2010-2011 World Series of Poker Circuit
Horseshoe Council Bluffs
August 26-27
Ring Event # 7 (Event #20)
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $500+$55
Number of Entries: 155
Total Prize Money: $73,050
Council Bluffs, IA—Nadir Babck’s poker history is unusual, to say the least. In 2007, serving as a linguist with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, he was on a mission against insurgents when the vehicle he was in was destroyed by a land mine. Back at camp with nothing to do, some soldiers began teaching him poker, then cursed him when he ended up winning. Now on leave, he entered his first live tournament here, and ended up winning the seventh ring event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Council Bluffs, $500 No Limit Hold’em.
Nadir Babck is 31, originally from Afghanistan and now lives in Mechanicville, New York. In winning this event he made a remarkable comeback, because late the night before he was down to 2,175. Along the way he knocked out Dwight Pilgrim, the 2009 Circuit Player of the Year who is currently fourth in the Card Player rankings. Babck said he obeys a code of honor playing poker, always telling the truth about the cards he held. He also admitted that when he showed a big bluff to Epstein when they were heads-up, he did so trying to steam him.
Meanwhile, Jeff Epstein moved into a big lead in the Casino Champion points race, which will earn the winner a seat into a $1 million tournament in Las Vegas next year. With 50 points for winning the opening ring event, and 37.5 for coming in second tonight, Epstein’s 87 ½ points will be hard to catch. There are only two more ring events left (the winner of the $1,500 Main Event will earn a separate seat). Trailing him are Kevin Marcus with 60 points; Ian Wiley with 57; and the winners of the other ring events to date, each with 50 points.
This event attracted 155 players and the prize pool was $73,050. Play began with blinds of 3,000-6,000 and 1,000 antes, 45 minutes on the clock. Holding a very big lead with 511,000 chips, nearly twice as many as anyone else, was Chris Tryba.
Here were the starting chip counts:
Seat
1. Chris Tryba 511,000
2. Jeff Epstein 245,000
3. Jovan Sudar 144,000
4. Michael Kiazer 177,000
5. Darrell Prevail 79,000
6. Jon Gibbs 214,000
7. Travis Gant 198,000
8. Lou Ann Merwick 60,000
9. Nadir Babck 263,000
Ninth Place: Lou Ann “LA” Merwick, the third woman to make a final table in this series, was first out. Starting lowest-chipped, she moved in with K-8. Nadir Babck called with pocket treys, flopped a set and filled on the river when the board came J-10-3-10-4. Ninth paid $1,758. Merwick is a realtor from Lincoln, Nebraska playing four years after learning from her son. She has a final table at a Caesars Classic event.
Eighth Place: Blinds became 4,000-8,000 with 1,000 antes. Midway through the round, two players in a row were knocked out. Michael Kinzer moved in with pocket 10s, in tough shape when Jovan Sudar called with pocket kings. Sudar flopped a set and filled on the river when the board came 2-K-9-6-2, leaving Kinzer in eighth place, worth $2,204. Kinzer, from Ft. Lewis, Washington, is 27 and turned pro after leaving the Army. He started playing 17 years ago, learning from his uncle. His cashes include one at the Bicycle Casino’s Legends of Poker. He also enjoys golf, camping and skydiving.
Seventh Place: On the next hand, Darrell Prevail pushed in with A-J. He paired his ace on the river when the board came 7-8-8-3-A, but Travis Gant, holding A-K, won with the higher kicker. Seventh paid $2,810. Prevail, 64, is a retired car dealer from Sioux City, Iowa who began playing a half-century ago. His poker highlight is a $15,000 win at Tunica. His hobby is cars.
Sixth Place: The final hand at this level brought elimination. Down to 29,000 and two away from the blind, Jon Gibbs risked his last chips with a . Calling with K-10, Epstein easily beat him when the board came A-10-5-8-2. Sixth was worth $3,640. Gibbs, 39, is from Council Bluffs, started playing in home games 10 years ago, and has three final tables in various events here.
Fifth Place: Three levels went by, with blinds now at 8,000-16,000 and 3,000 antes. Low on chips, Chris Tryba moved in on the first two deals with no callers. The third time he tried it he had A-2, and this time was up against Epstein, who had pocket 10s. The board came 6-9-J-J-3, and Tryba ended fifth, paying $4,796. Tryba is a 41-year-old truck driver from Las Vegas who started playing a few months ago after watching poker on television. He has two Binion’s Midnight Tournament wins, and his hobby is fishing.
With blinds at 10,000-20,000, a critical hand came down. Sudar moved in with pocket 10s and Epstein called with A-K. The pot was more than 800,000. An ace flopped, Epstein raked in the chips and now held close to half of the 1.86 million on the table, while Sudan dropped down to under 150,000, but soon doubled up.
Fourth Place: The four players returned from a brief dinner break to blinds of 12,000-24,000 with 4,000 antes. Babck was now in front with around 700,000 chips. Twenty minutes into the round, Sudar moved in with pocket 4s and Babck called with two 10s. He flopped a 10 and Sudar’s only out on fourth street was a chop if the board, showing 9-10-8-7, completed a straight. It didn’t, and Sudar exited with $6,431 for fourth. Sudar, 27, originally from Yugoslavia, is now a pro and leasing agent living in Omaha. He’s played for nine years. Along with his $95,455 Main Event win here in March, Sudar has numerous final tables in $1,000, $2,000 and $5,000 tournaments at the Bellagio. Soccer is his hobby.
Third Place: Travis Gant went out when he picked the wrong time to go all in. He pushed in for about 300,000 with A-4 and ran into Babck’s A-K. As if that wasn’t bad enough, two kings hit the flop and Gant hit the door with $8,776 for third. Gant, 28, from Plankinton, South Dakota, works in human services. His junior high school science teacher taught him poker. Asked if it was a required or an elective course, Gant said “It was illegal. He was probably bored.” All Gant’s poker highlights have come online. His hobbies are baseball and hunting.
Heads-up, Babck enjoyed better than a 2-1 chip lead, but Epstein quickly pulled in front. With the board showing 2-3-6-Q-A, Babck led out with 200,000, Epstein moved in and Babck folded. A few hands later the scenario was reversed. With a board of K-3-10-8-4, Epstein bet 300,000, Babck moved in, and Epstein folded as Babck, now with a big lead, showed him A-Q.
Second Place: This event came to conclusion when Epstein moved in for the last time for 320,000 with . Babck called and his pocket deuces turned into a set when the board came 7-8-9-8-2. Epstein, our new points leader, made $12,189 for second. Epstein is 47, from Omaha, and owns the Omaha Sports Academy. He began playing online five years ago and has numerous small online wins, in addition to his victory in the first ring event here. He also likes to play golf tournaments.