VINNY PAHUJA TAKES FIRST!!
RECORD NUMBER FOR SHOOT-OUT!
Easily topping last year's number, a record 1390 players anted up $300 to enter the 2008
Foxwoods Poker Classic No-Limit Hold'em Shoot-out. Single table shoot-outs were held at 10 am
and 1 pm and the top three players on each table advanced to the 4 pm Finals. A total of 417 winners
returned at 4 pm to pursue the prize pool of $350,558! By curfew there were 46 players remaining;
they resumed play at Noon on Tuesday and by 4 pm the Final Table was underway. After 3 hours of
play, Vinny Pahuja of New York City, NY, claimed the Championship Trophy and commemorative
leather jacket with a wire to wire victory.
It took almost an hour before the first player left the final table. Jeffery White of Charlton,
MA, was down to his last 2k after losing two hands with KQ. Jeffery could not catch and he would
take home $3,538 for 10th place. The next hand Andrew Nannery pushed all-in for 40K with pocket
K's. Danny Mancuso called with KJ. An AQ on the flop and a 10 on the turn gave Danny a straight
and Andrew would return home to Marlborough, MA, with 9th place money of $4,382. Eighth place
and $6,135 was claimed by Steven Lee of Torrington, CT. Steve was all-in with A2 but Vinny's
pocket 6's held up and Steve was gone from the final table. Marco Pimental was down to his last
20K after his AQ lost to Kevin Madeira's AK. With the blinds at 8K-16K, Marco went all-in with K6;
but David Gelley had pocket A's and Marco would take 7th place money of $8,764 home to East
Providence, RI.
Vinny Pahuja began the final table as the chip leader and with six players remaining he had
over a 3 to 1 chip advantage. He increased his edge when David Gelley of Dix Hills, NY, went all-in
for 183K with AQ after a KJ7 flop. Vinny called with KJ and an A on the turn gave David some hope
but a 9 on the river left David in 6th place with $12,269.
Vinny now had a 4 to 1 lead over the other five players at the table. Tiffany Williamson of
Columbia, MD, and Kevin "Madman" Madeira of East Taunton, MA, began the day with short
stacks and were still trailing. Will "The Thrill" Failla, Commack, NY, and Danny Mancuso,
Fairfield, CT, were somewhat ahead of Tiffany and Kevin but clearly behind Vinny. After some
discussion, it was decided that the money remaining in the prize pool would be divided. Vinny was
declared the winner of $75,000 and the other four players took $29,890 apiece.
Vinny Pahuja is the $300 No-Limit Hold'em Shoot-out Champion for 2008!
Reported by Jeffrey
A. Toth for Foxwoods Resort Casino |
