EVENT #2 The Orleans Open
Omaha Hi-Low Split ($120 buy-in)
July 12, 1998
The Final Table
Official Results
The Evening Tournament

Little Brother

By Mike Paulle Another record attendance was set today as 592 players signed up for the Omaha Hi-Lo Split event. That was 22 more than last year's record. The total prize pool was $59,200.

When Jesse Jones punched out two low stacks on the same hand just before six p.m., there were thirty players left, all of whom were in the money.

To set up the final table, Lou Waong who had escaped three blinds with no chips, was all-in for the fourth time in the small blind. Eric Shapiro did the honors and sent the last ten on when he flopped a flush.

The Final Table

Seat 1Jim MoriarityRockford, IL$69,900
Seat 2JC PearsonNashville, TN$53,400
Seat 3Gunner Gunderson,Walla Walla, WA$2,100
Seat 4Eric ShapiroBoulder, CO$20,100
Seat 5Melissa HaydenNew York, NY$56,100
Seat 6Rit RadfordLas Vegas, NV$23,400
Seat 7Wade KuroiwaHonolulu, HI $24,200
Seat 8Kurt NewellLas Vegas, NV$6,800
Seat 9David WebberLong Beach, CA$28,200
Seat 10Mark GregorichLas Vegas, NV$23,400

Gunner Gunderson didn't bring any bullets to the final table. He shot blanks when his all-in 2 2 lost to David Webber's A K. Gunner's weapon jammed in 10th.

Eric Shapiro flopped trip Aces, but with no spades. Wade Kuroiwa only had two Aces but also two spades. Eric got flushed out in 9th.

Mark Gregorich survived a couple all-in's. Jim Moriarity was the chip leader and kept up the pressure until Mark melted. Jim's A J were high and A 8 were low. Mark felt low as he left in 8th place.

Wade Kuroiwa couldn't find a hand at the final table. Finally, all-in in a three way pot, he made neither the high or low and was chopped up between David Webber flush and Rit Radford's better low. Is this any way to treat someone who came all the way from Hawaii?

David Webber wasn't given much time to feel sorry for Wade, he had to feel sorry for himself as it was now his turn to get chopped between Jim Moriarity and Rit Radford. Webber finished 6th.

Now the deal talk started. Jim Moriarity was the prohibitive chip leader. He kept upping the price he wanted. First it was $10,000, then $15,000 and finally $20,000. When Rit Radford offered him $12,000, the deal was off and play resumed.

Rit Radford must have known something, because he was the next one out when Moriarity's A Q flopped trip Queens. Rit's A K caught air and Rit caught 5th.

Again the deal talk ended in futility. Melissa Hayden wanted to talk in private, no one else did.

In a four way pot, both Hayden and Kurt Newell were put all-in. In a tough spot for Melissa, Kurt had one more chip than she did. That chip turned out to be worth $2,766 when both Hayden and Newell were eliminated on the same hand. In the hand, there was no low. JC Pearson rivered Aces and Tens to send Hayden out in 4th and Newell out in 3rd.

JC Pearson is the younger brother of former world champion Puggy Pearson. Where Puggy is brash, JC is soft-spoken. When he speaks, however, it's probably a good idea to listen to Mr Pearson the younger. He's the only player to make the final table in both of the first two events at this year's Orleans Open.

"You have youth, but I have experience and that's important," JC Pearson said. He was giving some advice to Jim Moriarity. "This is just a crapshoot at this point," JC continued.

With a 4-3 chip lead, Pearson was as good as his advice and gave Moriarity a 50-50 money split, $16,850 for each. Pearson got the entry into the Tournament of Champions.

Official Prize Money

1stJC Pearson$22,635
2ndJim Moriarity$11,066
3rd Kurt Newell$5,533
4th Melissa Hayden$2,766
5th Rit Radford$2,011
6th David Webber$1,761
7th Wade Kuroiwa$1,509
8th Mark Gregorich$1,258
9th Eric Shapiro$1,006
10thGunner Gunderson$755
11th-20th received $444

Lou Waong, Mickey Cerasa, Zorn Venture, George Kraynak, Jesse Jones, Les Spear, Ronit Fine, Larry Colt, Leonard Beasley and Don Vines

21st-30th received $296

Tom Langston, Bill Elliot, Don Goff, Abe Fernandez, Allen Mriabelle, Thomas Witherspoon, Peter Fisher, Charles Chang, Janice Delany and Jim Robinson

The Evening Tournament

In the evening tournament, there were 182 entries and 116 rebuys for a total prize pool of $29,800. Dwayne Downing won 1st place and the Tournament of Champions entry in a showdown with Kevin Lewis. The competitors saved $1,000 over 2nd place money.

Official Prize Money

1stDwayne Downing,$10,040
2ndKevin Lewis,$5,020
3rdEd Yuchasz,$2,510
4thJoe Ribaudo,$1,882
5thJay Reisler,$1,254
6thJ Mitch Miller,$1,130
7thJim McCabe,$1,004
8thJerry Kick,$879
9thEarl Hamis,$753
10thOscar Trusley,$628
11th-20th received $320

Ralph, Larry, John, Roger R, Glenn, Mike W, Paul, O.D., Robin M, Kenny Ych and Hassan K tied for 20th.


Internet Coverage of the 1998 Orleans Open is brought to you by Mike Paulle and ConJelCo.
©1998, Mike Paulle. All Rights Reserved.
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