1995 Hall of Fame Poker Classic

$5,000 Buy-in
Entries: 118
Total Prize Money: $590,000

1994 Winner: Dr. Barry Schwartz -- $184,000

• The Winners.
• The Showdown.
• The Final Table.

Finalists
1. Phil Hellmuth                           $211,500
Menlo Park, California
2. Howard Lederer                           187,000
Las Vegas, Nevada
3. Humberto Brenes                           80,000
Miami Lakes, Florida
4. Peter Vilandos                            74,500
Houston, Texas
5. Ron Stanley                               37,000
Las Vegas, Nevada

Prize Money Awarded
6. Perry Green                              $26,550
Anchorage, Alaska
7. Ali Farsai                                20,650
Downey, California
8. Luis Santoni                              14,750
Las Vegas, Nevada
9. Paul Stringfellow                         11,800
Killeen, Texas

. The current leader, with $211,500 in chips, is Phil Hellmuth, the 1989 World Champion of Poker. A 31-year-old professional player from Menlo Park, California, Hellmuth won the limit Hold'em event for $117,000 on December 16. He now has to his credit two Hall of Fame titles, five World Series of Poker titles -- three of which were won during the 1993 tournament -- and numerous titles from other major competitions. He began playing poker 12 years ago and won the world championship at the age of 24.

. Holding down the No. 2 spot with $187,000 in chips is Howard Lederer of Las Vegas. A 32-year-old professional gamesman and a co-owner of Poker World magazine, Lederer won the Hall of Fame's Deuce-to-Seven Draw competition and $72,900 on December 14. Besides his two Hall of Fame titles, he holds titles from the Queens Poker Classic and the Diamond Jim Brady Tournament, and has cashed many times in other major poker competitions. Lederer also competes professionally on the backgammon and chess circuits.

. Currently in third place with $80,000 in chips is Humberto Brenes, a 43-year-old recreational poker player from Miami Lakes, Florida. The owner of a television station and a coffee factory in Costa Rica, Brenes holds three World Series of Poker titles, as well as several titles from other major competitions. He has been playing poker since childhood.

. Peter Vilandos, a 54-year-old recreational poker player from Houston, Texas, is currently in fourth place with $74,500 in chips. The owner of three auto repair shops, Vilandos has cashed numerous times in major poker competitions and holds titles from the World Series of Poker, the Queens Poker Classic, and the Diamond Jim Brady Tournament. He began playing poker 36 years ago in his native Greece.

. The fifth finalist, with $37,000 in chips, is Ron Stanley of Las Vegas. A 43-year-old professional player, Stanley has cashed in numerous major competitions and holds titles from the World Series of Poker, the Hall of Fame Poker Classic, the Super Bowl of Poker, and the Diamond Jim Brady Tournament. He began playing poker in high school and financed his poker education with the money he made playing pool.

. Finishing in sixth and seventh places respectively were Perry Green of Anchorage, Alaska, and Ali Farsai of Downey, California. Both players were eliminated simultaneously from the championship competition when Farsai moved all in before the flop with A-K, Howard Lederer raised with pocket aces, Green reraised all in with A-K, and Lederer called, creating a side pot. The final board showed 7-5-2-4-Q, and Lederer won both pots with his pair of aces. Green was awarded $26,550 in prize money, and Farsai took home $20,650.

. Luis Santoni of Las Vegas had to settle for eighth place and $14,750 when he moved all in before the flop with K-9 offsuit and was called by Phil Hellmuth, who held pocket tens. The flop came Q-J-2, giving Santoni a gutshot straight draw, but he failed to improve and Hellmuth took down the money.

. Placing ninth for $11,800 was Paul Stringfellow of Killeen, Texas, who moved all in before the flop with pocket kings and was called by Humberto Brenes, who held pocket eights. When the flop brought an eight and the case eight fell on the turn, it was all over for Stringfellow as Brenes claimed the pot with quads.

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