Online Poker News » July 2006
» July 5, 2006.
Event 6: No-Limit Hold'em. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie (Redux) - Australian Poker Pro Mark Vos Wins $803,274 Outperforming Two Thousands Players.
Official Results and Report from the 2006 World Series of Poker. Event 6: No-Limit Hold'em with Buy-in of $2,000.
2005 WSOP Champion: Erik Seidel.
Mark Vos has a plan. And, despite winning over three-quarters of a million dollars tonight, he's sticking to it. You see, Vos - at the tender age of 23 - made a personal decision that he will spend the next five years of his life "working" and the five years immediately after that "relaxing." Vos' plan is to play poker (which he defines as "work") and then take the second-half of a decade off. It's an unconventional career path to say the least.
If "work" means coming to Las Vegas to play in the World Series of Poker, overwhelming a near-record field of 1,919 players, and earning $803,274 in just three days, then - then, there are certainly worse jobs. One has to ask, "Are there any job openings left? Where does one sign up?" Indeed, Vos won the $2,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em championship and earned his very first WSOP gold bracelet. Vos, a college student-turned-poker player from Brisbane became only the third Australian national ever to win an event at the World Series of Poker. He joins former Aussie champs Gary Benson (1996 - Seven-Card Stud) and Joe Hachem (2005 - championship event) in the trifecta of poker winners from down under.
After two long days of play, the final table on Day Three started with nine players, including 2001 world poker champion Carlos Mortensen. Vos arrived a distant second in the chip count to Kevin Peterson, a poker pro from the Dallas area:
Name Chip Count Seat #
David Wells $275,000 1
J.R. Reiss $222,000 2
Willard Chang $214,000 3
Kevin Peterson $1,130,000 4
Nam Le $323,000 5
Vanessa Selbst $492,000 6
Mark Vos $528,000 7
Thomas Hunt III $468,000 8
Carlos Mortensen $215,000 9
Despite being short-stacked, the first player eliminated was something of a surprise. "The Matador," Carlos Mortensen didn't last long. Mortensen's pocket sevens turned out to be an unlucky number when he was all-in and ran into ace-nine. An ace flopped and Mortensen waved farewell. Ninth-place paid $73,344.
Next, David Wells (no relation to the major league baseball player) struck out when he took a tough beat - king-ten against his opponent's king-eight. An eight flopped and Wells was yanked from the game. The stock trader from Scottsdale, Arizona collected $87,315 for eighth place.
Vanessa Selbst was the second female player to make a final table appearance at this year's WSOP. She had enough chips to be a force early, but was caught bluffing at the worst possible time. Selbst tried to move Kevin Peterson off of his hand with an all-in pre-flop re-raise, but she might as well have been standing on the railroad tracks staring at a roaring freight train. Peterson called instantly and flipped over pocket aces. He caught two more aces on the board to make four-of-a-kind, flattening Selbst's chances to become history's tenth female WSOP gold bracelet winner (in open events). Vanessa Selbst, a Yale University graduate last year, received $101,285.
The end-result for Kevin Peterson had to be disappointing. The chip-leader at the start, Peterson went through a very rocky two hours and failed to survive. He lost most of his chips holding pocket queens against Nam Le's ace-king. A king flopped. That was the first serious hatchet chop into Peterson's stack. Others would follow. The final blow was Peterson's all-in move with queen-ten suited, losing to J.R. Reiss' small pocket pair. Peterson picked up $115,255 in prize money.
A short time later, Willard Chang went out with a weaker hand that he would have liked under the circumstances. With blinds and antes escalating, Chang moved in hoping not to get called holding king-three, which was covered by Nam Le's king-queen. Both players flopped a king, but the queen-kicker played and Chang was eliminated. Willard Chang, am engineer from Hawaii, received $136,211.
Thomas Hunt must have felt like a gang victim when he moved all-in with his few remaining chips in the small blind and was called down by all three opponents. The players checked on each successive round, and when J.R. Reiss revealed an ace to go with an ace on board, everyone mucked their cards - including Hunt, who ended up as the fourth-place finisher. Thomas Hunt, a physician from Las Vegas, billed the prize pool for $160,659.
Down to just three players, J.R. Reiss moved all-in with top-pair, top kicker (ace jacks to the board's - 10-8-4-J-6) and was called quickly by Nam Le, holding nine-seven, good for a straight. Reiss, a professional gambler from Omaha, Nebraska added $209,555 to his bankroll. When heads-up play began, Nam Le enjoyed nearly a 3 to 1 chip advantage - 2,775,000 to Vos' 1,065,000. But great poker players shine in moments of adversity. It took Vos 45 minutes to seize the chip lead, plus another hour to lock down the victory. After Vos made a flush and took the chip lead, Le made one last valiant stab at the top prize, temporarily regaining the chip lead for a short time. He could have broken Vos when he had his opponent all-in with queen-jack to Vos' pocket sevens. But Le failed to connect with a pair, and that would ultimately spell doom for the aspiring champ.
Vos picked away chips from Le's stack and gradually built up a 2 to 1 chip lead. The final hand was somewhat unanticipated as Vos was dealt queen-ten suited against Le's pocket sixes. After catching a queen on the flop, Vos bet out and Le called. A blank fell on the turn, and Vos bet again. Le called. The river brought a queen, giving Vos trip-queens. Vos moved all-in and Le, suspecting a bluff, called. That was a mistake. The trip queens gave Vos the championship.
Nam Le, the second-place finisher, collected $401,647.
"I prefer to play poker online," Vos said immediately following his victory. "I still prefer cash games online, but there is nothing like the experience of playing in a live tournament and making it all the way to the final table. Cash games are my day job, but the tournaments are for excitement and fun." said a member of Full Tilt Poker team.
Vos said he plans to stick with his game plan. "(Winning) does not really change things," he said. "I mean, it helps. But I still plan to play poker... then (in five years) I'll relax, settle down, and find a place to live and decide what I want to do with the rest of my life."
Official Results:
1. Mark Vos Brisbane, AU $803,274
2. Nam Le Huntington Beach, CA $401,647
3. J.R. Reiss Omaha, NE $209,555
4. Thomas Hunt Las Vegas, NV $160,659
5. Willard Chang Honolulu, HI $136,211
6. Kevin Peterson Plano, TX $115,255
7. Vanessa Selbst Montclair, NJ $101,285
8. David Wells Toledo, OH $87,315
9. Carlos Mortensen Madrid, Spain $73,344
10. Alfredo "Toto" Leonidas Glendale, CA $59,374
11. Steven Conighiard San Francisco, CA $55,881
12. Raymond Millard Tamarac, FL $52,389
13. Jack Ward Gulfport, MA $48,896
14. Charles Thompson Santa Cruz, CA $45,404
15. Raymond Foley Livonia, MI $41,911
16. Yarom Limor Beverly Hills, CA $38,418
17. Ryan Krall North Las Vegas, NV $34,926
18. Jimmy Stoitsiades Northville, MI $31,433
19. Garret Allen Chandler, AZ $27,941
20. Billy Baxter Las Vegas, NV $27,941
21. Massimiliano Pescatorei Las Vegas, NV $27,941
22. Diego Garcia Albuquerque, NM $24,448
23. Carlos Zambrano Babylon, NY $24,448
24. Randall Swope Lanesville, OH $24,448
25. Jeffrey Ashton Phoenix, AZ $17,463
26. Eng Tay Chamblee, GA $17,463
27. Randy Lowery Macon, GA $17,463
28. Herbert Cheng New York, NY $13,970
29. Keith Witermans Vancouver, BC $13,970
30. Roy Thung White Plains, NY $13,970
31. Mink Nguyen Bell Gardens, CA $12,224
32. Noah Nodine Norman, OK $12,224
33. Thomas Kierstead IV Bainbridge Island, WA $12,224
34. Pierce Shaad Valley Glen, CA $10,478
35. Hieu Ma S. El Monte, CA $10,478
36. David Gregory South Lake, TX $10,478
37. Bertrand Grospellie Vandoeuvre, France $10,478
38. Jason Lefkowitz Carmel Valley, CA $10,478
39. Thomas Antanucci Germantown, MD $10,478
40. James Gauley Sunnyside, WA $10,478
41. Dwayne Boring Lake Forrest, CA $10,478
42. Luis Gonzalez Las Vegas, NV $10,478
43. Devin Porter Salt Lake City, UT $10,478
44. Peter Dalhuissen Utrecht, Holland $10,478
45. Norman Lapin Sherman Oaks, CA $10,478
46. Brian Lindsay Coral Springs, FL $8,731
47. Jennifer Harman Las Vegas, NV $8,731
48. Douglas White Henderson, NV $8,731
49. Joshua Vanduyn San Diego, CA $8,731
50. Takatushi Uei Osaka, Japan $8,731
51. Alon Butcher Guttman Encino, CA $8,731
52. Sam Kim Waltham, MA $8,731
53. Jose Rosenkrantz Miami, FL $8,731
54. Mo Socarras Coconut Grove, FL $8,731
55. Francois Safieddine Denver, CO $8,731
56. Michael Abdoulah Las Vegas, NV $6,985
57. Evan Brown New York, NY $6,985
58. Cyndy Violette Los Angeles, CA $6,985
59. Mike Addy Albuquerque, NM $6,985
60. Joshua Sisar Barnegat, NJ $6,985
61. Steve Cowley Richmond, VA $6,985
62. Moshe Elazar Las Vegas, NV $6,985
63. Lonnie Heimowitz Monticello, NY $6,985
64. Benjamin Lin Rockville, MD $6,985
65. Jason Stern San Jose, CA $6,985
66. Hung Doan Overland Park, KS $6,985
67. Eric Govelstein Austin, TX $6,985
68. Michael Simpson Middle Viarage, NY $6,985
69. Ray Blodgett Riverside, CA $6,985
70. Jet Taylor Satellite Beach, FL $6,985
71. Christopher Roth Waukesha, WI $6,985
72. Steve Happas "Dakota" Brain Tree, MA $6,985
73. Andy Ball San Diego, CA $5,239
74. Joseph Nekrasz Sammamish, WA $5,239
75. Enberto Soto Mesa, AZ $5,239
76. Jonas Johansson Linkoping, Sweden $5,239
77. Jean-Robert Bellande Las Vegas, NV $5,239
78. Chris Reslock Atlantic City, NJ $5,239
79. Marc Durand Henderson, NV $5,239
80. Jose Homberto Brenes Miami Lakes, FL $5,239
81. Steve Fox Youngstown, FL $5,239
82. Darryl Huey Placentia, CA $5,239
83. Walter Tiptin Lexington, KY $5,239
84. Johnny Chan Las Vegas, NV $5,239
85. Diana Eiges Norco, CA $5,239
86. Greg Violette Las Vegas, NV $5,239
87. Scott Zakheim Davie, FL $5,239
88. Jared Woodin Pittsburg, CA $5,239
89. Scott Fischman Las Vegas, NV $5,239
90. unknown unknown $5,239
91. Tim Davis San Diego, CA $5,239
92. Mike Kachan Edina, MN $5,239
93. Ricci Cesidio LaSalle, Quebec $5,239
94. Ken Justin Cambridge, MA $5,239
95. Al Horowitz East Brunswick, NJ $5,239
96. Brett E. Kell Lake Elsinore, CA $5,239
97. Trent Schuler Springfield, Oh $5,239
98. Michael Raimon Bradenton, FL $5,239
99. John Espisito, Jr. Las Vegas, NV $5,239
100. Richard Sharpe Henderson, NV $5,239
101. Steve L. Rassi Morton, IL $5,239
102. James Richburg, Jr. Henderson, NV $5,239
103. Thomas Sanduski Las Vegas, NV $5,239
104. Delainey Blakeney Brandon, MS $5,239
105. Aviv Shaham Scottsdale, AS $5,239
106. Adan K. Nilsson Eskilstung, Sweden $5,239
107. Chad Bradbury Wichita, KS $5,239
108. Lucio Procopio Liverpool, NY $5,239
109. Joshua McBroom Las Vegas, NV $3,493
110. Paul E. Nobles, Jr. Eagan, MN $3,493
111. Charlie Culp Mebane, NC $3,493
112. Dave Morrison Victoria, BC $3,493
113. Alon Doitch Northridge, CA $3,493
114. Dana Diephouse Baton Rouge, LA $3,493
115. Todd E. Kilpatrick Helotes, TX $3,493
116. Kent Washington unknown $3,493
117. Marcello Cabrera Los Angeles, CA $3,493
118. Darius Zolnor Los Angeles, CA $3,493
119. John Tucley Columbus, OH $3,493
120. Jiji Liv Las Vegas, NV $3,493
121. Avi Freedman Philadelphia, PA $3,493
122. Mahamoud Mastafa Los Angeles, CA $3,493
123. John Tsai Sigual Hill, CA $3,493
124. Mark Stinson Wescosville, PA $3,493
125. Gary Lent Riverside, CA $3,493
126. Assani Fisher New York, NY $3,493
127. Jonathan Hart New York, NY $3,493
128. Kendall Copp Ponder, TX $3,493
129. Jerry Dixon Guymon, OK $3,493
130. Gary Benson Sidney, Australia $3,493
131. Barry Werthman Beverly Hills, MI $3,493
132. Justin Marchand Las Vegas, NV $3,493
133. Bruno "Da Butcher" Fiorenza Philly $3,493
134. Kenneth Fitzgerald Roseville, CA $3,493
135. Michael Bittan Englewood, NJ $3,493
136. Jerri Thomas Hamilton, OH $3,493
137. Alvin Zendenfeld Los Angeles, CA $3,493
138. John Minor Indianapolis, IN $3,493
139. Greg Turk Sterling, VA $3,493
140. Michael Zimbric Madison, WI $3,493
141. Kent Lindblom Las Vegas, NV $3,493
142. Samuel Eden Austin, TX $3,493
143. Willie Tan London England $3,493
144. William Meenhofen FL $3,493
145. Blair Rodman Las Vegas, NV $3,493
146. Veilli Walbeck Finland $2,794
147. David Colclough England $2,794
148. Napoleon Ta Palo Alto, CA $2,794
149. Jon Lactaoen Honolulu, HI $2,794
150. John Dagostino 3rd Egg Harbor Twp $2,794
151. Todd Krauss Tarzana, CA $2,794
152. Padroag Parkinson Dublin, Ireland $2,794
153. Sirous Baghchehsaraie Long Beach, CA $2,794
154 Fahrhad Kohani Los Angeles, CA $2,794
155 Lee Kimmel Upland, CA $2,794
Source: www.WorldSeriesOfPoker.com, by Nolan Dalla
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