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Stateline, NV – Next time there is a major poker tournament in Lake Tahoe, poker players everywhere would be advised to visit and play in an area which is unquestionably one of the most beautiful in the nation. Nestled in a lush pine forest on the south shore of crystalline Lake Tahoe (the world's largest alpine lake), Harvey's Resort and Casino is steps away from golfing, boating, skiing, shopping, and hiking. It is a paradise for nature lovers. The poker isn't too bad, either.
Harveys and Harrah's (the two properties are linked and jointly owned) are hosting their third World Series of Poker Circuit stop. While some pros have made the trip to Northern Nevada, most of these tournaments are more relaxed and recreational than the normal high-stakes poker tournament. Think of your average home poker game on a Friday night. Maybe it's the lake. Maybe it's the crisp mountain air. Lake Tahoe is truly a magical place.
9th Place – Robert “R.J.” Kurey was no so fortunate to make it to the final table. He was actually eliminated on the previous night, on the final hand of play. Mr. Kurey is worth mentioning for the phenomenal run he enjoyed earlier in the tournament. Down to his last 250 in chips (players started with 2,500) with six tables remaining, Mr. Kurey was on the verge of elimination. Then, he went on a monster run. Mr. Kurey moved all-in five times and won all five hands. Ultimately, he made it into final nine in only the second tournament in which he has played. Mr. Kurey collected a most respectable $1,979.
7th Place – Seventh place went to Robert Brown. The business owner from Roseville, California started out with an average stack, but was never able to generate much momentum in the finale. Mr. Brown collected $3,958.
6th Place – Alan Bittikofer went out next. The 24-year-old Internet poker player from Hayward, California won his entry into this tournament via a $120 single-table satellite in the Harveys Poker Room. Mr. Bittikofer parlayed that modest initial investment into a payoff totaling $4,947.
5th Place – The final table had to be a big disappointment to Kevin Janas. The early chip leader, Mr. Janas took a few beats in the later rounds and watched helplessly as his stack evaporated. He finally busted out in fifth place. Mr. Janas, who works both as a poker room manager in the Bay Area and is also an actor, was cut from the final table script. He ended up with $5,936 in prize money.
4th Place – The confrontation which decided fourth place was a clash of the titans. Two former WSOP gold bracelet winners, Vince Burgio and Hans “Tuna” Lund (with two wins), tangled and ultimately thinned the field by one player. Mr. Burgio was low on chips and moved all-in with K-Q, and was called by Tuna Lund, holding A-J. An ace on the river was overkill, giving Mr. Lund the pot. Most remarkable was the fact that Mr. Burgio had started out as the table's lowest stack after taking a bad beat during the late stages of the previous day. He managed to nurse a small amount of chips into a relatively satisfying fourth-place finish. His earnings amounted to $7,915. Mr. Burgio has also won the World Lowball Championship three times.
3rd Place – Tuna Lund took a bad beat on his final hand of the tournament. He moved all-in pre-flop with A-7 and was called by Champion Douglas holding pocket tens. Mr. Lund looked to be in position to double-up when an ace flopped. But an ugly ten on the river stunned the crowd and gutted Tuna. Indeed, “tens” have been a bad omen for the two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner, who also came in second in the 1990 championship event. In what is perhaps the most exciting poker hand of all-time, Mr. Lund was devastated when his opponent, Mansour Matloubi rivered a two-outer “ten” to win what at the time was the biggest pot in WSOP history. Had that ten not come 16 long years ago, we would all be referring to Mr. Lund as the 1990 world poker champion. With the tens, it was déjà vu all over again in this tournament. For third place, Mr. Lund received $9,894.
2nd Place – When heads-up play began, Champion Douglas held a 2 to 1 chip lead over Chris Braun. A dramatic shift in momentum occurred when Mr. Braun doubled up with pocket aces early in the duel. A half hour later, Mr. Braun won a critical “coin flip” situation when his A-9 bested Douglas' pocket sixes. Losing those two monster pots left Mr. Douglas on life support. Yet he still managed to stage a comeback, albeit transitory, that might have made poker headlines. Down to just 12,000 in chips at one point (and outchipped about 18 to 1), Mr. Douglas won several key pots in a row and rocketed back to 90,000 in chips. But that would be the last rally by Mr. Douglas. The 33-year-old small business owner finally busted out with K-5 to Mr. Braun's A-J. Both players made a pair, but Mr. Braun's jacks scooped the final hand of the tournament. Champion Douglas (yes, reminiscent of Chris Moneymaker -- that's his real name) finished as the runner up. He collected $16,820.
1st Place – The winner was Chris Braun, from nearly S. Lake Tahoe, California (Note: S. Lake Tahoe is directly across the street, out the side door from the Harveys Resort and Casino). Arriving second in the chip count at the final table, Mr. Braun won a few key hands and repelled Mr. Douglas' final rush, winning his first major poker tournament in the process. Mr. Braun has only been playing poker about 18 months. He won $32,058 for first place.
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