Both He and Chad Batista Won Circuit Championships Last YearClick here to view the official results.
Elizabeth, IN—The 11th event of the WSOP Circuit at Caesars Indiana, $500 no-limit hold’em, produced one tough final table with two Circuit main event champions in attendance. One was Chad “Lilholdem” Batista, who won $262,002 in the Tunica championship last October, the other, Mark “Pegasus” Smith, who won $306,000 in the main event here last October. Also not to be overlooked was David “Dr. Fox” Fox, a third pro with total earnings of $477,000, including a $109,779 win in the Venetian’s Deep Stack Extravaganza II this year.
But in the end, “Pegasus” Smith, who also breeds and races horses, rode off with the win after a very hard-fought battle, winning an official $36,244 after a three-way deal was made. The key hand came on the 119th hand when both he and Fox flopped two pair, and all the money went in. Smith’s two pair was bigger and Fox was left with 9,000, which he lost on the next hand.
Smith, 55, from Georgetown, Kentucky, describes himself as a horseman/professional poker player. He just bought a yearling named Poker Princess and says, “I hope she runs as well as I play.” Besides his horses, he is chief deputy coroner in his county and also owns a large waste water utility.
Smith, married with three children, has only been playing three years. He describes his play as selective/aggressive. “I play to trap.” He enters as many Circuit events as he can., missing very few. He also has cashes in two WSOP events.
Action started with blinds of 1,000-2,000 with 200 antes, 8:22 on the clock Leading with 83,600 was Fox.
Here were the starting chip counts:
SEAT 1 Chad Batista 75,300
SEAT 2 Danny Sweeney 46,000
SEAT 3 Kevin Stammen 35,300
SEAT 4 Larry Kozlove 72,000
SEAT 5 Mark Smith 59,800
SEAT 6 David Fox 83,600
SEAT 7 Brad Albrine 28,000
SEAT 8 John Denman 67,500
SEAT 9 Mohammad Yennes 52,000
SEAT 10 Kau Vang 21,000
After blinds went to 1,500-3,000 with 400 antes, player 10 departed. Brad Albrine tried a button steal, moving in for 20,500 with 9-6. Mohammad Yennes called with A-Q and hit another ace on the turn. This event only paid nine places, but everyone had agreed to pay $200 to the bubble boy, so Albrine got $1,800 consolation money.
Albrine, 22, is a college senior studying civil engineering at Purdue University. He’s from Cincinnati, has been playing two years and also enjoys golf and hiking.
On hand 2, after all players made the money, Kau Vang moved in for 27,000 with A-Q. Kevin Stammen moved in with pocket aces, and Smith called with A-J. The board came K-Q-7-4-8, Stammen tripled up, and Vang was left with 500. His last chip went in on the next hand. Sweeney called for the 6,000 blind, as did Larry Kozlove. The pot was checked down and Kozlove, with 10-4, won when a 4 flopped, and Vang left in ninth place.
Vang, a pro from St. Paul, Minnesota, was previously a business owner. He’s married with one child, enjoys basketball and learned poker from his Uncle Steve five years ago. This is his second Circuit. Ninth paid $3,020.
A few hands later, Danny Sweeney went broke when he moved in for 29,000 with A-K and ran into Fox’s pocket aces.
Sweeney, 46, is a truck driver from Ashland City, Indiana. He’s married with one child, began playing in home games 10 years ago and also enjoys fishing and golf. He’s entered about six Circuits, and his highlight was making the final table in a freeroll last week. Eighth paid $4,027.
Next, Smith escaped with one of several draw-outs he would get. All in for 29,000 with A-10 vs. Yennes’ A-Q, he survived when a 10 flopped.
Meanwhile, Batista, who had played wildly when he won his championship, was playing much more solidly this time around. Then, on a flop of 9-7-6, he moved in holding 9-5 in the big blind and was called by Yennes, who turned up 10-3. A queen turned, and then a river 8 gave Yennes an inside straight, leaving Batista with a single 500 chip. He did not take his bad beat lightly. “Calls with 10 (expletive deleted) 3?” he exploded, stamping his feet. “Are you serious?” He threw in his last chip and walked off. Then he changed his mind, retrieved his chip and sat down. But he lost it on the next hand anyway, holding just 8d-2d in the small blind.
Batista, 26, is from Parkland, Florida, and taught himself poker five years ago. Besides his Tunica championship, he also pocketed $129,064 for a fifth in a $1,000 no-limit event at the WSOP this year. He said he was a “professional sleeper” before turning pro, and likes to play pool, drink, and spend his money. Tonight he got $5,034 spending money for seventh.
Blinds became 2,000-4,000 with 500 antes. Smith now took a bad beat himself. Holding pocket aces, he made a modest raise of 30,000 and was called by Yennes with K-J. On a flop of K-8-5, Smith checked his aces, allowing Yennes to move in and trap himself. But Yennes then hit a third king on the turn. Smith recovered when he drew out again after being all in for 47,500 with pocket 7s. On the flop, Stammen paired a king, only to have Smith catch a 7 on the river. Stammen went out soon after. He had Ks-9s while Fox, for the second time, turned up aces.
Stammen, 21, nicknamed “Stamdogg,” is from Coldwater. Ohio. He’s been playing for six years and his best cash was $48,117 for second in the Venetian’s Deep Stack this year. Sixth paid $6,041.
One hand later, John Denman moved in for 71,500 with A-K. Smith called with A-Q and made another draw-out as the board came Q-J-6-4-7, knocking Denman out.
Denman, 43, is a meteorologist from Louisville. He’s played eight Circuits in three years and likes golf. Fifth paid $7,047.
As the level ended, Yennes turned over 124,500 to Fox when his A-K couldn’t overtake Fox’s pocket jacks. But he didn’t seem to mind, as he joked throughout the final table, enjoying himself immensely.
Blinds were now 3,000-6,000. Very short-chipped, Yennes managed to double up once, but soon after busted on a bad beat. He was all in for 31,000 with K-J against Fox’s Q-J, losing when a board of 9-9-2-8-10 gave Fox a straight.
Yennes, 64, from New Albany, Indiana, is self-employed. He’s married with two children, has played four years and three Circuits He collected $8,054 for fourth.
Fox and Smith had been roughly tied in chips with about 225,000 each, but after breaking Yennes, Fox moved in front. Then the lead kept changing. Larry Kozlove moved ahead when his pocket queens beat Smith’s A-10, only to lose it on hand 93 when Fox took half his chips with A-7 to A-4.
Finally, Smith left Kozlove with just 6,000 when Kozlove moved in with Kh-8h. Smith had A-5 and hit two more aces. On the next hand Kozlove, all in with A-10, lost when Fox, with J-7, turned a 7.
Kozlove, 62, nicknamed “Wizard of Koz,” is a Louisville banker. Married with one child, he’s has been playing since age 10, and has Circuit wins in pot-limit Omaha and hold’em. He was also the North American Bridge champion in 1978 and represented the U.S. in international competition. Third paid $11, 074.
Smith and Fox were now roughly even in chips, but the match-up lasted only three hands. Fox was crippled when the flop came 8-6-5. He bet 25,000 holding 6-5, Smith raised 85,000 with a higher two pair, 8-6, and Fox moved in. Fox’s last 9,000 disappeared on the next deal when Smith’s J-8 prevailed against his 8-2.
Fox, 30, from Coram, New York, was in film/TV production before playing full time. Besides his Deep Stack cash, he has two other Circuit final tables and a 16th at at a Foxwoods WPT $10,000 event last year. He began playing three years ago and has entered some 25 Circuit events in all. —Max Shapiro
For more information, please contact: Max Shapiro -- WSOP Media Director at (323) 356-3303Or visit our official website: www.worldseriesofpoker.comWorld Series of Poker Commissioner – Jeffrey PollackWorld Series of Poker Tournament Director -- Jack Effel Caesars Indiana Poker Room Manager – Jimmy AllenTournament Directors -- Andy Cunningham, Chris Reason, Sue Stetar