LA Poker Classic - Event Three - Omaha High/Low - Final

A record was set at the Commerce Casino Saturday night. I'm certainly not referring to the 883 players, and 1400+ rebuys in the $300 NLHE event that started Saturday night (see more about that in the day one report on that event).

No, I'm referring to the record set for the fewest words ever spoken at a final table of a poker event. The night before, in the 7 Card Stud final table it was the always fun Max Pescatore, and Brad "Burger" Williams mixing it up verbally throughout the night, and having a bit of fun. In stark contrast to the Stud final table was the Omaha High/Low final table - tonight's final table was all business.

Chips clattered, the occasional 'raise' was heard, but other than that, it was the din of the massive field engaged in the $300 rebuy NLHE event that dominated the Commerce Casino Ballroom sonically. The poker was good, if mechanical, and at the end of day Benny Dumas outlasted a healthy field of 234 participants (and a final table that included the always tough Tony Ma) to win the 3rd event of the LA Poker Classic. The field of 234 was up a healthy 30% from the 2004 number, and the tournament paid three tables. This figure of 27 paid places was met with approval from players, many of whom had been critical of the first NLHE event paying only 45 on a field of 799 players.

A deal was struck once the final table got down to three, and Benny Dumas walked away with the trophy, and a cool $41,990. As he got up from the table, and shook the hands of his remaining two competitors, the only sound that could be heard was the grunts coming from Dumas, as the carried the twenty-five pound trophy to his car. The final results are below.

$500 Omaha High/Low Final Results

1st - Benny Dumas $41,990
2nd – Andrew Wang $21,563
3rd – Gashem Haldy $10,782
4th – Peter Brownstein $6,809
5th – Wing Wong $5,107
6th – Keith Ohara $3,972
7th – Hieu 'Tony' Ma $2,837
8th – Peter Swearingen $2,270
9th – Paul Vinci $1,816
10th – Logan Trindade $1,362
11th – Stan Andrew $1,362
12th – Shawne Portman $1,362
13th – Andy Sacino $1,135
14th – Rocky Enciso $1,135
15th – Joe Denicola $1,135
16th – Donald Dabliang $908
17th – Marty Appel $908
18th – Henry Phan $908
19th – Michael Pancer $681
20th – Richard Passalacqua $681
21st – Ricky Ortiz $681
22nd – Anders Berg $681
23rd – Young Pitkin $681
24th – Julie Sun $681
25th – Peggy Stein $681
26th – Bret Murray $681
27th – John Tran $681