The Cream Rises to the Top

With great structures and a lot of starting chips, the cream seems to rise to the top of tournaments. After all, didn't Johnny Moss take all of the money in a five month freeze-out at Binion's?

This seems to be proving true at the Orleans. In event after event, we've seen the toughest players getting the top prizes. Competition is fierce once the money is reached.

Today featured a noon no-limit hold'em event with more top players making the final table. Even pros like Mel Judah took a look at the tables and walked away! Asher Derei gaped and decided to play a satellite for tomorrow's tournament. The best competitors are challenging themselves against their peers at these tough events.

At one table, the line-up included Tom Franklin, Scott Fischman, Charlie Shoten and Jim Meehan.

As play got shorter, there were few all-in hands. The perfect structure, combined with so many starting chips kept players from making all-in moves. Only the short stacks were forced to gamble, and after a couple of big beats, Tom Franklin did just that. His KQ was called by tens, and he got no help.

The final three players waited out an extremely short stack, who had nursed his few chips for hours. Once the short stack was eliminated, the remaining players decided to make a deal.

Terry Myers was in first place with 15,700 in chips. Louis Asmo wasn't far behind with 13,500, silently accumlating a lead hour after hour of play. Minneapolis Jim Meehan was a distant third, but still quite well off, with 7,100.

A chip count deal was struck, with all players being perfect gentlemen and agreeing to fair terms.
Terry Myers is from Yuma, Arizona and considers no-limit hold'em his best game. He thinks Stud is his worst game, and I can personally agree, having played against him at the Four Queens! Terry received first place and $7,220.

"Minneapolis Jim" Meehan is well known in the poker world. He doesn't consider any game his best game, asserting that he just loves to play them all! Although third in chips, Jim received second place standings and $3,200.

Louis Asmo has been heard from time and again in this tournament series. He plays all of the WPPA events and has made lots of final tables. He was awarded third place and $6,500.

All three players raved over the structure of this event, and claim they will be back tomorrow, and every day for the rest of the series. When asked what game Jim was going to play, he responded, "With this kind of juice and structure, I'll play any event they spread!"