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Pos. |
Player |
Origin |
Prize |
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1 |
O'Neil Longson |
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$125,690 |
2 |
Bruno Fitoussi |
Paris |
$70,275 |
3 |
Al Barbieri |
|
$42,165 |
4 |
Archie Karas |
|
$30,120 |
5 |
Mike Wattel |
|
$24,900 |
6 |
Mick Wernick |
|
$19,675 |
7 |
Larry Cesareo |
|
$15,660 |
8 |
Hasan Kamoei |
|
$11,245 |
9 |
Randy Holland |
|
$7,230 |
10 |
Blair Rodman |
|
$7,230 |
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Report |
If Doyle
Brunsons record-tying tenth World Series of Poker lifetime victory was
poker at its finest, then the final table of the Seven Card Razz event was
every poker fans worst nightmare. Think of working as a security guard on
the graveyard shift in an empty warehouse. ONeil Longson won the most
punishing event thus far at this years World Series. He topped an
all-time Razz turnout (291 entries) and collected $125,690 in prize money. This
was gold bracelet Number Three for the near-comatose retiree and poker pro from
Utah.
In every way, shape, and form the Razz finale was dreadful.
First, it lasted a seemingly infinite 16 hours. On Day Two, play started off at
2 pm. The tournament did not end until 8 am the next morning. What brave (or
insane) spectators remained who were scattered inside a near-empty tournament
area were either snoozing or catatonic. The winner, ONeil Longson showed
little emotion after winning, most appropriate given the circumstances. A
thrilling poker moment, this was not.
This is not to say that Longson,
a widely-respected tournament veteran, did not put on a masterful performance.
In fact, play at the final table was extraordinary. There were a number of
highly-interesting poker personalities in the finale, which might have provided
some riveting drama has the game been No-Limit Holdem. But instead, the
game was Razz a hybrid of Seven-Card Stud in which the object of the
game is to make the worst possible hand. There are no devastating rivers, nor
coin flip showdowns in Razz. Instead, there are hours and hours and hours of
tedious monotony. Its poker version of an assembly
line.
ONeil Longson is a 71-year-old professional poker player,
who lists retired as his profession. But Longson shows no signs of
slowing down, at least when it comes to winning tournaments. This was
Longsons second gold bracelet in two years.
This was a day of both
similarities and contrasts. Poker legend Doyle Brunson won his gold bracelet on
the same day. That meant that two players in their 70s have now won
championships at the World Series. Poker may be a young mans game, but
Longson and Brunson are showing the world that the old-timers can win, as
well.
Longson walked away from the nearly-empty poker room as he has
many times, strolling casually and quietly back to his room at the end of a
long day. Those who may have passed him en route would never have known by the
stoic look on Longsons expressionless face that he had just won
six-figures and become a three-time WSOP winner.
If a tree falls in the
forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Official Report by Nolan
Dalla World Series of Poker Media Director |
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