., they were near-even and
chopped.
Max Shapiro
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