CHIP JETT WINS CHAMPIONSHIP
IN SUDDEN, DRAMATIC FINISH
Chip Jett flew off with the $5,000
no-limit hold'em championship of Cal State
2003 in a dramatic, movie script ending.
Returning from a break, he and Scotty
Warbucks were dead even in chips and it
looked like a long struggle lay ahead.
Instead, on the first hand the flop gave
Warbucks a set of queens and Jett a flush.
All the money went in the middle, the
flush held up and Jett suddenly was richer
by $214,700.
It was the bigest cashout to date for
the tough, 28-year-old pro from Las Vegas
by way of Arizona, eclipsing his $200,000
win on the Party Poker million dollar
cruise. Jett has had numerous tournament
wins and won best all-around at the 2001
L.A. Poker Classic.
He came to the final table with a chip
lead of 137,600, thanks to a massive,
70k hit he put on Mike Laing with 12 players
left, when his K-K beat Laing's A-K. He
experienced turbulence along the way and
lost the lead a couple of times. But then
he picked up an enormous, 270k pot to
become the lead dog again.
Warbucks, who buys and sells insurance
policies to seniors, has had his own share
of tournament wins, including the Hustler
Casino's Grand Slam $3,000 championship.
Crippled by Jett, Laing busted out with
pocket nines against Sudhir Setia, who
had A-K and spiked an ace on the river.
Setia then finished 11th. On a flop of
8-7-5, Jett moved in with K-7. Setia called
with A-10 and couldn't overcome Jett's
paired seven.
The final table started with $200 antes
and blinds of 800/1600, 8:11 remaining.
Kathy Liebert was second-lowest in chips
with 18k. She picked up two small pots
with uncalled all-in raises. Then, on
hand 10, with blinds of 1-2k and $300
antes, she raised to 7k with pocket sevens.
Jon Barker moved in. Liebert didn't act
for two or three minutes and a clock was
put on her. She finally called. Barker
had Jh-8h. The board came 6-3-2-9-J, and
Liebert was first out.
Card Player boss Barry Shulman joined
her three hands later. Kenna James opend
for 5k with Ac-8c. Shulman, one off the
button, moved in for 11k with Qd-9d. Shulman
had the lead when the board came 10-8-4-9,
but a river ace finished him.
A few hands later, Jett opened for 6k
and Minh Nguyen came over the top, all
in for 6,900 more with A-8. Jett had KQ
and flopped two pair to cut the field
to seven.
Hand 26: Young Phan opened for 8k Jett
made it 24 to go and Phan called all in
for 18k. The hands are shown. Ouch! Kings
for Phan, aces for Jett. Rags come and
Phan goes.
On hand 42, Kumar flopped a set of sevens
when the flop came 8-7-5. He bet 8k and
Kenna James moved him in. James, a PR
player at Hawaiian Gardens, had 8-6, giving
him top pair and an open-end straight
draw He hit his straight with a river
nine and busted Kumar.
At this point, Jett was still flying high
with 240k, followed by James with 165k;
Barker with 80k; and Matt Szymaszek, a
recent college grad, with about 20k. On
hand 50, Jett limped with A-K and had
what looked like a perfect flop: A-2-3.
It was perfect for Warbucks, who had flopped
a wheel. Warbucks slow-played it, calling
when Jett moved in on the river and doubled
up to 140k. Jett was now in third place
behind Warbucks and James.
Right after blinds went to 1,500/3000
with $500 antes, Szymaszek, who had moved
all in five times before and lived, did
so for the final time for 19k. Jett called.
James raised 60k and Jett moved in for
65k more. "That is a bet!" James exclaimed,
unsure what to do. Finally putting Jett
on A-K, he called with pocket jacks. Bad
read; Jett had kings He busted Szymaszek,
who had Ad-7d, hauled in a huge pot of
271.5k and was well in front again.
James was down to about 47k, but he hung
on. After 50 more hands, when blinds went
to 2,000/4,000, with $500 antes, the rough
count was: Jett, 270k; Barker, 155k; Warbucks,
100k and James, 40k.
James finally left on hand 106. In the
small blind, he tried an all-in bluff
bet of 28k with just 10-7. Barker picked
him off, calling with K-J and flopping
a jack.
Jett lost the lead a second time when
he raised to 16k with K-10 and Warbucks,
with pocket jacks, moved in for 61k more
and flopped a set. The approximate count:
Barker, 220k; Jett, 185; Warbucks, 160k.
Then Warbucks won a 150k pot from Jett,
who flopped a set of fives when the board
came 6-5-3 with two hearts. Two more hearts
came, and Warbucks, with pocket queens,
one a heart, had a second nut flush. "The
best play I ever made in my life," Warbucks
said afterwards. "I didn't risk my chips
until I made the flush."
But Jett stormed back, picked up a couple
of pots and then busted Barker, who moved
in for about 25k with A-4 and flopped
an ace. Jett had only pocket deuces, but
made a set on the river.
Heads-up, Jett now enjoyed a lead of about
300-265k. Ten hands later he and Warbucks
were dead even. Right after limits went
to 3-6k, the deciding pot came down.
Warbucks, on the button, had pocket queens
again, and Jett had 7s-6s. The flop was
As-Qs-3s. Jett made a small trap raise
of 10k with his flush.
Warbucks tried to call, but mistakenly
put in 20k. Jett re-raised 60k more and
Warbucks moved in with his set. A nine
of hearts and jack of spades didn't help
Warbucks, and just like that the tournament
was over and Jett was the 2003 Cal State
2003 champion.
-- by Max Shapiro
|
