Making
Poker History: Scott Fischman Becomes
Youngest Player Ever to Win
Two Gold Bracelets
--
23-year-old Las Vegan triumphs again,
three days after winning first title
I’ve been in the zone for two
months, now.
-- Scott Fischman (two-time champion
in 2004)
First there was Stu Ungar. Then, Phil
Hellmuth. Then, Phil Ivey. When these
youthful champions burst upon the poker
scene in their respective eras, they were
widely considered to be prodigies � supremely-talented
poker players with a gift for cards far
beyond what might expect at such a young
age. It�s seems inconceivable that any
of today�s players could match the achievements
of those young superstars, but that�s
exactly what happened in the $2,000 buy-in
H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2004 World Series
of Poker.
Scott Fischman, at age 23, became the
youngest player ever to win two championships.
He collected $100,200 for first place.
Only three days ago, Fischman won his
first gold bracelet in the $1,500 buy-in
No-Limit Hold�em event � netting $300,000.
This now puts his money winnings at this
year�s WSOP at $400,200 � the highest
of any player at the moment.
What
makes Fishman�s poker accomplishments
all the more impressive is that he did
it versus gigantic fields. Years ago,
most poker tournaments attracted no more
than a few hundred players. But this year,
Fischman faced the daunting task of plowing
through 831 players in the No-Limit hold�em
event (which he won) and another 237 players
in the H.O.R.S.E. event (another win).
Hence, what we have witnessed here at
the WSOP within a two-day period has indeed
been history making.
Fischman�s
victory in the H.O.R.S.E. event proves
at least on other thing. Fischman�s win
a few nights ago was certainly no fluke
(they said Stuey was �lucky,� too in 1980
� then he came back and won the next year,
too). Make no mistake -- Fischman can
flat out play, and his poker abilities
were proven when he won one of the most
challenging WSOP events of all � the H.O.R.S.E.
tournament.
H.O.R.S.E.
is an acronym for a rotation of poker
games, which includes: (1) Texas hold�em
(2) Omaha (3) Razz (4) Seven-Card Stud
and (5) Stud-Eight-or-Better. Winning
such an event requires the unique talent
to play all games.
After
the overwhelming majority of players were
eliminated on day one, the nine finalists
returned the second day at the final table.
Interestingly, all nine players had been
at the final table at least once before
at the WSOP. They went out, as follows:
9th
� BRIAN NADELL � The Detroit native is
a 47 year old poker player, who has made
many final tables at major events. He
has 16 cashes at the WSOP, including three
seconds. Nadell was playing Stud Eight-or-Better
when he started with a pair of 10s, but
failed to improve. He lost to a pair of
aces. Nadell collected $5,500.
8th
� CHRIS GRIGORIAN � During the Limit Hold�em
leg, Grigorian bet �all in� with K-Q off-suit
and lost to A-5 when an ace flopped. Grigorian,
a.k.a. �The Armenian Express,� was one
of the hottest players in poker a year
ago, but has struggled most recently.
His best WSOP finish to date was 5th in
the S.H.O.E. event two years ago. Grigorian
broke a bad streak by making the final
table and cashed with $9,160.
7th
� MIKE WATTEL � Two players went out on
the same hand when the short-stacked Wattel
raised from the button and was �all in�
with K-4. Don Zewin went �all in� (holding
9-10) on a straight draw after the flop
came 8-7-7. John Cover had A-6 and won
the pot with ace-high after two blanks
fell � which eliminated both Wattel and
Zewin. Wattel, a 33-year-old poker pro
from Phoenix who won a gold bracelet here
in 1999, received $12,220.
6th
� DON ZEWIN � Zewin took the higher-place
finish since he had more chips at the
start of the hand. Zewin was $15,280 richer
at the end of the day. Zewin, a local
Vegas pro who was third in the main event
($10,000 world championship) in 1989,
locked up the 6th place spot.
5th
� GREG MASCIO � Playing Razz, Mascio lost
a big pot to a wheel, then committed his
last chip with 2-4-6-8. He caught three
bricks and lost to 8-7-5-3-2. This was
Mascio�s seventh time to cash at the WSOP,
with his bet showing in the Omaha High-Low
event back in 2002.
4th
� �SYRACUSE CHRIS� TSIPRAILIDIS � Born
in Greece, �Syracuse Chris� migrated to
upstate New York and opened a restaurant.
He started playing tournament poker about
15 years ago and has cashed in and won
several events � including at the World
Series of Poker ($3,000 buy-in No-Limit
Hold�em in 2000). Unfortunately, the final
table was a nightmare for Syracuse Chris,
as he failed to gain any momentum during
his two-hour stay. Syracuse Chris finally
went out when he bricked and paired with
three successive bad cards in Razz, and
ended up as the 4th-place finisher. Syracuse
Chris has now cashed 20 times at the WSOP.
3rd
� ALAN BOSTON � Boston is perhaps best
known for his success as a high-stakes
sports gambler. He was featured in the
2002 book called �The Odds,� which described
Boston�s daily sports betting ritual during
college basketball season. Boston considers
himself a seven-card stud specialist,
although he certainly played well in each
and every leg of this event. This was
his fourth final table since his first
appearance at the WSOP in 1998 (best finish
� third in $2,500 Seven-Card Stud, in
2002). Boston was eliminated playing Razz
when his 9-7 was burned by a made-7. Boston
added $33,060 to his gambling bankroll
for third place.
HEADS-UP:
The heads-up match between SCOTT FISCHMAN
and JOHN COVER lasted about two hours.
At the start, chip counts were as follows:
FISCHMAN
� $195K
COVER -- $137K
It
looked as though COVER might win the match
quickly, when he seized the chip lead,
then had FISCHMAN �all in� at one point.
Playing Seven-Card Stud, FISCHMAN managed
to survive when he caught a second pair
� jacks up. However, many of those chips
were lost a short time later when COVER
beat FISCHMAN with flush over flush. Facing
a 3 to 1 chip disadvantage, things turned
around for FISCHMAN on the Stud Eight-or-Better
round, which he dominated. When the game
turned to hold�em, FISCHMAN seemed to
enjoy even more of an advantage as he
countered COVER�s increasingly aggressive
tendencies with some aggression of his
own. Before the flop, many hands had been
raised, re-raised, and re-raised again.
Playing $10K-20K, FISCHMAN was in control
most of the way and finally won when both
players got into a raising war � FISCHMAN�s
8-8 versus COVER�s A-5. COVER tried to
steal the pot with no pair after the flop
J-10-6, but FISCHMAN was committed at
that point, check-raised, and won the
last pot of the night when two blanks
fell on the turn and river. FISCHMAN finished
off his adversary at 7:00 pm to a cheering
crowd of supporters.
When
asked about the meaning of winning a H.O.R.S.E.
event, which is more representative of
�overall� skill, as opposed to an event
involving a single game such as hold�em
or stud, FISCHMAN said, �Someone told
me that Doyle Brunson won this event last
year � and I think that�s all you have
to say. It definitely feels good to win
this tournament.�
�I�ve
been in �the zone� for two months, now.
I cashed 13th in the pot-limit event,
I won a few days ago, and I won here again
today,� FISCHMAN added. When asked about
a the possibility of becoming only the
fourth player to win three gold bracelets
in a single year, FISCHMAN said, �Yeah,
I would love it. No, I�m not going to
predict it.�
FISCHMAN
was mobbed by his supporters, which included
his family, who posed with the smiling
new champion holding up two bracelets.
As pictures were taken and cameras rolled,
runner up JOHN COVER, a real estate developer
and amateur poker player, was asked about
the disappointment of finishing second.
�(FISCHMAN)
changed gears at the end. He was very
tough to figure out�.Actually, I prefer
playing heads-up, but this was a real
challenge. I really liked playing with
Scott today, because he plays rock n�
roll poker. It was fun.�
SECOND-CHANCE
NIGHTLY TOURNAMENTS
– ONLY AT THE HORSESHOE!
Every
night at 10:45, the Horseshoe is hosting
a $225 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Tournament.
This is the only late-night poker tournament
in Las Vegas. So far, the Second-Chance
Tournament has attracted seven former
World Champions, including the reigning
champion, Chris Moneymaker. Prize-money
for first place has exceed over $10,000
on most nights. Normally, two tables (18
places) are paid. “Late Night at
the World Series of Poker” is hosted
by the sweet-tempered Warren Karp.
-- by Nolan Dalla
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