WSOP Circuit Rincon - Event 1

No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-in: $200 (+25)
Number of Entries: 639
Total Prize Money: $123,966

Official Results:
1. Tony Abesamis, West Covina, CA, $35,950
2. Steven Lunn, Arroyo Grande, CA, 18,967
3. Bob Cochran, Menifee, CA, 9,917
4. Jose S. Jimenez, Dublin, OH, 8,678
5. Sarah Casey, Las Vegas, NV, 7,438
6. Michael Tarrant, Oceanside, CA, 6,198
7. Hector Morales, El Cajon, CA, 4,959
8. Daniel Chevrie, Poway, CA, 3,719
9. Fred Huang, Keller, TX, 2,479
10. Michael Lutz, Louisville, KY, 1,364
11. Mark Merhab, Newport Coast, CA, 1,364
12. Jamie Robbins, San Elijo, CA, 1,364
13. William Ladner, Las Vegas, NV, 1,116
14. Michael Ruter, Aliso Viejo, CA, 1,116
15. Wilson Wallace, Poway, CA, 1,116
16. Pat Sanchez, Escondido, CA, 868
17. Bich Nguyen, Corona, CA, 868
18. Robert Mason, Julian, CA, 868
19. Larry Stout, La Verne, CA, 620
20. Michael Downing, Las Vegas, NV, 620
21. Ron Wilson, Cardiff, CA, 620
22. Bruce Nunez, Poway, CA, 620
23. Calvin Honvath, Orlando, FL, 620
24. Erwin Molina, San Diego, CA, 620
25. Charles Davis, Santa Fe Springs, CA, 620
26. Dan Barnetts, Capo Beach, CA, 620
27. Martin Bader, N/A, 620
28. David Ratner, Mission Viejo, CA, 434
29. Kristofer Vinson, La Jolla, CA, 434
30. Robert Goldfarb, Scottsdale, AZ, 434
31. Christopher Marshall, San Diego, CA, 434
32. Darrin Fisher, Flat Rock, MI, 434
33. Jim Foley, Redding, CA, 434
34. Robert Border, Las Vegas, NV, 434
35. Jason Glantz, Chino Hills, CA, 434
36. Jamison Campbell, San Diego, CA, 434
37. Justin Rightler, San Diego, CA, 372
38. Jerry Simon, Temecula, CA, 372
39. Bryan Martin, San Diego, CA, 372
40. Bruce Stafford, Oceanside, CA, 372
41. Howard Walker, Costa Mesa, CA, 372
42. Bruce Wilson, Upland, CA, 372
43. John Lingham, San Diego, CA, 372
44. Richard Russell, Las Vegas, NV, 372
45. Charles McGrath, Bonita, CA, 372
46. Michael Capener, Phoenix, AZ, 310
47. Oliver Block, Carlsbad, CA, 310
48. James Maluggio, Brick, NJ, 310
49. Eric Harnish, Carlsbad, CA, 310
50. Charles Schecker, Oceanside, CA, 310
51. Dan Fillat, San Diego, CA, 310
52. Herbert Stein, Las Vegas, NV, 310
53. Dieter Dedhaute, Las Vegas, NV, 310
54. Neill Smith, Virgin Islands, 310

The World Series of Poker Comes to California!
LA poker pro Tony Abesamis wins first-ever
WSOP event played in the ‘Golden State’

Harrah’s Rincon is nestled comfortably in the Coastal Mountain Range about 30 miles northeast of San Diego. Located on Native American tribal land, the casino-hotel has now been open for four years. Two years ago, Harrah’s began to manage the resort and together with the Rincon San Luiseno Band expanded the hotel and casino to become one of the largest in California. ‘Rincon’ means ‘roadrunner’ in the local tribal language.

Given that poker has long been a part of California’s history (it was one of the first states to legalize poker), it was inevitable that the world’s largest, longest-running, and most prestigious poker tournament would move west to the Golden State. That day came on February 21, 2005 when the World Series of Poker came to Southern California, for circuit stop number two – at Harrah’s Rincon.

Event #1 attracted 639 entries, which included a large number of players who signed up as alternates. Indeed, every table in the grand ballroom was full when the tournament began. Day One lasted a grueling 14 hours and played until 2 am. Finally, 630 players had been eliminated. Forty-five of those players, places 10 through 54 received prize money. The nine finalists returned for Day Two and players were eliminated as follows:

9th Place – Fred Huang’s stay at the final table was short and painful. Huang looked to be in a terrific position to double up when he started with A-A. Jose Jimenez covered Huang’s raise with A-5. But Huang’s dream hand quickly turned into a nightmare when the final board showed J=10=5=Q=5. Jimenez miraculously spiked trip Fives and won the pot. Huang, a 40-year-old anesthesiologist took a horrible beat, but did collect $2,479 for 9th place to soothe the pain.

8th Place – Dan Chevrie, from nearby Poway, CA came in second-lowest in chips and was never able to establish any momentum. Desperately low on chips, Chevrie was forced to commit his final chips in the blind, and failed to make a pair. Chevrie received $3,719 as the 8th-place finisher.

7th Place – After the early chip leader Sarah Casey lost a huge number of chips to Steven Lunn, another player went bust. After failing to catch a hand the first hour, Hector Morales a pharmacist from El Cajon, CA tried to make a move with A-8 but was called instantly by Tony Abesamis, with Q-Q. The pocket Queens held up, and Morales was prescribed as the 7th-place finisher. He received $4,059.

6th Place – Michael Tarrant went out next when he was dealt 10-10 and ran stone cold into Tony Abesamis’ J-J. The dominated hand failed to improve, resulting in elimination. Tarrant, a software engineer from nearby Oceanside, suffered a system crash but did collect $6,198.

5th Place – After her early loss of chips, Sarah Casey rallied back into decent chip position, then suffered another blow when she tried to make an ill-timed steal from the big blind with a bad hand, and lost. Down to just a few chips, she made her final stand with A-6, which was cracked on the river by Tony Abesamis, with K-J. The final board showed 8=6=5=5=J. Casey, who founded a popular website called, TheOnlinePokerGuide.com and has numerous final table finishes in recent years, earned $7,438 for 5th place.

4th Place – With Tony Abesamis in the chip lead and blinds high enough to cost any player a significant amount for playing too patiently, Jose Jimenez was forced to commit with a mutt of a hand – J-2 on finale. The underdog failed to bark this time, and Jimenez was bounced off the final table in 4th place. Jimenez, a waiter from Ohio was served $8,678 (Note: Poker writer Mike Paulle was unavailable to assess the size of his tip).

3rd Place – When play became three-handed, the chip count was close to a three-way split. At various points over the next half hour, each player held the chip lead, but was unable to sustain it. Bob Cochran had made the biggest leap of the day, going from lowest in chips at the start to a slight lead at one point. However, Cochran went out next when he was dealt 6-6, which was leading on the turn, and was ultimately crushed by Steven Lunn holding A-Q, when an Ace fell on the river. Cochran, a retiree with many small tournament wins and money finishes, collected $9,917 for 3rd place.

The heads-up duel between Tony Abesamis and Steven Lunn was a complete contrast in cultures, styles, and playing experience. Abesamis has been playing professionally for several years, and is known as a No-Limit Hold’em specialist. When he’s not playing $100-200 limit in Los Angeles, he can usually be found sitting in the biggest No-Limit game in any poker room. Contrast this with Steve Lunn, who was playing in his first-ever poker tournament. That’s right, first ever.

Amazingly, no one would have known Lunn was new at this game from the way he played. Lunn later said he became attracted to poker from watching on television and he obviously picked up some fancy moves from the likes of poker champions Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer. But his finish in this tournament would be more like those of Sammy Farha and David Williams. Indeed, second-place is always bittersweet.

Lunn went back and forth with chips a few times before he finally made a grave error. On the final hand of the tournament, Abesamis was dealt 4-4. Lunn was dealt 9-3, normally not much of a hold’em hand. But when the flop came K=8=4, and both players checked, Lunn had a glimmer of hope. A Nine fell on the turn, which was a magnet to Lunn’s chips. He was now committed to the hand, with a pair. The trouble was – Abesamis had flopped a set of Fours. Abesamis made a large bet, which was called by Lunn. A King fell on the river, good for a full house. Lunn must have thought he was snapping off a bluff when Abesamis made a large bet, but when he saw his opponent’s Fours full of Kings, he realized he’d been trapped.

Steve Lunn, a 56-year-old retiree from Arroyo Grande played a marvelous tournament and received $18,967 as the runner up.

The winner was Philippine-born Tony Abesamis, who will eventually go down in trivia as California’s first ‘local’ WSOP champ. The 55-year-old former computer programmer left a lucrative job several years ago to play poker full-time, a decision which appears to have paid off. Abesamis has made numerous final tables, including at the LA Poker Classic, Bellagio, Bicycle Club, Commerce Casino, and elsewhere. Surprisingly, after many years spent in poker rooms, this was his first major tournament victory – good for $35,950 and a gold ring engraved with the WSOP logo.

“The money is always very sweet,” Abesamis said afterward. “But getting this gold ring and winning an event connected to the World Series of Poker really means a lot more to me. Yesterday, I really thought I was going to win it, and now – here I am.”

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm PST
Final Table Ended at: 7:10 pm PST

Report by Nolan Dalla – World Series of Poker Media Director
World Series of Poker Tournament Director – John Grooms
World Series of Poker Circuit Director – Ken Lambert
Harrah’s Rincon Poker Room Manager – Bob Corona