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| EVENT #4 | 4/24 to 4/25/98 |
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| SEVEN CARD STUD (Limit) $1,500 | |
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| TOTAL PRIZE MONEY - $400,500 | PRIZE MONEY TO DATE - $2,069,500 |
| ENTRIES IN THIS EVENT - 267 | TOTAL ENTRIES TO DATE - 1186 |
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The Final Table How they finished Live From the 'Shoe The Play-by-Play |
 THE YOUNG AND THE DEBTLESS In the end, it looked like a friendly little game between a prosperous physician and his pool man. GETTING THERE With 8 tables left in today's Seven Card Stud, the chip lead belonged to someone you've already heard plenty of this WSOP - Doyle Brunson. But sitting behind Doyle and playing maniacally was Gene Lang. Others with big stacks at the time were Don Barton, Max Stern, Kirk Morrison, Mike Caro, David Rabbi, Humberto Brenes and Ken Flaton. In less than two hours, Brunson, Caro, Rabbi, Brenes and Flaton would be gone. Gene Lang personally took care of Doyle. Observers said that Lang went up against Brunson six times, with the worst hand, and caught every one. The Bear undoubtedly had some well directed growls about that. Caro, Rabbi, Brenes and Flaton were more democratic, giving their chips to whomever asked for them - with the best hand. Finally, it came down to four players, only two of whom would make it into the money. Peter Brownstein, Bill Randels, Phyllis Meyers and Leon Zewin were on the bubble. When the chips fell where they may, Peter Brownstein and Bill Randels were in, Phyllis Meyers and Leon Zewin were out. MAY WE SHOW YOU TO YOUR TABLE Kimberly Bye, who if she weren't outrageously beautiful, would just be outrageous, had hung on through 254 players. Finally she surrendered to the Kirk Morrison machine when he caught a flush. Kim was 13th. Gene Lang had taken all of Doyle Brunson's chips as far as he could take them. 12th. He couldn't get any of his three overcards to hit and Dan Levinson's 10's held up. Frank Thompson fell to Max Stern when his 10's missed and Max's eight found two eights and two deuces on board. Barry Furman was the next baby to light Morrison's fire when his up and down straight stayed four long. Kirk had Aces again. Finally, there was one player to be eliminated before going to the final table. But there were no volunteers. Jong Kim had to be convinced not to come back the next day, when he lost to a better hand. Jong's A K Q couldn't beat Tommy Hufnagle's pair of fours. This was the setting at the final table:
Jeffrey Lowenhar and Sooyoung Kim started out with about the same amount of money. Jeff was unlucky enough to catch a good starting hand first. Why was that unlucky? Because Kirk Morrison was at the table to clean him out of the tournament. Lowenhar's two pair found Morrison's King high straight. Jeff was 8th. Kirk, who could pass as a Malibu Beach surfer, continued to dominate this table as he has every one he's been at. Yesterday, the players were joking about having him paged, to get him away for a while, so someone else could win a pot. Sooyoung Kim is the only player so far this year to come back for a second final table. He was out even earlier this time when Rod Pardey caught a Queen on the river for Queens over 5's. Sooyoung now has a seventh to go with his fifth. He may be needing more fifths if this keeps up. Dan Levinson didn't have a lot of chips when he raised Don Barton. So Barton called with a deuce showing and another in the hole. Don hit his second hole card on fifth street to win. Dan finished 6th. At 5 p.m. with antes at 1k and the bring in at 2k, the contest had gone from a one man race to a two man race. Dr Max Stern was starting one of his patented final table rushes. Kirk had $200,000, Max $115,000. The rest to the stacks looked like an elephant had stepped on them. Tommy Hufnagle has been in Las Vegas since the very first WSOP. He's THAT old. When Don Barton caught a 10 on the river for a straight, Tommy needed a six or a five for a full house. Those cards took the fifth. So did Tommy. Too young lions met on the next confrontation. Neither is over 26. Rod Pardey Jr is the son of a professional player. His father has won two bracelets. This is the son's first final table. At 21 it's unlikely to be his last. Rod's Kings over fours couldn't overcome Kirk Morrison's gut shot straight. Rod finished 4th. In a rather ignominious ending to a great tournament run, Don Barton couldn't beat a pair of sixes in Kirk Morrison's hand. Don got Third place. When Don Barton went out so did Kirk and Max. Don went to pick up the $38,040 for third place. Kirk and Max went out to talk deal. At this point the chip count was:
Morrison $232,000 Kirk Morrison hardly ever speaks. He wears large headphones and watches every card fall on every board. If he bluffs, he is seldom caught. He usually has the hand that he's representing, or better. Dr Max Stern, is the polar opposite. He is as friendly and voluble as anyone in the business. He bluffs all the time, and is caught frequently. When caught, he'll shrug his shoulders and laugh the loudest at his own embarrassment. The final table looked like the prosperous physician playing a friendly Heads up game with his pool man. Chain smoking and looking over the top of his Ben Franklin style glasses - like Berry Johnston - to see if you're bluffing, Max Stern can be stern to the max, but seldom is. Stern is one of only four players to make as many as three final tables in last year's WSOP. Not wasting any time while there, Dr. Stern operated for two firsts and a third. The players return. We are told by those who know that a "fair" deal was in fact made. That would probably mean that Kirk Morrison got about $120k and Max Stern, 100k. Typically, the chip leader has to give the trailer a premium over their chip count to lay down their chips. Often, after a deal is made the remaining players choose to eliminate a level or two to speed up the ending. In this case, Kirk and Max decided to stay at $1k/2k. Because they both had so many chips, in relation to the ante and bring in, this could mean that we were in for a protracted battle. After about an hour, Dr Stern's baby straight loses to Kirk Morrison's Ace high flush to give Kirk the title. Doors will now be opening for Morrison. The Young and the Debtless becomes the Debtless Times Two. FINAL RESULTS $1,500 7 Card Stud - 267 Entries
SUPER SATELLITES (Patty Hughes and Rudy Lotief) The No-Limit Super Satellites start each evening at 8:40 PM in the Satellite area. The Entry Fee is $220 for $200 in Tournament chips and there are unlimited $200 re-buys during the first hour, if you have less than $200 in Tournament chips. You may also make a single or double add-on at the end of the re-buy period. Blinds start at $5/$10 and increase every 20 minutes. Available monies will be converted into non-negotiable, non-transferable, non-refundable seats in the $10,000 World Championship event, with at least $5,000 in cash and $500 Lammers being divided among the final table players. WSOP SUPER SATELLITE #9 Saturday 4/25/98 ALL NEW AND IMPROVED For the first time since the Super Satellites began on April 17th, we had a final table with no repeaters (except for the first one of course, don't be a smart ass). We also, for the first time, gave away 6 seats. I have a lot of fun spoofing the No-Limit play in the Supers, so I have to be fair. These were the best Players we've had so far. I'll tell you why I think so in a little while. Tonight, 164 players bought 168 rebuys bringing the prize pool to, $66,400. The following were the rewards for making the final table:
Places 1 thru 6 A $10,000 entry into the Championship
event plus $270 ($10,270)
Some of the "names" who competed were:
An Tran None of these esteemed players made the final table. With 12 players left, Asher Darei only had one chip left. He went all-in when Pete Dixon raised. Asher had A 7 of Diamonds. Pete had K 6 off. You know the rest of the story. Yes a six hit the river. John Spadavecchia was third to Russ Hamilton a few years ago. There he played three handed for over six hours at the final table before they made a deal. Tonight, he couldn't quite make it to the finals. Raising with A 9 of Clubs, he ran into chip leader David Rubin's A K. End of story in 11th. Every night we have a player who can't get that one key card that would get them in the money. Tonight that player was M.E. Mack who didn't show his hand when a Queen rivered. Ralph Hoots had A Q. M.E. looked like he was hit by a truck, flattening him in 10th. The final table:
"Did you tell them I was only kidding?" Diana Allen asked. I would have if I'd known, I told her. Diana was upset that I quoted her as saying that she had played badly and still finished 19th. I'm telling them now, Diana. She says she was only kidding. Diana wasn't kidding when she went all-in with A K of Spades from early position. John Gledhill was even more serious when he called with Q's. No joke, Diana was 9th. From the small blind, Pete Dixon thought that the button was on a steal. He had an A 8 off. David Rubin was on a steal of sorts, with 9 7 of Diamonds. But as we've seen continuously, hot players stay hot, until they're not. David Rubin caught a 9 on the flop. Pete Dixon caught 8th. Now for the play of the Super Satellite Final Tables. When the blinds went up from 2 and 4 chips to 4 and 8, Thor Hansen looked down at his stack and counted 14 chips. He could get through the blinds with 2 chips to spare. Behind him Gregg Turk and Harvey Goldstein both had 12 chips. Both of them would have to win a hand to beat him if he didn't play. The test came with Thor in the small blind. David Rubin on the button raised. Thor didn't hesitate, he threw away an A J off. Would the gamble pay off in a Championship entry? He wouldn't likely be able to stand another blind. The gamble didn't work at first, as Gregg Turk got through his big blind when no one called it. Harvey Goldstein was next. When Frank Landem raised, Harvey had a decision to make. He only had enough chips for the small blind. It was going to be this hand or the next. Harvey called all-in. Landem turned over A J off, Harvey a 10 9 off. The gamble worked for Thor Hansen when nothing came for Goldstein. Harvey was 7th, Thor got pats on the back from the railbirds. He was in the Big Dance. The winners for Super Satellite #9 were:
Thor Hansen SINGLE TABLE SATELLITES (Becky Kerber, Barbara Lotief and Terry Vanderlip) Single Table Satellites are run continuously 21 hours every day (8:00 AM until 5:00 AM) and usually last around 90 minutes. There are featured Satellites each day for the next day's event, as well as other Satellites depending on demand. Single Table Satellites for the $10,000 Main event and for the next no-limit Holdem event are spread frequently. Binion's charges $10 per player in a Satellite. For the $220 buy-in No Limit Holdem Satellites, ten Players start with $800 each in chips. The blinds start at $10/$25, increase every 15 minutes, and the winner gets four $500 Lammers plus $100 in cash. No Single Table Satellites for the $10,000 Championship Event have been run yet. LAS VEGAS WEATHER The Temperature sign atop Binion's Horseshoe read 61 degrees at High Noon on Saturday. It was overcast, and there were scattered rain showers. The wind was 15/25 mph, gusting to 40 mph. By 3:00 PM, there was some sun and a lot of blue in the sky with the temperature around 70 degrees. LENGTH OF FINAL TABLE
SENIOR'S V POKER TOURNAMENT Oklahoma Johnny Hale informed me that the fifth edition of the Senior's Poker Tournament will be held this year at Harrahs in Las Vegas. Details to be announced later. WSOP DEALS
McCLELLANDisms At todays's Final $1500 7 Stud Table, Dr. Max Stern lost a Heads up hand to Kirk Morrison's straight, took off his jacket and told Jack McClelland that it was too hot. Jack replied that he probably wouldn't be so hot if Kirk hadn't made his straight. We were discussing the internet during a break in final table action, and someone said that the internet is addictive. Jack said, "Yep, the internet is like a fishnet. It's easy to get trapped by both of them." $500 CHIPS This year, the grey $500 chips were replaced with yellow chips. Jack McClelland said that this was done because the grey chips had gotten worn down, they were easy to mistake for the $100 chips, and because the yellow chips are prettier. PLAYER CONDUCT Any player abusing employees or other players, either verbally or physically (swearing, throwing cards, etc.) or disrupting the tournament will be penalized. The following will be the MINIMUM penalty imposed:
FIRST OFFENSE - 20 minutes away from the table.
(Blinds and/or antes to be forfeited)
The WSOP Floorpeople will be strictly enforcing the rules, with zero tolerance. SCOREBOARD
TOURNAMENTS Jack McClelland is assisted by Steve Morrow and Jeff Vanderlip as Assistant Tournament Coordinators. The 1998 WSOP continues the two-day format that was inaugurated last year, for most of the tournaments. Also, all two-day events start one level lower than in past years, and each level at the Final Table has been lengthened from 60 minutes to 80 minutes. Limit Holdem and Omaha events have two new levels of betting. First day play continues until the field is reduced to the Final Table, and Final Table play begins at 4:00 PM on the second day. POKER ROOM Shift Supervisors Jimmy Stefan, John Buchanan, Tony Shelton and Cathy Wood run the Poker room where the lower limit games are played. A recent check showed the following games being spread:
SIDE ACTION Shift Supervisors John "Scoff" Sheffield, Kathy Hudson and Marshall Kassoff run the higher limit games on the south end of the Tournament Pavilion. A recent check showed the following games were being spread:
$10,000 CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRANTS Updated through Saturday Noon 25 April 1998
Alphabetized:
Don Barton  In a dominating final-table performance in which he relinquished the chip lead for only a few moments in just under three hours, Kirk Morrison captured the $1,500 Seven Card Stud title and promptly burst into tears of joy.
When he got down to heads-up against tournament veteran Dr.Max Stern, Morrison said, "I knew I'd have my work cut out." They duelled for exactly 70 minutes, with Stern taking most of the small pots and finally wresting the lead from Morrison. On the next hand, a monster pot developed which was won by Morrison's two pair when Stern missed his flush draw. Morrison took the next pot and with it the chip lead, which he kept for the final ten minutes. The tournament ended with Morrison making an A-K-Q-10-7 heart flush on sixth street while Stern made a small straight. Amid the roars of excitement and the victor's tears, few noticed that Morrison missed his unneeded gutshot royal flush. For Stern, a 58 year-old retired Costa Rican pediatrician, this was the 10th in-the-money finish in 10 years at the World Series. He has three gold winner's bracelets, two of them earned last year when his wife, Maria, captured this Stud event to make WSOP family history. "I am very pleased to be runner-up," said Stern, "because Kirk was a wonderful opponent, a very noble young man. He played very well. If this title can't be in our family, I'm confident it is in very good hands." Stern's WSOP earnings now total $636,180. Third place went to Don Barton, 49, a real estate broker who now has five money finishes at the WSOP, including a third place in this event two years ago. "I feel terrific," Barton said. "I got lucky to get third - I put my money in at the right spots." He has now won $90,568 in eight years of play at the World Series. Rod Pardey Jr., 21, a self-described "unserious college student" and regular poker player, took fourth place at this, his first World Series. "Getting this far was remarkable to me," he said. "I was really surprised." He was eliminated with kings and fours, missing the full house he needed to beat Morrison's straight. Pardey's father, Rod, has two World Series gold bracelets. Another tournament veteran, Tom Hufnagle, finished fifth, his eighth in-the-money finish achieved while attending almost every World Series since the beginning. "I'm a little disappointed, but I'm also happy to finish where I did," said Hufnagle, 54, who was all-in with small cards and lost to Barton's high straight. Sixth place went to Dan Levinson, a 54 year-old real estate developer who, as a "strictly recreational poker player" had never before won anything at the WSOP. "It's fantastic," he said. "I would have loved to do better, but it was a wonderful experience." Levinson was knocked out when his pair of queens did not improve against Barton's nines and sevens. Onlookers broke into applause for the seventh-place finisher, Sooyoung Kim, who made the second final table in the three events he had entered at this World Series. Kim, a 44 year-old Korean-born CPA who lives in the state of Washington, said, "The World Series is very challenging and I am pleased. But just as the other day (when he finished 5th in the $2,000 Limit Hold'em event), I couldn't catch a card at the final table. I had only one playable hand." Short-stacked, Kim was all-in and made no pair, losing to Pardey's two pair. Jeffrey Lowenhar, 52, a management consultant and former economics professor, bowed out in eighth place, his two pair losing to the first of several Morrison straights. "I'm thrilled," said Lowenhar. "Last year I finished 34th in this event, and now eighth." This was his first time in the money at the World Series. 
The Final Table
Standard Stud Notations
3rd Street ( 3: ) Up cards are listed in Seat # order for each Street. First action reported in a betting round, normally means the first player that put money into the pot in that betting round. A check is usually not reported as the first action in a betting round. Folds are not always reported. If there are four players at the beginning of a betting round, and it's reported that one player bets and is called by one other player, then the remaining two players folded.
*** 35 minutes remaining at 3,000/6,000 Level with $500 ante and $1,000 bi.
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Morrison, 26, has been a poker professional since 1994, the
year he placed third in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em event, his
only previous finish in the money at the World Series. "I'm
really elated," Morrison said. "I've been praying for this
and I give all praise to God. Even when I lost the chip
lead, which happens at those levels, I had inner peace and
kept the faith."