2007-2008 WSOP Circuit, Tunica, Event 14 ($500 NLHE) Final Results

‘Famous Amos’ Snowden Wins Added Event, $500 No-Limit, His First Ever

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Tunica--MS--Today’s added event at Grand Casino Tunica’s Circuit series was $500 no-limit hold’em. It was the first tournament that “Famous Amos” Snowden had ever entered. He had staked someone in another event, only to see him get knocked out in the first round. Thinking that “I’m a pretty good horse myself,” he decided to try his luck and came away with the win.

Until now, he had only played an occasional $2-$5 no-limit cash game. He was very low-chipped earlier, ended up coming to the final table with the chip lead, lost it, got it back and went on to victory.

He described his style of play as aggressive. Even though he felt the other players at the final table were better than him, he also thought they couldn’t get a read on him, which is easy to understand because he played a number of questionable hands.

Snowden, 51, owns the Georgia Boy Diner in Columbus, Georgia, learned poker from his uncle and has been playing about three years. He has five children and is also interested in sports. His victory was worth $17,757 plus a handsome trophy ring.

Snowden started the final table leading with 80,500. Blinds began at 1,500-3,000 and 400 antes, 15 minutes left in the round.

Here were the starting chip counts:

There was immediate action. On the first hand, David Dao opened for 10,000 with A-9, Larry Tomaszewski raised 20,000 with A-K, and after long thought Dao went all in for 33,000. The board gave Tomaszewski two pair, and he took the chip lead as Dao got $1,096 for ninth.

Dao, 59, came from Vietnam and now lives in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. He’s married with five children, enjoys running, and learned poker from TV a year ago. He’s played four Circuit tournaments, and this final table is his best finish.

Tony Burton moved in on the next hand and wasn’t called. He did it again three hands later holding pocket kings and this time got a call from Snowden, who held Ah-Js. Runner-runner spades gave Snowden a flush, and two were quickly gone.

Burton, 59, is a developer/builder from Destin, Florida. He’s married with four kids, enjoys fishing and hunting, has played 20 years and this is his third Circuit event and his best finish. Eighth paid $1,644.

On hand 26, John Carter made a move that paid off. On a flop of K-7-4 he checked with pocket queens, allowing Snowden to try an all-in bluff with 10-6. Carter picked him off and built his stacks to over 100,000.

Undeterred, Snowden made another seemingly bad decision on the next hand, when blinds had gone up to 3,000-6,000. This time, after Dennis “Fordman” Phillips moved in with A-Q on a flop of 5-4-2, Snowden called with 10-6, chasing a gutshot straight. This time he connected, catching his trey on the river to knock Phillips out in seventh place.

Fordman, a commercial account manager at Broadway Ford, was making his second final table in two tries here. He’s played for 30 years and his seventh-place payday tonight was $2,126.

Two hands later, Roland Bell was short-stacked in the big blind and decided to call with A-7 when Mark Miley moved in with A-Q. Well ahead, Miley nailed it with a queen on fourth street, and Bell took home $2,658.

Bell, 51, is from Memphis and is in real estate. He has two children and has played poker for 30 years.

After exposing his cards improperly twice at the final table, Tim Vance was given a one-round penalty. Short-chipped now, he managed to stay in action with frequent all-in bets and raises, accompanied by loud chatter, singing, and lots of jumping up and down.

As the last hand of this level was dealt, Snowden, unreformed, tried another bluff, betting 26,000 into a board of K-7-6-7-A holding only J-8. “Good call,” he said, as Tomaszewski, after long thought, finally decided to see him with K-J.

As the level ended, Tomaszewski was in the lead with about 210,000 in chips, followed by Carter with 85,000; Snowden, 50,000; Vance, 65,000; and Miley, 40,000.

We were now playing with blinds of 4,000-8,000 and 1,000 antes. Five deals later, Miley busted out. He was all in with pocket 9s. Carter had A-K and made a straight on the river when the board came J-Q-4-9-10.

Miley, 46, is from Eminence, Missouri and self-employed. He has two children, learned poker two years ago at home games, and this was his second Circuit entry. Fifth place was worth $3,189.

Now there was another exposed card incident. The inexperienced Snowden drew a first-time warning for turning up his cards after an all-in bet without saying if he was folding or calling (he folded).

On hand 71 the table got a lot quieter when Vance departed. He moved in with Kh-Jh, and Snowden called with pocket 5s. Vance didn’t connect when the board came 9-6-3-10-4, and went home with $4,252 for fourth.

Vance is from Millstadt, Illinois and is a contractor. He has one child and has been playing poker all his life,. He’s entered 10 Circuit events, and his major poker accomplishment was sixth in a Jack Binion World Poker Open event two years ago.

Just a few hands later we got heads-up. Carter, who had been dropping down in chips, went all in with A-9. Snowden called with J-10. Carter had the lead when the board showed K-Q-5-6-J. Then a jack hit the river, and Carter was out.

Carter, 66, is from Camden, Arkansas. He is retired, married with two children and enjoys golf and horses. He’s only been playing for two years, has played in three Circuits, and this is his high point in poker. He went home with $5,481 for third place.

Heads-up, Snowden had 291,000 chips to 163,000 for Tomaszewski. On the fifth hand, Snowden raised to 24,000 and Tomaszewski moved in. Snowden reached over to shake his hand, confusing Tomaszewski. “I thought he felt he had me beat and was congratulating me,” he said. After a lot of table talk about the strength of Tomaszewski’s hand (“What does the dog say? Tomaszewski asked, referring to Snowden’s miniature charm), Snowden finally folded.

They went back and forth in chips until the ninth hand heads-up. Tomaszewski, with pocket queens, opened for 40,000. On a flop of A-7-5, Snowden moved in. Tomaszewski, certain he had him, quickly called, then jumped up in shock as Snowden turned over A-2, which held up.

Tomaszewski, nicknamed “Tomahawk,” was making his second final table here, nine Circuit finals in all. He got $9,317 for second. He is a former auctioneer turned pro who has played for 35 years and entered “hundreds” of Circuit events. He’s married with four children and his hobby is umpiring. He said he wanted to win this event for his wife, who’s put up with him all his career, but she’ll no doubt settle for second.