WSOP Circuit Lake Tahoe - Event 5
Limit Hold’em
Buy-in: $1,000 (+60)
Number of Entries: 51
Total Prize Money: $49,470
Official Results:
1. Don Mullins, Mooresville, NC, $17,094
2. Steve Severin, La Jolla, CA, 9,894
3. Dinh Quang Le, Sacramento, CA, 5,442
4. Richard Pilewicz, Phoenix, AZ, 3,954
5. Bobby Quiring, Pullman, WA, 3,463
6. Jon Turovitz, Granite Bay, CA, 2,968
7. Paul Evans, Mt. Shasta, CA, 2,474
8. Ammon Brown, Ithaca, NY, 1,979
9. Scott Laird, Oakland, CA, 1,484
Knock Three Times:
In the long litany of live-action poker tournaments, perhaps as many as a thousand major events played around the world every single day and night, year around, there are rare instances when the magnitude of victory has a profound emotional impact on the winner. Sure, it’s nice to win a poker tournament and collect big prize money. But there are extraordinary occasions when the achievement itself surpasses the value of money.
Last fall, Don Mullis, a 41-year-old former golfer and the semi-retired owner of a new car dealership in North Carolina, decided to join with his wife and ‘see America.’ So, Mr. and Mrs. Mullis bought a motor home. For the past seven months, they have been traveling around the United States. They decided to visit Northern Nevada upon hearing that the WSOP Circuit would be held at Harveys Lake Tahoe. Mullis couldn’t possibly dream of what was about to come.
Prior to establishing a successful auto dealership, Mullis was an aspiring pro golfer – good enough to compete in several minor golf tournaments, but never great enough to make it as a touring golf pro. That put Mullis, entering his 40s, at a crossroads. Mullis admits he is driven to succeed in whatever he does. When he discovered poker last October, it became his ‘new’ obsession. Determined to learn more about the game and improve his skills, Mullis played more and more on the Internet.
Then, Mullis decided he was ready to play poker at the highest level. That means one thing – playing in the World Series of Poker. One week ago, a new motor home with North Carolina license plates turned into the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe parking lot. Five days later, Don Mullis had not only become the only player at this year’s WSOPC tournament to make it to three final tables, he also became the latest poker champion. The victory was made even sweeter by the fact that at both previous final tables, Mullis had been the first player out (9th in both events). In this event, he lasted about seven hours longer. It was well worth the wait.
The $1,000 buy-in limit hold’em event attracted 51 entries. After setting record numbers the previous week, it’s become clear that ‘limit’ hold’em is now a distant second to no-limit’ hold’em in popularity with tournament players. Day One resulted in the elimination of 42 players. The nine finalists returned on Day Two, with Bobby Quiring from Pullman, WA holding a slight chip lead. Finalists arrived with the following seat positions and chip counts:
SEAT 1, Jon Turovitz, Granite Bay, CA, 8,900
SEAT 2, Steve Severin, La Jolla, CA, 16,200
SEAT 3, Scott Laird, Oakland, CA, 7,300
SEAT 4, Bobby Quiring, Pullman, WA, 19,600
SEAT 5, Ammon Brown, Ithaca, NY, 2,300
SEAT 6, Dinh Quang Le, Sacramento, CA, 15,000
SEAT 7, Richard Pilewicz, Phoenix, AZ, 13,800
SEAT 8, Don Mullis, Mooresville, NC, 12,300
SEAT 9, Paul Evans, Mt, Shasta, CA, 6,700
Players were eliminated as follows:
9th Place – It took 40 minutes for the first player to be eliminated. Scott Laird, a commercial real estate broker from Oakland, was the first player to be cut. Laird has previously made several final tables in tournaments held at his local cardroom, The Oaks (Emeryville, CA). He went out 9th and collected $1,484.
8th Place – Ammon Brown, from Ithaca, NY arrived with the shortest stack. On his final hand he was dealt Q-Q and liked his chances to double-up pre-flop when his last raise was called by Richard Pilewicz, holding 9-9. But the situation was about to change. The board crushed Brown like a ton of bricks as Pilewicz ended up with quad nines. Brown’s pocket ladies hit the muck and the New Yorker exited with $1,979 for 8th place.
7h Place – Paul Evans took two consecutive beats and went out next. First, he lost a big hand to Jon Turovitz. Then, low on chips made his final stand with A-8, paired the ace on the flop, but lost to a straight. Evans, a business owner from Mt. Shasta, CA who finished second in the $3,000 no-limit hold’em event at last year’s WSOP, earned $2,474 for this finish.
6th Place – Jon Turovitz felt the sting of defeat a short time later when he was dealt pocket 10s. Steve Severin was holding Q-Q. Neither hand improved, and the pocket queens took down the pot. Turovitz, a real estate broker, ended up in 6th place -- good for $2,968.
5th Place – It took another hour-and-a-half before the next player was eliminated. Bobby Quiring, from Pullman, WA was short-stacked and caught a strong hand with A-2 when he flopped two pair. Steve Severin had top pair with A-J and when the board paired, it meant Quiring’s second pair (deuces) was dead, while Severin’s jack played as the fifth-card kicker. Bobby Quiring, a poker room manager from Washington State, collected $3,463 for 5th place.
4th Place – At this point, Dinh Quang Le had seized the chip lead. That glory was fleeting as he lost a big pot to Steve Severin – which meant the chip counts were close to even amongst the four finalists. Then, things really went south for Phoenix-based Richard Pilewicz. The 48-year-old real estate investor made a big hand – a straight to the king on the turn and it looked like he might get close to the chip lead with the big pot. But three hearts on board gave Don Mullis a flush draw. Wham! A heart on the river was the final nail in Pilewicz’s coffin. Pilewicz took 4th-place prize money -- $3,958.
3rd Place – Just when it appeared Don Mullins had all the momentum, Steve Severin caught a nice rush and catapulted into the chip lead. Most of those chips came at Quang Le’s expense. After 40 minutes of struggle, Quang Le ran into Steve Severin’s set of aces and lost most of his chips. That huge loss left Quang Le with a single 500 chip, which went into the pot on the next hand. Both opponents checked their hands down, and Quang Le’s night was over after a seven-hour finale. Quang Le, who finished second in Event #2 collected $5,442 for 3rd place.
The heads-up duel between Don Mullis and Steve Severin began with Mullis holding a very small 53,000-47,000 chip advantage. Then, lightening struck. Mullis caught everything he needed to win. It was as if the poker Gods were apologizing to Mullis for early eliminations at both of his previous final tables.
It took three big hands to get over the last obstacle, Steve Severin – who played with just the right mix of patience and aggression. Unfortunately, Severin could not overcome Mullis’ nice rush of cards in the closing stages and the determination of a highly-competitive poker player to win his first tournament. On the final hand of the tournament Mullis was dealt 5-5 versus Severin’s Q-9. Severin tried to make a move at the pot with an inside-straight draw, but Mullis called the last bet of the night with a pocket pair. The final board showed K-J-6-4-8.
The runner up was Steve Severin, a 37-year-old business owner from La Jolla, CA. Severin plays mostly in big no-limit cash games, although he admits he will play more tournament poker in the near future. His goal is now to win a WSOP gold bracelet. He’ll get his chance. Second place paid $9,894.
“I couldn’t care less about the money. All I want is the ring,” said a smiling Mullis after his victory. “I could almost cry right now. Words can never express what this means to me. I don’t think there is a man breathing that can appreciate this ring more than I do. I’m on cloud nine.”
Mullis went on: “I was never good enough to make it on the pro golf tour. So, when I started playing poker last October, I wanted to get really good at it because I thought I could succeed if I applied myself….My wife knows this and she had to put up with it. As beautiful as my wife is on the outside, she is even more beautiful on the inside, and she has given me a lot of support – I spent 15 hours a day playing poker trying to learn the game. To make a final table was amazing. That was enough for me to go back to North Carolina and say to myself ‘I can play this game.’ To make three final tables is unheard of. Then to win this event and the ring – I am so happy and thankful.”
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: 51
Total Prize Money: $49,470
Official Results:
1. Don Mullins, Mooresville, NC, $17,094
2. Steve Severin, La Jolla, CA, 9,894
3. Dinh Quang Le, Sacramento, CA, 5,442
4. Richard Pilewicz, Phoenix, AZ, 3,954
5. Bobby Quiring, Pullman, WA, 3,463
6. Jon Turovitz, Granite Bay, CA, 2,968
7. Paul Evans, Mt. Shasta, CA, 2,474
8. Ammon Brown, Ithaca, NY, 1,979
9. Scott Laird, Oakland, CA, 1,484
Knock Three Times:
In his third final table appearance, North Carolina poker player Don Mullis wins Lake Tahoe’s WSOPC limit hold’em championship
In the long litany of live-action poker tournaments, perhaps as many as a thousand major events played around the world every single day and night, year around, there are rare instances when the magnitude of victory has a profound emotional impact on the winner. Sure, it’s nice to win a poker tournament and collect big prize money. But there are extraordinary occasions when the achievement itself surpasses the value of money.
Last fall, Don Mullis, a 41-year-old former golfer and the semi-retired owner of a new car dealership in North Carolina, decided to join with his wife and ‘see America.’ So, Mr. and Mrs. Mullis bought a motor home. For the past seven months, they have been traveling around the United States. They decided to visit Northern Nevada upon hearing that the WSOP Circuit would be held at Harveys Lake Tahoe. Mullis couldn’t possibly dream of what was about to come.
Prior to establishing a successful auto dealership, Mullis was an aspiring pro golfer – good enough to compete in several minor golf tournaments, but never great enough to make it as a touring golf pro. That put Mullis, entering his 40s, at a crossroads. Mullis admits he is driven to succeed in whatever he does. When he discovered poker last October, it became his ‘new’ obsession. Determined to learn more about the game and improve his skills, Mullis played more and more on the Internet.
Then, Mullis decided he was ready to play poker at the highest level. That means one thing – playing in the World Series of Poker. One week ago, a new motor home with North Carolina license plates turned into the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe parking lot. Five days later, Don Mullis had not only become the only player at this year’s WSOPC tournament to make it to three final tables, he also became the latest poker champion. The victory was made even sweeter by the fact that at both previous final tables, Mullis had been the first player out (9th in both events). In this event, he lasted about seven hours longer. It was well worth the wait.
The $1,000 buy-in limit hold’em event attracted 51 entries. After setting record numbers the previous week, it’s become clear that ‘limit’ hold’em is now a distant second to no-limit’ hold’em in popularity with tournament players. Day One resulted in the elimination of 42 players. The nine finalists returned on Day Two, with Bobby Quiring from Pullman, WA holding a slight chip lead. Finalists arrived with the following seat positions and chip counts:
SEAT 1, Jon Turovitz, Granite Bay, CA, 8,900
SEAT 2, Steve Severin, La Jolla, CA, 16,200
SEAT 3, Scott Laird, Oakland, CA, 7,300
SEAT 4, Bobby Quiring, Pullman, WA, 19,600
SEAT 5, Ammon Brown, Ithaca, NY, 2,300
SEAT 6, Dinh Quang Le, Sacramento, CA, 15,000
SEAT 7, Richard Pilewicz, Phoenix, AZ, 13,800
SEAT 8, Don Mullis, Mooresville, NC, 12,300
SEAT 9, Paul Evans, Mt, Shasta, CA, 6,700
Players were eliminated as follows:
9th Place – It took 40 minutes for the first player to be eliminated. Scott Laird, a commercial real estate broker from Oakland, was the first player to be cut. Laird has previously made several final tables in tournaments held at his local cardroom, The Oaks (Emeryville, CA). He went out 9th and collected $1,484.
8th Place – Ammon Brown, from Ithaca, NY arrived with the shortest stack. On his final hand he was dealt Q-Q and liked his chances to double-up pre-flop when his last raise was called by Richard Pilewicz, holding 9-9. But the situation was about to change. The board crushed Brown like a ton of bricks as Pilewicz ended up with quad nines. Brown’s pocket ladies hit the muck and the New Yorker exited with $1,979 for 8th place.
7h Place – Paul Evans took two consecutive beats and went out next. First, he lost a big hand to Jon Turovitz. Then, low on chips made his final stand with A-8, paired the ace on the flop, but lost to a straight. Evans, a business owner from Mt. Shasta, CA who finished second in the $3,000 no-limit hold’em event at last year’s WSOP, earned $2,474 for this finish.
6th Place – Jon Turovitz felt the sting of defeat a short time later when he was dealt pocket 10s. Steve Severin was holding Q-Q. Neither hand improved, and the pocket queens took down the pot. Turovitz, a real estate broker, ended up in 6th place -- good for $2,968.
5th Place – It took another hour-and-a-half before the next player was eliminated. Bobby Quiring, from Pullman, WA was short-stacked and caught a strong hand with A-2 when he flopped two pair. Steve Severin had top pair with A-J and when the board paired, it meant Quiring’s second pair (deuces) was dead, while Severin’s jack played as the fifth-card kicker. Bobby Quiring, a poker room manager from Washington State, collected $3,463 for 5th place.
4th Place – At this point, Dinh Quang Le had seized the chip lead. That glory was fleeting as he lost a big pot to Steve Severin – which meant the chip counts were close to even amongst the four finalists. Then, things really went south for Phoenix-based Richard Pilewicz. The 48-year-old real estate investor made a big hand – a straight to the king on the turn and it looked like he might get close to the chip lead with the big pot. But three hearts on board gave Don Mullis a flush draw. Wham! A heart on the river was the final nail in Pilewicz’s coffin. Pilewicz took 4th-place prize money -- $3,958.
3rd Place – Just when it appeared Don Mullins had all the momentum, Steve Severin caught a nice rush and catapulted into the chip lead. Most of those chips came at Quang Le’s expense. After 40 minutes of struggle, Quang Le ran into Steve Severin’s set of aces and lost most of his chips. That huge loss left Quang Le with a single 500 chip, which went into the pot on the next hand. Both opponents checked their hands down, and Quang Le’s night was over after a seven-hour finale. Quang Le, who finished second in Event #2 collected $5,442 for 3rd place.
The heads-up duel between Don Mullis and Steve Severin began with Mullis holding a very small 53,000-47,000 chip advantage. Then, lightening struck. Mullis caught everything he needed to win. It was as if the poker Gods were apologizing to Mullis for early eliminations at both of his previous final tables.
It took three big hands to get over the last obstacle, Steve Severin – who played with just the right mix of patience and aggression. Unfortunately, Severin could not overcome Mullis’ nice rush of cards in the closing stages and the determination of a highly-competitive poker player to win his first tournament. On the final hand of the tournament Mullis was dealt 5-5 versus Severin’s Q-9. Severin tried to make a move at the pot with an inside-straight draw, but Mullis called the last bet of the night with a pocket pair. The final board showed K-J-6-4-8.
The runner up was Steve Severin, a 37-year-old business owner from La Jolla, CA. Severin plays mostly in big no-limit cash games, although he admits he will play more tournament poker in the near future. His goal is now to win a WSOP gold bracelet. He’ll get his chance. Second place paid $9,894.
“I couldn’t care less about the money. All I want is the ring,” said a smiling Mullis after his victory. “I could almost cry right now. Words can never express what this means to me. I don’t think there is a man breathing that can appreciate this ring more than I do. I’m on cloud nine.”
Mullis went on: “I was never good enough to make it on the pro golf tour. So, when I started playing poker last October, I wanted to get really good at it because I thought I could succeed if I applied myself….My wife knows this and she had to put up with it. As beautiful as my wife is on the outside, she is even more beautiful on the inside, and she has given me a lot of support – I spent 15 hours a day playing poker trying to learn the game. To make a final table was amazing. That was enough for me to go back to North Carolina and say to myself ‘I can play this game.’ To make three final tables is unheard of. Then to win this event and the ring – I am so happy and thankful.”
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
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