 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
WORLD SERIES OF POKER 2003
But this one didn't come easy. "Early in the tournament I was down to just two chips ($200) once, and four chips ($400) a couple of times," explained a thrilled, but obviously exhausted Ihrahim following the 9-hour marathon finale. "A lot of players usually give up in that spot when they get really down low on chips. But I hung in there early on and clawed my way back. Then, I made the money, and ended up making it to the final table. Finally, look what happened. I'm sitting here with a gold bracelet."
The key early hand came for Ihrahim when he was down perilously low on chips at the second level, and made a flush draw on the river against an opponent's pocket nines. That critical pot lit a fuse which catapulted Ihrahim into a late first-day chip lead -- which he took into the final table on day two. Ihrahim arrived at the final table with a 9 to 5 chip advantage over his closest competitor.
The final table provided an interesting mix of poker personalities and backgrounds: The finalists ranged from experienced poker professinals like Mohamed Ihrahim and Farzad Bontadi; to two casino dealers -- Todd Ostrow and Tuan Nguyen; two businessmen -- Joseph Cordi and Jay Helfert (a former billiards pro); a consultant -- Adam Scwartz; an equity trader -- Jon Brody; and finally, a gambler -- Richard Brendel.
At no point during the final table -- which lasted from 2 in the afternoon until close to midnight -- was Ihrahim in serious danger of getting busted. However, there were many dramatic moments for the packed gallery in attendance and a live feed broadcast over the Internet, including one of the most phenomenal up and down swings in recent poker history.
This was Todd Ostrow's first time to ever play in an event at the World Series of Poker. Incredibly, with six players remaining, Ostrow was down to just two chips ($2,000) -- an almost insignificant number of chips given Ihrahim's massive stack (over $200,000 at the time). It looked as if Ostrow would be the next player to hit the rail. Amazingly, Ostrow then went on an astounding roll which lasted nearly three full hours. He went from $2,000 in chips to around quarter of a million at one point (nearly a third of the total chips in play!). But the rush finally ended and Ostrow could not maintain his momentum. When the action became three-handed (versus Ihrahim and Jon Brody), Ostrow was gradually worn down -- despite surviving two all-ins and making another slight comeback -- and ended up departing in third place, good for $74,560.
That left Ihrahim heads-up with a 5 to 1 chip advantage against Jon Brody, an experienced tournament player who also "gambles" full time as a stock trader in Florida. Brody made a move on Ihrahim during one stage and drew to within 3 to 1 in chips. But in the end -- Ihrahim prevailed in the duel by virtue of a lethal combination of forces at any poker tableŠ..an aggressive "attack" mode, and a favorable rush of devastating cards which pummeled the opposing stack to the felt -- one chip at a time.
The final hand came when Brody was dealt A-Q versus Ihrahim's 9-9. The flop came 3- K - 10, with two clubs. Ihrahim still had the lead, but Bordy had outs. The turned was the 4 of clubs. That put three clubs on board and Brody held the ace of clubs -- potentially good for the nut flush if he could catch another club. Brody could also catch either an ace or a queen to make a higher pair. The crowd rose to it's feet. The dealer flipped over a card. It was a harmless 10 -- which amputated Brody from the final table in second place with $149,140 and jettisoned Ihrahim into part of World Series history.
"He definitely has more final table experience," explained Brody afterwards. "I'm more of a cash-game player. The fact of the matter is -- I lost to a very good opponent. Fortunately, there are also 27 more events (at this year's World Series)," a clear indication that Brody took the loss in stride and expects to do very well at this year's championship.
Ihrahim is married, with five children. He has won several other major events on the tournament trail over the last 16 years, when he first turned pro. However, "nothing is close to the prestige and prize money of the World Series of Poker," he said. Ihrahim was cheered on by many friends, family, and well-wishers in the crowd. When asked what he plans to do aside from poker, he truly seemed to have his priorities straight. "I want to spend more time with my kids and my family," he said.
"I started playing poker at the Bicycle Club in Los Angeles in 1987," Ihrahim said. "From the first time I played poker, I really enjoyed it. The challenge of it is really that thing that motivates me the most to become a better player. That -- and the money."
When it comes to playing poker tournaments -- Ihrahim is a firm believer in both mental and physical preparation. "Many players think that they can start preparing for the World Series of Poker a few weeks earlier, and some don't even bother to prepare," explained Ihrahim. "But I believe in getting yourself ready three to four months in advance. This year, I quit smoking, and stopped my leaks one at a time. Now, I feel much better and it all paid off for me."
According to Ihrahim, we can expect to see more success from him at this year's World Series. In fact, if at least one prediction comes true -- the next world poker champion may already be a foregone conclusion.
"My good friend Billy Gazes (another top Los Angeles area-based pro) told me he thinks I'm going to win a title at the World Series this year. That gave me a lot of encouragement -- especially coming from Billy."
When it comes to joining the elite class of poker players with World Series of Poker gold bracelets, Mohamed Ihrahim, is a most deserving champion. He has paid his dues for many years playing in tournaments and cash games. He prepared himself mentally and physically. And, he fought and triumphed in an event which has traditionally been one of the toughest to win.
|
      |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Online Games | Learn to Play | Columnists | Features | Betting Info | Book a Trip! Home | Las Vegas Review-Journal | Advertise With Us | Contact Us | Privacy Statement Send questions and comments to webmaster@casinogaming.com Copyright © Stephens Media Interactive, 1997 - |