WSOP Circuit Lake Tahoe - Event 4
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-in: $1,000 (+60)
Number of Entries: 131
Total Prize Money: $127,070
Official Results:
1. Scott Clements, Mt, Vernon, WA, $45,745
2. Carlos Ramirez, Cameron Park, CA, 25,415
3. Earl Odom, Pinole, CA, 13,975
4. Tony O’Hagan, Las Vegas, NV, 10,165
5. Christopher Cue, Burlingame, CA, 8,895
6. Daniel Flanigan, Sunnyvale, CA, 7,625
7. Stuart Spear, Reno, NV, 6,355
8. Gerald ‘All In’ Cheatham, Philadelphia, PA, 5,085
9. Larry Satterwhite, Houston, TX, 3,810
The Changing Face of Poker
Poker is not the same game it was a few years ago. Sure, the cards, chips, and rules are all the same. But the composition and nature of poker games has changed dramatically. A decade ago, poker rooms were filled with mostly middle-aged men passing the time away. In today’s poker room the average player age is probably somewhere in his (or her) late 20s. Indeed, there far are more young people playing poker today than at any time in history – a trend that is certain to continue as the game spreads across college campuses.
The consequences of the ‘youth movement’ are truly revolutionary. Cowboy hats have been replaced by ipods. No-limit hold’em, a dinosaur only a few years ago, is now poker’s most popular game. Everyone, it seems now wears sunglasses. The influx of young, smart, assertive poker players can only mean one thing – more young poker champions. Ladies and gentlemen -- meet Scott Clements.
Clements is a 23-year-old aspiring poker professional from Mt. Vernon, WA. He works for a mortgage company, but has seen his poker earnings increase to the point where he now believes he can make it as a professional. Most poker dreams end up on the ash heap of one’s own imagination. But at least for one shining moment, on a cool crisp Sunday night at Harveys Lake Tahoe, one poker player’s dream came true. Clements won first place and $45,745 in the $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em championship – the fourth event in this World Series of Poker Circuit tournament. It was a mix of obvious determination, good timing, and even a bit of luck that determined the outcome.
There were 131 entries. Day One resulted in the elimination of 122 players. The nine finalists returned on Day Two, with Tony O’Hagan from Las Vegas, NV holding nearly a 2 to 1 chip lead over his closest rival, Christopher Cue. Few in the crowd or at the table expected much out of the young man quietly perched in Seat Eight, who was one of the lowest in chips. Finalists arrived with the following seat positions and chip counts:
SEAT 1, Earl Odom, Pinole, CA, 21,400
SEAT 2, Carlos Ramirez, Cameron Park, CA, 21,800
SEAT 3, Daniel Flanigan, Sunnyvale, CA, 15,600
SEAT 4, Gerald Cheatham, Philadelphia, PA, 15,100
SEAT 5, Larry Satterwhite, Houston, TX, 20,900
SEAT 6, Stuart Spear, Reno, CA, 34,400
SEAT 7, Christopher Cue, Burlingame, CA, 42,300
SEAT 8, Scott Clements, Mt. Vernon, WA, 18,200
SEAT 9, Tony O’Hagan, Las Vegas, NV, 72,400
Players were eliminated as follows:
9th Place – Larry Satterwhite is many things, perhaps best described as a ‘jack of all trades.’ Just 15 minutes into Day Two, the poker player/real estate agent/used car dealer from Houston started his final hand with pocket 10s, but was eliminated by A-J when a jack rained down on the turn. Satterwhite earned $3,810 for 9th place.
8th Place – Gerald “All In” Cheatham, true to his name, wasn’t afraid to push chips into the pot. He moved ‘all in’ with Q-10 after the flop came 10-7-7 and was practically beat into the pot with his chips by Earl Odom, who had flopped a monster full-house with 10-7. That essentially ended Cheatham’s stay in the finale. Gerald Cheatham, an engineer from Philadelphia who finished 5th at a WSOP event last year, collected $5,085 in prize money.
7h Place – Stuart Spear, a general contractor from nearby Reno, arrived third in chips but was ultimately condemned to a 7th place finish. On his final hand of the night, Spear was impaled by Tony O’Hagan’s diamond flush. Spear has several impressive finishes, including final table appearances at tournaments in Reno and Las Vegas. Seventh place was good for $6,355.
6th Place – Daniel Flanigan (another 23-year-old) appeared to be in a great position to double up when he was dealt pocket kings. After the flop, Flanigan moved ‘all in’ and was called instantly by Tony O’Hagan, holding J-10. O’Hagan had flopped a pair of jacks and when another jack fell on the turn, Flanigan was drawing very slim. A blank sealed Flanigan’s fate – a 6th place finish and $7,625 in prize money.
5th Place – Down to the final five, it seemed that Tony O’Hagan was primed to run away with the tournament. O’Hagan catapulted up over 100K, and had nearly half of the total chips in play. But that would be O’Hagan’s high point of the tournament. The next hour brought a dismal run of cards for O’Hagan that a stock trader might describe as a ‘poker correction.’ After a steady stream of big cards, pairs, and flushes – O’Hagan couldn’t win a pot. Christopher Cue knew the pain all too well. Cue moved ‘all in’ before the flop with A-3 and was called after some hesitation by Scott Clements, holding 3-3. Clements decided he had to gamble, and made a gutsy call at just the right moment. The flop gave Cue both a straight and a flush draw, but two successive blanks on the turn and river allowed the pocket 3s to drag a large pot. Clements was now a force to be reckoned with while Christopher Cue got to watch the rest of the tournament from the rail. Fifth place paid $8,895.
4th Place – Meanwhile, Tony O’Hagan couldn’t win a hand. Every move at the pot brought a re-raise from someone. Every draw was missed. O’Hagan made his final stand of the night with A-8 and predictably, was completely dominated by Scott Clements’ A-10. A ten on the river sealed O’Hagan’s fate – 4th place and $10,165 in prize money.
3rd Place – When play became three-handed, Scott Clements was in total command of the final table. His chip lead was approximately $200K to only about 30K each for his two opponents, Carlos Ramirez and Earl Odom. It was déjà vu all over again a few hands later for Clements, who called an ‘all in’ raise with a dominant hand over his opponent. Earl Odom was dealt A-9 and Clements had A-K. Although it wasn’t needed, a king flopped and the effectively ended Odom’s evening. Odom, a safety consultant from the Bay Area, slipped and fell in 3rd place. He received $13,975. Odom also made it into the money in last year’s WSOP championship event, against a record 2,576 players.
The heads-up duel between Scott Clements and Carlos Ramirez began with Clements holding what seemed to be in insurmountable 8 to 1 chip advantage. Ramirez staged a brief rally when he doubled up in the unlikeliest fashion with 9-2 offsuit, which made two pair against Clements’ pocket aces. But that would be the lone moment of suspense in a duel almost totally devoid of excitement.
The end came when Clements was dealt J-2, normally not much of a hold’em hand, but certainly playable heads up with a big chip lead. Ramirez raised ‘all in’ with Q-10. Clements called. The final board showed A-8-7-2-8 giving Clements a little pair of deuces and his first major poker tournament win.
The runner up was Carlos Ramirez, a private-practice physician who has previously worked as an obstetrician, surgeon, pediatrician, and in a hospital emergency room. Ramirez hopes and expects to play in many more tournaments and can certainly be proud of his finish in this event. Second place paid $25,415.
The most ironic thing about Scott Clement’s tournament victory is that it almost didn’t happen. In fact, he was very fortunate to be sitting at the final table so late in the day. When play was eight-handed, Clements was severely short-stacked. He looked down and found A-Q. The pot had already been raised enough to cover Clements, and he had a very tough decision to make. Clements decided to call and was ‘all in.’ When Clements saw that his A-Q was dominated by A-K, he stood up from the table ready to walk away. But the poker Gods smiled upon the Clements on this day and with all the emotional impact of a lightning bolt, a queen saved Clements.
Indeed, it takes several qualities to make a poker champion….skill, courage, conviction – and a little luck.
Report by Nolan Dalla – World Series of Poker Media Director
World Series of Poker Circuit Director – Ken Lambert
World Series of Poker Tournament Director – John Grooms
Harveys Poker Room Manager – Vince Contaxis
Harrah’s Full Service Games Manager -- Steve Schorr
Buy-in: $1,000 (+60)
Number of Entries: 131
Total Prize Money: $127,070
Official Results:
1. Scott Clements, Mt, Vernon, WA, $45,745
2. Carlos Ramirez, Cameron Park, CA, 25,415
3. Earl Odom, Pinole, CA, 13,975
4. Tony O’Hagan, Las Vegas, NV, 10,165
5. Christopher Cue, Burlingame, CA, 8,895
6. Daniel Flanigan, Sunnyvale, CA, 7,625
7. Stuart Spear, Reno, NV, 6,355
8. Gerald ‘All In’ Cheatham, Philadelphia, PA, 5,085
9. Larry Satterwhite, Houston, TX, 3,810
The Changing Face of Poker
23-year-old aspiring poker pro, Scott Clements seizes victory in Lake Tahoe’s $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em championship
Poker is not the same game it was a few years ago. Sure, the cards, chips, and rules are all the same. But the composition and nature of poker games has changed dramatically. A decade ago, poker rooms were filled with mostly middle-aged men passing the time away. In today’s poker room the average player age is probably somewhere in his (or her) late 20s. Indeed, there far are more young people playing poker today than at any time in history – a trend that is certain to continue as the game spreads across college campuses.
The consequences of the ‘youth movement’ are truly revolutionary. Cowboy hats have been replaced by ipods. No-limit hold’em, a dinosaur only a few years ago, is now poker’s most popular game. Everyone, it seems now wears sunglasses. The influx of young, smart, assertive poker players can only mean one thing – more young poker champions. Ladies and gentlemen -- meet Scott Clements.
Clements is a 23-year-old aspiring poker professional from Mt. Vernon, WA. He works for a mortgage company, but has seen his poker earnings increase to the point where he now believes he can make it as a professional. Most poker dreams end up on the ash heap of one’s own imagination. But at least for one shining moment, on a cool crisp Sunday night at Harveys Lake Tahoe, one poker player’s dream came true. Clements won first place and $45,745 in the $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em championship – the fourth event in this World Series of Poker Circuit tournament. It was a mix of obvious determination, good timing, and even a bit of luck that determined the outcome.
There were 131 entries. Day One resulted in the elimination of 122 players. The nine finalists returned on Day Two, with Tony O’Hagan from Las Vegas, NV holding nearly a 2 to 1 chip lead over his closest rival, Christopher Cue. Few in the crowd or at the table expected much out of the young man quietly perched in Seat Eight, who was one of the lowest in chips. Finalists arrived with the following seat positions and chip counts:
SEAT 1, Earl Odom, Pinole, CA, 21,400
SEAT 2, Carlos Ramirez, Cameron Park, CA, 21,800
SEAT 3, Daniel Flanigan, Sunnyvale, CA, 15,600
SEAT 4, Gerald Cheatham, Philadelphia, PA, 15,100
SEAT 5, Larry Satterwhite, Houston, TX, 20,900
SEAT 6, Stuart Spear, Reno, CA, 34,400
SEAT 7, Christopher Cue, Burlingame, CA, 42,300
SEAT 8, Scott Clements, Mt. Vernon, WA, 18,200
SEAT 9, Tony O’Hagan, Las Vegas, NV, 72,400
Players were eliminated as follows:
9th Place – Larry Satterwhite is many things, perhaps best described as a ‘jack of all trades.’ Just 15 minutes into Day Two, the poker player/real estate agent/used car dealer from Houston started his final hand with pocket 10s, but was eliminated by A-J when a jack rained down on the turn. Satterwhite earned $3,810 for 9th place.
8th Place – Gerald “All In” Cheatham, true to his name, wasn’t afraid to push chips into the pot. He moved ‘all in’ with Q-10 after the flop came 10-7-7 and was practically beat into the pot with his chips by Earl Odom, who had flopped a monster full-house with 10-7. That essentially ended Cheatham’s stay in the finale. Gerald Cheatham, an engineer from Philadelphia who finished 5th at a WSOP event last year, collected $5,085 in prize money.
7h Place – Stuart Spear, a general contractor from nearby Reno, arrived third in chips but was ultimately condemned to a 7th place finish. On his final hand of the night, Spear was impaled by Tony O’Hagan’s diamond flush. Spear has several impressive finishes, including final table appearances at tournaments in Reno and Las Vegas. Seventh place was good for $6,355.
6th Place – Daniel Flanigan (another 23-year-old) appeared to be in a great position to double up when he was dealt pocket kings. After the flop, Flanigan moved ‘all in’ and was called instantly by Tony O’Hagan, holding J-10. O’Hagan had flopped a pair of jacks and when another jack fell on the turn, Flanigan was drawing very slim. A blank sealed Flanigan’s fate – a 6th place finish and $7,625 in prize money.
5th Place – Down to the final five, it seemed that Tony O’Hagan was primed to run away with the tournament. O’Hagan catapulted up over 100K, and had nearly half of the total chips in play. But that would be O’Hagan’s high point of the tournament. The next hour brought a dismal run of cards for O’Hagan that a stock trader might describe as a ‘poker correction.’ After a steady stream of big cards, pairs, and flushes – O’Hagan couldn’t win a pot. Christopher Cue knew the pain all too well. Cue moved ‘all in’ before the flop with A-3 and was called after some hesitation by Scott Clements, holding 3-3. Clements decided he had to gamble, and made a gutsy call at just the right moment. The flop gave Cue both a straight and a flush draw, but two successive blanks on the turn and river allowed the pocket 3s to drag a large pot. Clements was now a force to be reckoned with while Christopher Cue got to watch the rest of the tournament from the rail. Fifth place paid $8,895.
4th Place – Meanwhile, Tony O’Hagan couldn’t win a hand. Every move at the pot brought a re-raise from someone. Every draw was missed. O’Hagan made his final stand of the night with A-8 and predictably, was completely dominated by Scott Clements’ A-10. A ten on the river sealed O’Hagan’s fate – 4th place and $10,165 in prize money.
3rd Place – When play became three-handed, Scott Clements was in total command of the final table. His chip lead was approximately $200K to only about 30K each for his two opponents, Carlos Ramirez and Earl Odom. It was déjà vu all over again a few hands later for Clements, who called an ‘all in’ raise with a dominant hand over his opponent. Earl Odom was dealt A-9 and Clements had A-K. Although it wasn’t needed, a king flopped and the effectively ended Odom’s evening. Odom, a safety consultant from the Bay Area, slipped and fell in 3rd place. He received $13,975. Odom also made it into the money in last year’s WSOP championship event, against a record 2,576 players.
The heads-up duel between Scott Clements and Carlos Ramirez began with Clements holding what seemed to be in insurmountable 8 to 1 chip advantage. Ramirez staged a brief rally when he doubled up in the unlikeliest fashion with 9-2 offsuit, which made two pair against Clements’ pocket aces. But that would be the lone moment of suspense in a duel almost totally devoid of excitement.
The end came when Clements was dealt J-2, normally not much of a hold’em hand, but certainly playable heads up with a big chip lead. Ramirez raised ‘all in’ with Q-10. Clements called. The final board showed A-8-7-2-8 giving Clements a little pair of deuces and his first major poker tournament win.
The runner up was Carlos Ramirez, a private-practice physician who has previously worked as an obstetrician, surgeon, pediatrician, and in a hospital emergency room. Ramirez hopes and expects to play in many more tournaments and can certainly be proud of his finish in this event. Second place paid $25,415.
The most ironic thing about Scott Clement’s tournament victory is that it almost didn’t happen. In fact, he was very fortunate to be sitting at the final table so late in the day. When play was eight-handed, Clements was severely short-stacked. He looked down and found A-Q. The pot had already been raised enough to cover Clements, and he had a very tough decision to make. Clements decided to call and was ‘all in.’ When Clements saw that his A-Q was dominated by A-K, he stood up from the table ready to walk away. But the poker Gods smiled upon the Clements on this day and with all the emotional impact of a lightning bolt, a queen saved Clements.
Indeed, it takes several qualities to make a poker champion….skill, courage, conviction – and a little luck.
Report by Nolan Dalla – World Series of Poker Media Director
World Series of Poker Circuit Director – Ken Lambert
World Series of Poker Tournament Director – John Grooms
Harveys Poker Room Manager – Vince Contaxis
Harrah’s Full Service Games Manager -- Steve Schorr
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home