Stud/8
Win for Accountant
Daniel Loncaric, an accountant for
a group of at-risk schools for youths,
was declared the winner of the eighth
event of Legends 2004, $300 7-card stud
hi-lo, when it ended early in a five-way
chip-count deal. He arrived at the final
table with a substantial chip lead of
$45,400, and still had a small, $2,000
edge with $36,000 when the final tally
was made. He has another win, in lowball,
at Sal's in 1992, and once chopped a Tom
McEvoy stud/8 event.
This
being stud hi-lo, a traditionally recreational
poker game, there was only one pro at
the table, Glen Smith. The rest of the
players actually had jobs. Smith, a veteran
Las Vegas pro, has numerous titles, including
a $55,000 win in no-limit hold'em years
ago at the Four Queens. In the past month
he's won nine or 10 of the daily tournaments
at Binion's Horseshoe. Tonight he came
in third with $32,000 behind Anton "Tony"
Brenner, who ended with $34,000.
Limits
at the final table started at $1,500-$3,000
with $200 antes and a $400 low card bring-in.
In early action, Jeffrey Han, who is in
sales management, was all in with split
aces and scooped with a third bullet.
First out, on hand 13, was Steve "The
General" Figgins, a contractor with a
number of final tables but no wins. Limits
had just gone to $2,000-$4,000, with $300
antes and a $500 bring-in. Figgins started
with split 4s, was all in on fourth street
and caught a pair of 7s. Smith, starting
with (J-2)J, had opened with a raise,
and then paired his deuce to win with
a bigger two pair.
As
play continued, Han looked at rolled-up
9s. On fourth street he raised and went
all in again. He ended up making a flush
and split with Loncaric, who made a 6-low.
Marshall
Ragir is a screenwriter/filmmaker who
won the $500 7-stud hi-lo event at Legends
last year. He also has a second in stud
hi-lo at Commerce's LAPC (taking the most
money as chip leader when a deal was made),
along with final tables at the World Series,
Hall of Fame and in Omaha at Commerce's
Cal State. He was also part of a winning
Card Player tag team at Legends two years
ago that was captained by the late Andy
Glazer. Tonight Ragir left Lance Brukman
in seventh place on hand 19. Brukman,
who is in sales, started with buried 5s
and then missed his low draw, losing to
Ragir's 8s and deuces.
Ragir
himself began to get in trouble when Brenner
started with buried kings on hand 25 and
made a set on sixth street to beat Ragir's
small two pair. A hand later, Ragir was
down to $5,300 when he folded on fourth
street against Han. Ragir got a reprieve
two hands later when he made a heart flush
on the first five cards, again against
Han.
But
he only lasted three more hands. He was
all in on the river showing 10-8-9-3 against
Brenner, who had a board of 5-5-A-K. "I
have a full house," Brenner announced,
turning up A-5, and Ragir mucked without
showing his hole cards. Brenner listed
his occupation on his bio sheet as "surfing
instructor," which might be a stretch,
but we'll take his word for it.
Two
hands later, it appeared as if Smith had
busted Han, who raised all in on the river
for $600. Showing 5-8-4-6, Smith had made
a 6-high straight. Han showed only 3-5-K-8,
but to Smith's amazement turned up 2-4-6
for the same straight and a tie.
Returning from break, there was a race-off
of the $100 chips. Behind Loncaric, Brenner
and Smith was Adam Slutsky with $18,500,
while Han was last with $17,500. Slutsky,
who favors hold'em, is a film writer who
has also written four books on bartending,
including "Around the World in 40 Drinks."
The five now prepared to resume play at
$3,000-$6,000 limits with $500 antes and
a $1,000 bring-in. Instead, a chip count
deal was agreed on, and Loncaric had the
win.
BIOGRAPHY
Daniel
Loncaric, 47, in the chief financial officer
for Charter Schools, a publicly funded
group whose mission is to keep kids from
dropping out of school by providing private
tutoring. He's been playing poker for
20 years and favors $100 no-limit hold'em
in cash games. Besides casino tournaments,
he also plays in Barge events, and is
a "proud member" of Marc's Poker Pals
(Bike host Marc Gilutin).
Loncaric
turned his attention to stud hi-lo when
he lived in San Jose and found great games
at the Garden City casino. He likes the
game because he feels it demands so many
skills, such as knowing how to evaluate
the board and knowing when to switch from
low hands to high hands when the game
gets short-handed. Tonight he said he
"treaded water" for the first two hours,
then went on an hour rush with four tables
left which gave him the chips he needed
to win.
Max Shapiro
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