GOOD
LAYDOWN IS KEY PLAY IN
DAVID LEVI'S SEVEN-STUD WIN
David
Levi was staring at Willy Aguas' board
of 3h-4h-5c-Ah. Aguas had just bet $6,000,
and if Levi called he would be down to
three chips. Levi had two pair along with
a flush draw, but the Ah could have given
Aguas a flush or a straight. David stood
up, and for four minutes fiddled with
his chips in an agony of indecision before
finally folding.
It was a good laydown, because Aguas later
told him he had aces-up, and Levi was
then able to parlay his saved $9,000 into
a victory in the third event of Cal State
2003, seven-card stud. First place was
worth $20,590.
Levi's prior poker record includes winning
a tournament at the Orleans which had
probably the largest stud field ever:
490 players. He also holds the record
for the most final table finishes at the
Bellagio.
Tonight's final table got there after
Moshe Manzur finished ninth when he missed
his open-end straight draw and lost to
Aguas' set of treys. With 26 minutes left
in round 11, the final eight were playing
with $200 antes, a $500 low-card bring
in and limits of $1,500-$3,000.
Robert
Daniel, an air traffic controller, started
lowest in altitude with only $3,500. His
last chips went in on hand five and he
crash-landed when his pair of sevens were
edged by Dave Campbell's two eights.
A few hands later, Campbell, showing 7-9-3-K,
folded reluctantly when Hieu "Tony" Ma
bet showing 4-4-Q-J. Ma then showed him
a third four. Down to 6k, Campbell went
out on hand 14 when he missed his flush
draw and couldn't beat John Hoang's two
eights.
After limits went to $2,000-$4,000, with
$300 antes and a $500 bring-in, the sun
set on Sun Sam. On fourth street, Hoang
bet with K-K/ A-9, and Sam raised all
in for $2,900 with 9-7/9-Q. Both players
added another pair, but the kings-up took
the money.
As play continued, Levi was down to $2,000
when his queens and sixes won and gave
him new life.
On hand 43, the limits went to 3k-6k,
with $500 antes and a $1,000 bring-in.
The chip count was: Hoang, $39,500; Harvey
Goldson, $37,200; Ma, $30,000; and Aguas,
$5,100. Aguas made a quick recovery after
that with two pair to stay in the race.
Goldson was the next to go. With just
a few chips left, he went all in with
A-8/9. He nearly made a straight, but
the best he could make was two eights
and and Levi took his chips with two 10s.
Hand 59 was the one where Levi, shaking
his head, made his excruciating fold against
Aguas. A hand later, he completed a bet
holding J-10/4 and Ma raised him back
with Qs-10s/As. Ma paired his ace, but
Levi, going all in, made two pair and
picked up a nice pot. A few hands later,
Ma and Levi tangled again. Ma had split
aces to Levi's buried fives. On fourth
street, Levi hit a second pair, went all
in and won, leaving Ma with a single $500
chip. That wasn't even enough for an ante,
and Ma lost it on the next hand. He was
dealt K-Q/8, made nothing and Aguas picked
up his last chip with split nines.
There were now three players left, but
Hoang, who had earlier lost a big pot
when Aguas beat his two pair with a set
of treys, had been struggling ever since.
Hand 79 was the last for Hoang, who recently
earned best all-around honors at the Bicycle
Casino's Mini Series of Poker. Starting
with split aces, he also picked up an
inside straight draw and went all in on
sixth street but couldn't help. Levi had
started with buried deuces and picked
up a second pair to make the match heads-up.
The two finalists, playing with limits
of $5,000-$10,000, started pretty close,
$75,000 for Levi, $68,000 for Aguas. But
from then on it was pretty much Levi's
game as he won nine of the first 12 hands
dealt. By the sixth heads-up hand, Aguas
was down to about $20,000 when he folded
on fifth street against Levi's board of
8h-2h-3h.
The match-up lasted 15 hands. On the final
deal, Aguas put in his last $6,500 chasing
a straight and ended up with just two
fours. Levi, an ex-soccer pro from Israel,
kicked in the final goal with pocket kings
that improved to two pair.
-- by Max Shapiro
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