Home / Poker News February 2009 / LA Poker Classic Final Table report
LA Poker Classic Final Table report
Posted by: James Carter. - Sat, 2009-02-28 01:49
Despite the fact that there were several big names and skilled scrappers at the LA Poker Classic’s 6-player televised final table, it was a relatively unknown player walking away with the $1,686,250: Cornel Andre Cimpan.
Lady Luck certainly had a favorite at the LAPC final table, and that favorite was Cimpan, who managed to come from behind several times in the heads-up stage against Binh Nguyen, to eventually take the title and the bragging rights.
Chris Ferguson came into the final on a short-stack, and quite naturally, he became the first victim of the ever escalating blinds and crippling action.
His demise came at the hands of Cornel Andrew Cimpan when the two of them went all-in on a board of 10,8,8,6,3 with Cimpan holding pocket fours against Ferguson’s A,Kc.
Pat Walsh became the next victim when he ran his A,2 into Binh Nguyen’s A,J on a board that brought nothing but bricks to give Nguyen the win on the high card.
4th place went to Chris Karagulleyan, the guy who had held the chip lead at one point in the game. He shoved all-in against Cimpan on a A,9 against the latter’s Q,8c. The flop came 10,Q,A, giving both players a pair and keeping Karagulleyan ahead, but the Q on the turn and the 7 on the river firmly settled the issue in Cimpan’s favor.
Mike Sowers, the crafty scrapper who had been sailing along in the shade all through the tournament was finally sent to the rail in 3rd place. He went all in before the flop on his pocket 4s, only to be called by Binh Nguyen who had pocket Qs. He failed to get any help from the board as his tournament finally wound to a close.
That hand gave Nguyen the chip lead which he held on to almost all through the heads-up stage. Cimpan bounced back several times during the duel, catching runner-runners and three outers, and finally managed to put Nguyen away completing an interesting show of force on the part of Lady Luck. The final hand featured Cimpan’s K,5c making short work of Nguyen’s A,9 on a board of 5,3,10,10,4.
