LATE
RUSH EARNS HASAN HABIB
VICTORY IN EVENT #11, OMAHA/8
For a long stretch, Hasan Habib, Ron Faltinsky
and Reza Payvar, the three finalists in
the $1,000 Omaha hi-lo event, were fairly
close in chips. In fact, they made an
even split for the bulk of the prize pool.
But then, with the starting time for the
afternoon event nearing, Habib pushed
in the throttle, went on a rush and, with
exquisite timing, wrapped things up at
exactly 3 p.m. He collected an official
$48,255, along with a points lead tie,
and promptly sat down in the $1,000 no-limit
hold'em contest.
Habib,
a local pro, has numerous tournament wins,
but his biggest cash-out was for $326,000
for finishing fourth in a WSOP championship
event. He plays all games, but likes Omaha
hi-lo and no-limit hold'em because those
have given him the best results.
Though
this was supposed to be a one-day tournament,
the nine finalists voted to return and
finish their business the next day. Limits
at the final table started at $1,000-$2,000
with 30:32 left and Payvar the chip leader
with $49,200.
It is an established fact that Omaha hi-lo
is a game that can drive anyone to drink.
Example number one: On the third deal,
Steve Kaufman raised all in for $1,800
with a top starting hand of A-A-2-3 and
was called by Charlie Sayles with a much
weaker 2-3-5-7. Kaufman got double-counterfeited
with a board of 2-6-J-8-3 and was quartered
when Sayles made a better low, while both
ended up with the same deuces and treys
for high.
Two
hands later, Habib finished Kaufman off
by starting with A-2-8-9 and flopping
trip deuces. Kaufman, a professor, won
an Omaha/8 bracelet at Tunica this year.
Example
two in the perfidy of Omaha: On a flop
of Q-9-5, Saundra Taylor, with K-J-10-8,
committed her last chips needing either
a king, jack, 10 or 8 for a straight.
Faltinsky, starting with an A-2-4-7 low
hand, made nothing and was about to toss
his hand away when he realized that he
had eliminated Taylor with just an A-high
after a trey and five hit.
Sayles
finished seventh. In three-way action,
he called all in for $800 with A-Q-J-7
and then Vince Burgio raised his last
$3,000 with A-2-J-J. Burgio got 3/4 when
he split the nut low with "Super Mario"
Esquerra, while his jacks held up for
high. The super one's turn to exit came
on hand 35. He started with K-K-10-10.
Once again Faltinsky was looking for a
low with A-3-9-J, but scooped Esquerra
away by flopping aces and jacks.
Example
number three in Omaha frustration: With
a board of 8-7-5-10, Burgio bet all in
for $2,500. He seemed to have low locked
up with A-3-8-J while Habib had a straight
made with 2-3-6-9. Then a river ace counterfeited
Burgio, gave Habib the nut low, and Burgio
unhappily settled for fifth spot.
When
limits went to $2,000-$4,000, Payvar still
held the lead with about 67k. Faltinsky,
who was hitting a lot of hands, was closing
in with around $59,000, while Habib had
42k and Vegas pro Bill Gazes trailed with
24k.
Example
four: Gazes finished fourth in another
typical Omaha twist. He started with a
splendid A-2-4-6, and even though he was
double-counterfeited on a board of A-K-3-2,
he still had aces up and a 6-4 low, and
bet his last $500 chip. Unfortunately
for him, Payvar, starting with A-4-5-Q,
had made a wheel on the turn.
When
limits went to $3,000-$6,000 a few hands
later, Habib now had a slight lead with
70k, while Payvar had 65k and Faltinsky,
55k. When it became almost a dead heat
(65, 60, 65), the deal was made.
A
number of hands went by with the lead
changing hands a couple of times. First
Faltinsky moved up to a 75k lead. Then
Payvar took over with about 80k after
flopping aces-full against Faltinsky (though
he slow-played them all the way without
Faltinsky biting). Finally, Habib began
making his move.
He won a big pot from Payvar when he started
with 4-5-6-K and made a straight. He now
had close to 90k. He picked up another
scoop, again against Payvar, making the
best high and low with A-3-5-8 on a board
of 8-7-6-6-7. That took him to 110k. He
kept moving on up until he controlled
190,000 of the chips, leaving a piddling
20,000 for Payvar and 35,000 for Faltinsky.
On
hand 114, Faltinsky took Payvar out. He
had A-A-5-9 to A-2-4-4 for Payvar, and
the bullets prevailed when the board showed
K- Q-2-K-10.
Heads-up,
it wasn't much of a contest: 145k for
Habib, 45k for Faltinsky. After limits
went to $4,000-$8,000, Faltinksy, a nutritional
supplement dealer, was on the ropes after
making a flush that turned out to be lower
than Habib's.
On
the final hand, Habib held Q-10-10-4.
He flopped a set when the board came 10-5-6.
He raised, and Faltinsky, drawing to an
open-end straight and a low with A-4-7-9,
called for his last 17k. A king and jack
finished him, and Habib had all the chips.
-- by Max Shapiro
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