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WORLD SERIES OF POKER 2002
EVENT #29 OMAHA HI-LO SPLIT
Wednesday, May 15, 2002
$5,000 BUY-IN
$5,000 in chips
"I COULD BEAT THIS GUY WITH MY EYES CLOSED"
Famous Last Words
There were 79 entrants in the $5,000 Omaha Ho-Lo for a total prize pool of$371,300. One table was paid, a total of 9 players.
To setup the Final Table Wednesday night, Marcel Luske and Hans Pfisterchopped up a "Dr. Harvey," the all-in short stack, with a better high andlowso the last nine could go to bed. One out of the money was also one out ofthe Final Table because only nine were paid.
THE FINAL TABLE:
32 mins left of 90. The blinds were $1,000/$2,000
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| Player | Hometown | Chip Count |
| Seat 1 | Hans Pfister | Zurich, Switzerland | $35,000 |
| Seat 2 | Max Stern | San Jose, Costa Rica | $37,000 |
| Seat 3 | Mike Shi | Lakewood CA | $9,000 |
| Seat 4 | John Cernuto | Las Vegas NV | $51,000 |
| Seat 5 | John McIntosh | Baltimore MD | $13,000 |
| Seat 6 | Daniel Negreanu | Las Vegas NV | $98,000 |
| Seat 7 | Mike Matusow | Las Vegas NV | $46,000 |
| Seat 8 | Marcel Luske | Almere, Holland | $43,000 |
| Seat 9 | Greg Mascio | Fullerton CA | $64,000 |
At most Final Tables, typically, there will be one player who can barelywina hand. Today, there were three such players. The reason for thissuper-abundance of player bad luck had a name. The reason's name was DanielNegreanu.
Mike Matusow derisively sang this early-table theme song,"Daniel,Daniel, Heplays every hand, he flops every hand." In actual fact, Negreanu usuallyRAISED every hand and won. Worse for those who lost to him (again MikeMatusow speaking) "He gets in with the worst of it every time and wins."Notin this WSOP has there been an initial chip leader double up in the firsthour of play. It was mind-boggling.
Everyone who's played with Daniel Negreanu knows how hot he can get, butusually Danny is playing good starting cards. Today, Negreanu could feelthemomentum he had, knew he was on a freeroll against this field, and playedalmost any four cards he picked up. And they won! As Danny's stack reachedfor the ceiling, Mike mugged to Daniel "Those chips are an illusion. Youaregoing to need every one of them when we getâ*¦ HEADS UP. It seemed like ajestat the time, but more prophetic words weren't spoken today.
Before play commenced, Danny and Mike Shi crossed paths and wished eachothergood luck. "You're going to need good luck with only $9,000." Danny addedwith the now-famous Negreanu cackle that sends ice-water down player'sspines. You could tell Danny was juiced for this one. Mike Shi didn't havemuch luck and left quickly to Hans Pfister's flopped three Kings. Shi had A34 6, but no low came.
Although well behind Negreanu, Greg Mascio WAS second chip leader at thestart. But two huge hands early sent Greg out in 8th. Both hands were oddbecause it was hard to tell what Mascio had that made him call all the waytothe river then muck. Mascio called yet another Negreanu raise from the bigblind and mucked his hand when Danny showed him trip Jacks with no low. Theboard was J 9 4 6 7. Did Greg have trip 9's and no low?The same thing happened later when Danny showed Greg a middle straight andanA 3 for low. John Cernuto ended Mascio's disappointing day with an A J 4 3for a straight and nut low. Greg finally had to show a hand. He had Q Q 5 2all-in for Queen's up.
How many of you Omaha Hi-Lo players raise under the gun with J 9 8 7. Amiddle wrap is often death in Hi-Lo. As hot as he was at the time, DannyNegreanu didn't have to look at his cards to raise under the gun. JohnMcIntosh should get something for four pair, don't you think? That's hardtodo. John was all-in from the big blind with 10 9 6 3. A straight beats fourpair in poker, but should it? Which is harder to get?
The third player to avoid winning very often today was Max Stern. The goodDoctor chopped a couple of all-ins, but then left in 6th for a house call.His own. Doc went all-in for the last time with A 10 10 4. Mike Matusow wasjust starting to heat up. He had pocket 3's and flopped a full house. Theboard double paired with no 10's and no low.
The magic cards were still coming for Danny when Hans Pfister called all-infrom the big blind and his last $1k. Hans needed Kings but not the one thatcame on the river giving Danny the nut straight with his A Q. Themulti-talented Swiss could go get a chocolate in 5th.
The cards that were falling had 'Miami' John Cernuto talking to himself.Johnwent all-in on the turn when he made a Queen high flush. Marcel Luske hadtheAce high to give Cernuto 4th.
A fabulous insight into what was going on at that point was provided by theinspired poker writer, Lee Munzer. Lee noticed the obvious, as usual. (Justkidding, Lee) Marcel Luske had allowed his play to be affected by theshenanigans of Negreanu and Matusow. Danny and Mike are opponents severaltimes a year. They can goof around without hurting themselves. Marcel wasthestranger to the group and couldn't play the duo's game. Marcel's hope forvictory was in the nether lands. All-in, Luske needed a 5 to survive. Hehadpocket 5's, but Daniel Negreanu had flopped a full house with 3 4. No 5, nosurvive, in 3rd for Luske.
The bantering between the two was constant for four hours. Example: Dannyspeaking to Mike: "We've played heads up, maybe 20 times. You almost wononce." Danny speaking about Mike: "I could beat this guy with my eyesclosed."
But Mike won this time and it was a big one, his second gold bracelet and acherished memory.
Negreanu, after being so hot for so longâ*¦well, let Matusow tell it. "He(Danny) never put me on a hand. But when he started to go cold, he finallydid (put Matusow on a hand). That's when I stole him blind." Just as Mikehadpredicted, "You're going to need every one of those chipsâ*¦HEADS UP."Dannydid need every one and he lost every one.
Alarmingly the unthinkable eventually happened. The castle of chips thatDanny had built on the bones of the departed, was gone.
Danny went all-in for his last $14k with a back door straight and low draw.Mike Matusow had flopped trip 4's and needed two bricks to shut his rivalupand out. That's what came, 10 9.
In 40 years or so, when Mike Matusow and Danny Negreanu are elderlygentlemensitting in the Horseshoe coffee shop together, Mike will STILL be teasingDanny about what happened on May 16, 2002. It was THAT important to both ofthem.
One of the things you can do with 'Famous Last Words' is 'Eat Them.'
| Official Money Winners |
| 1. Mike Matusow | $148,520 |
| 2. Daniel Negreanu | $85,400 |
| 3. Marcel Luske | $44,560 |
| 4. John Cernuto | $26,000 |
| 5. Hans Pfister | $20,420 |
| 6. Max Stern | $16,700 |
| 7.J ohn McIntosh | $13,000 |
| 8. Greg Mascio | $9,280 |
| 9. Mike Shi | $7,420 |
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