Event
#1
The
first event of the 2003 World Poker Open
began with 230 entrants. After day one,
9 players came to the final table, representing
a broad spectrum of poker experience.
At one extreme was the youthful Frank
Kasella -- playing in his first-ever Omaha-high
tournament. The opposite extreme was retired
Lindy Chambers who stated, "I've been
playing this game ever since I was born."
Play
started with blinds set at $1K-2K. David
Grana, from upstate New York, was the
first player to made an unwanted exit
when he was dealt A-A-4-5 versus Dwain
Fulcher's A-K-J-10. The flop came J-9-2
and Grana's remaining chips went into
the pot. Fulcher held top-pair and top-kicker,
with several outs to a straight. He caught
a Q on the river to complete a king-high
straight -- knocking Grana, the owner
of a C.P.A. firm, out in 9th place with
$4,183.
A
short time later, Lowell Walker -- who
came to the final table with the shortest
stack -- was rudely eliminated. Walker
(holding A-J-J-5) moved all-in when the
flop came K-10-3. Frank Kasella called
the large bet with A-K-Q-5. The pair of
kings help up and Walker, who has been
playing tournament poker about three years,
exited in 8th place with $5,228.
Kasella
increased his chip position again a few
hands later when he made a full-house
and ripped $25K away from Lindy Chambers.
Dwain Fulcher was not so fortunate. He
was dealt a pretty hand -- A-K-K-10 and
went out when he ran into Kasella's A-3-4-5.
When the flop came 2-5-5 that mess gave
Kasella trip 5s. However, a miracle king
failed to materialize which meant Fulcher,
a Las Vegas-based poker pro, was out in
7th place with $6,535 in prize money.
Kasella
seized the chip lead for the first time
when a three-way pot developed. Then chip
leader, Doug Paxton raised $6K pre-flop
which was called quickly by Kasella and
Jake Naumer. After the flop came A-Q-2,
both players checked to Kasella who made
a $32K bet. Both players folded which
meant Kasella was in the lead.
Blinds
increased to $1500-3000. Tournament regular
Peter Vilandos arrived at the final table
in decent shape with $58K, but took a
beat when he committed his chips with
A-A-A-9 versus Chambers' K-J-10-3. Both
players moved their chips into the pot
after the flop came K-8-5 offsuit. When
a king fell on the turn, that catch gave
Chambers trip kings, topping Vilandos
pair of aces. Vilandos was severely crippled
with just $5K in chips and went out a
short time later with 6-7-7-8 against
Chamber's Q-J-10-4. Chambers ended up
with a straight and Vilandos -- who made
three final tables at last year's World
Poker Open -- exited in 6th place with
$9,150.
Chambers
now had the chip lead with nearly $120K.
He managed to avoid a trap a short time
later when the final board showed K-8-3-6-6.
Doug Paxton reached for his chips and
Chambers folded, sensing danger. Paxton
showed four 6s and took down the pot.
Over the next 90 minutes, play slowed
down considerably as the five players
traded-off chips and exchanged chip leads
on several occasions. Robert Williamson,
the popular tournament regular from Dallas,
sat patiently during most of the hands
-- nursing his average stack and moving-in
with highly-selective aggression. Blinds
escalated again to $2K-4K.
Finally
after a long wait, Jake Naumer, a former
stockbroker, was the next player to get
busted. Naumer committed his remaining
chips with K-K-9-2 versus Chambers' J-J-7-7.
All the money went in when the flop came
out A-J-10 and Chambers' three Jacks held
up to take down a $120K pot. Naumer, who
remarkably has entered just three poker
tournaments -- and managed to make three
final tables (now three for three!) --
went out in fifth place with $11,764.
It was quite a return on investment for
Naumer, who later stated he won his way
into this tournament by playing in a $65
single-table satellite. Very impressive.
By
this time, Doug Paxton had become low
on chips. He survived one all-in, but
couldn't repeat the magic a second time.
Paxton's final hand of the night was K-K-9-8.
The flop looked innocent enough -- 7-3-2.
However, tricky Lindy Chambers held A-2-4-5,
which meant he had a tiny pair and numerous
outs. Paxton's remaining chips rolled
into the pot and Chambers was delighted
when a 4 came on the turn -- giving him
an Ace to Five straight. Paxton, who harvests
wheat throughout the Midwest and enjoys
playing poker recreationally, cashed out
in fourth place with $15,685.
And
then there were three remaining. Chip
counts stood as follows:
Chambers
-- $190K
Kasella -- $130K
Williamson -- $111K
Robert
Williamson immediately took a massive
hit when he lost a big pot to Chambers.
However, he wasn't the least bit fazed
by the loss of chips, content to make
his move at the right time with only about
$40K left. The "right time" came a few
hands later when Williamson got right
back into contention when he flopped a
full house -- jacks over eights versus
Chambers who stared blankly at the board.
Then, Williamson went on an absolute tear,
building his stack up $20K to $30K at
a time. His two opponents could only watch
in horror. Despite demonstrating some
extraordinary poker skills, Kasella and
Chambers were helpless to cease the Williamson
steamroller. Williamson's domination of
the final hour continued when he flopped
top two pair virus Kasella. The hand started
innocently enough. Williamson was dealt
10-9-7-5 versus Kasella's A-J-J-8. The
flop came 10-9-6. Williamson made a large
bet, and Kasella raised all-in with a
straight flush draw. Holding the J-8 of
clubs and looking at the board that included
the 9-10 of clubs gave Kasella a powerful
draw. But things got ugly for Kasella
quick. The next card was a 9, giving Williamson
a full-house. The river failed to produce
the two-outer for Kasella, when meant
a $24,834 payday. Not bad for Kasella
-- who was playing in his first Omaha-high
tournament ever!
Down
the head-up play, Williamson enjoyed nearly
a 2-1 chip advantage over Chambers. The
gold and diamond World Poker Open bracelet
was placed on the table as both players
kept one eye on the cards and the other
on the prize. Blinds increased to $5K-$10K.
There
was no stopping Williamson at this point.
Quiet and unassuming during early rounds
at the final table, Williamson became
much more aggressive when it got down
to four players. Later, he took a tough
beat and was out chipped by almost 6-1.
In a furious comeback, Williamson managed
claw his way back to even, then take complete
command of the tournament. Williamson
later admitted he has great respect for
Chambers -- who repeatedly flashed cards
and baited his opponents with good-natured
humor. In fact, Chambers was nearly impossible
to put on a hand. But when Williamson
won a $100K pot from Chambers in the final
stages of the tournament, the end was
on the horizon.
The
final hand of the night came when Williamson
was dealt 8-8-4-3. Chambers was dealt
A-J-7-7. The flop came J-8-2 and Chambers'
last chips went into the pot. Williamson
was thrilled to call with trip 8s -- which
ended up as the winning hand. Over a hundred
spectators stood and applauded as Chambers
took second place and $49,669. Williamson
was the champ.
Robert
Williamson finished second in the Ace-to-Five
Draw event at the World Poker Open last
year. Not surprisingly, he admits that
finishing first "is much sweeter." With
the impressive victory, Robert Williamson
now currently holds two titles. He won
an event at the 2002 World Series of Poker
and now has won the first event of the
2003 World Poker Open. Odds are, we have
not seen the last of Robert Williamson
in the winners circle.
-- by Nolan Dalla
|
