"Keep on truckin'." Is this a trend? We've had two WSOP Circuit events at Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs now and both were won by truck drivers! But while yesterday's winner, Rafal Boduch, is a mere 22, the victor in today's $500 no-limit event, William Drumm, is a ripe old 23. Drumm, a regional truck driver from Brillion, Wisconsin, took a week's vacation to play tournaments here. "Make that two weeks now," he said, as he pocketed his $42,059 cash-out.
Drumm started playing online two years ago and then moved to cash games, strictly no-limit because the available limit games are too small for him. Yesterday and today were the first time he has taken shots at live tournaments. Tonight he said he played tight-aggressive in the early stages, then showed patience at the final table. His big break came when he was all in with three or four tables left and snagged a king to crack the pocket queens held by Kevin Ratliff, who eventually would finish fifth.
Drumm came on suddenly to take the win away from William Lamb, who is in the nursing business. Before that, most of the attention had focused on Lamb, who dominated the action. He was in so many pots and raised so often that he was dubbed "Action Bill" by Charlie Ciresi, the tournament lead who provided play-by-play narration. Action Bill was to knock out six players and enjoy a 2-1 chip lead when he and Drumm got heads-up, but a couple of overly aggressive bluffs that misfired cost him a win.
Final table action got underway with 1,500-3,000 blinds, 200 antes and 37:14 left on the clock. Average chip count was about 60,000, and Lamb held the lead with 111,800.
Seats and chip counts
SEAT 1 William Drumm 92,000
SEAT 2 William Lamb 111,800
SEAT 3 Brian Cole 41,600
SEAT 4 Clint Lilienthal 47,100
SEAT 5 Richard Klein 90,200
SEAT 6 Kevin Ratliff 50,200
SEAT 7 Tom Wentzel 73,900
SEAT 8 Larry Davis 21,600
SEAT 9 Bob Slezak 14,900
It took 10 hands to lose the first player. Bob Slezak, starting lowest-chipped, was in the big blind and tossed in his last few chips when Lamb raised. He was a big dog with Qd-4d to Lamb's Q-J. Still alive with an open-end straight draw on fourth street, he missed and was paid $2,629 for ninth. Slezak, a 49-year-old consultant/investor from Omaha, has played for seven years and in 2001 won a WSOP bracelet. For Omaha, of course.
In earlier action, Larry Davis, another short-chip starter, had tripled up with pocket jacks. On hand 13, it was Lamb who held the jacks. When the flop came 9c-6c-3c, he bet to put Davis all in. Holding Kc-Qd, Davis had enough outs to actually be a 52-48 favorite at that point, but couldn't help and finished eighth, worth $3,943. Davis, who gave his occupation as electrician/student/father, got his seat for this event by winning the Denver Poker Tour state championship.
After racing off the hundreds, the seven remaining players returned from break with blinds now at 2,000-4,000 with 500 antes. A dozen hands later, with the flop showing J-4-3, Brian Cole moved in holding Q-J and then Tom Wentzel did the same with K-J. Wentzel doubled through after two 7s came, leaving Cole with about 7,000. Those chips went in on the next hand when he called with K-9 after Drumm raised with A-7. The board came 4-3-3-Q-7, and we were down to six. Cole, 29, a landscaper from Omaha, learned poker from his brother 10 years ago. He collected $5,257 for seventh, his best finish ever.
Another 20 hands went by with five uncalled all-ins by various players. Finally, Lamb, in the small blind, raised, and Clint Lilienthal re-raised all in for 40,000. Lilienthal was behind with J-9 to Lamb's K-7, and when all rags came, he bowed out in sixth place.
Lilienthal, 31, is a mortgage broker from Lincoln, Nebraska. He's been playing for seven years, two years in Circuit events, and this is his best finish.
Sixth paid $6,572
The round came to a close with three players holding big stacks, roughly 165,000 for Lamb, 150,000 for Drumm and 145,000 for Wentzel. Blinds became 3,000-6,000 with 500 antes. As play resumed, two all-in players doubled through. First Richard Klein's A-K beat Wentzel's A-7. Then, even worse, Ratliff, with J-8, outdrew Wentzel's K-Q when an 8 flopped.
Then, on hand 62, there was no escape for Ratliff, one of two pros at the table. He raised pre-flop with A-Q. Action Bill called with J-10, made a straight when 9-8-7 flopped, and then put Ratliff all in and all out. Ratliff, 30, who is from Chicago, was a roofer before turning pro. This is his third final table in five years of poker. "I work for my wife and three girls," he wrote on his bio sheet. Tonight's work earned them $7,886. By now, Lamb had about half the 543,000 chips in play.
Klein, the second pro, started with K-7 on hand 78. When the flop of 9-8-6 gave him an open-ender, he moved in for 46,000. Lamb called with A-8, and won when a deuce and another 8 were dealt. Pre-poker, Klein, who hails from Denver, Colorado, was an electrical contractor. His poker highlight was winning a WPT $300 no-limit rebuy event at Tunica in 2003. Tonight he picked up $9,200 for fourth.
One more hand and this tournament was heads-up, and once again Lamb was responsible. Wentzel moved in for 64,000 before the flop with Q-J, and ran into Lamb's A-K. When the board came 9-8-8-K, Wentzel was dead to a 10 for an inside straight. No miracle for him, and he settled for third place and $11,829.
Wentzel, 38, is from Plymouth, Minnesota, works in sales and has a math and economics degree from St. Olaf College. He has played poker for 30 years, learning in family home games. This is his second year playing tournament events, and so far he's made two final tables in four events.
Heads-up, Lamb held about 360,000 chips to around 180,000 for Drumm. On the first hand, Lamb started applying pressure by raising pre-flop, then forcing Drumm to fold by going all in on a flop of 8-6-4. But, as play continued, the opponents tightened up, and there wasn't very much action for the next dozen or so hands.
Then, Lamb made a costly move. Holding just 6-5, he opened for 25,000 and, when Drumm raised with pocket 7s, moved in. Drumm called for 99,000 more, winning and moving into the lead when the board came J-A-5-K-2.
Continuing to play fast and loose, Lamb escaped elimination a few hands later when Drumm, holding 8d-7d, bet 100,000 into a flop of 5d-5s-3d. Lamb moved in with just 7-4, but got away with a lucky split when another trey and then a jack hit.
Lamb's luck left him on the next hand. This time, when the flop came Js-6d-2s, he moved in with 9s-6h. His paired 6 wasn't much good because Drumm, with J-2, had two pair. Then a jack turned to give him a full house, and Lamb was drawing dead. "Action Bill" Lamb is 49 and lives in Blue Rapids, Kansas. He learned to play poker by watching television two years ago and won a satellite to get into this event. An outdoorsman, he enjoys hunting, fishing and horses. Second place tonight paid him $23,133.
--Max Shapiro
For more information, please contact:
Max Shapiro -- WSOP Media Director at (323) 356-3303
Or visit our official website: http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com
World Series of Poker Commissioner - Jeffrey Pollack
Director of Poker Operations for Harrah's Entertainment - Jack Effel
World Series of Poker Circuit Tournament Director - Janis Sexton
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager - Gary Margetson