By Nolan Dalla

Special to VegasInsider.com

2005 World Series of Poker

Rio All-Suites Casino-Resort

Official Report

Event #10

Limit Hold’em

Buy-in: $2,000

Number of Entries:  569

Total Prize Money:  $1,046,940

Official Results:

Tragedy to Triumph:

Inspired by his late father, Reza Payvar wins limit hold’em marathon and $303,610

The looks on their faces said it all.  They were the faces of pain and exhaustion.  They were the aching looks often seen in poker rooms everywhere at 3 o’clock in the morning, when men and women sit hand after hand, minute after minute, hour after hour playing a game that for some is so mesmerizing that liberation from the pain is secondary to victory.  They were the faces of players drained of energy -- their last breath of freshness consumed hours earlier on hands long since forgotten.

No one could have foreseen that a limit hold’em tournament that began with 569 entries –each paying $2,000 to enter – would end up 25 hours later in a backbreaking finale that was as much a relief as a triumph for the fact that it finally ended.

Statistics do lie.  From the looks of the chip counts and chip positions throughout, one might have thought this was an easy victory for Iranian-born Reza Payvar.  After all, he arrived at the final table with an impressive chip lead and consistently maintained his edge during the marathon poker session.  But as close to victory as Payvar seemed to be at times, his opponents showed remarkable staying power and forced Payvar to earn every single dollar of his $303,610 in winnings.

The total prize pool amounted $1,046,940.  The final table composition included two former gold bracelet winners – ‘Miami John’ Cernuto (with 3 wins) and Toto Leonidas (with one).  Payvar enjoyed a somewhat comfortable chip lead when play began:

THE FINAL TABLE:

SEAT 1:            Rodeen Talebi                71,000
SEAT 2:            ‘Miami John’ Cernuto      224,000
SEAT 3:            Tommy Garza                38,000
SEAT 4:            Jay Helfert                     60,000
SEAT 5:            Toto Leonidas                164,000
SEAT 6:            Reza Payvar                  283,000
SEAT 7:            John Myung                   191,000
SEAT 8:            Eric Liebeler                  33,000
SEAT 9:            Robert Shultze               81,000

Players were eliminated as follows:

9^th Place – Attorney Eric Liebeler (a.k.a. ‘Howard Treesong’ for those who follow poker newsgroup, RGP) arrived with the shortest stack and fittingly was the first player to exit.  Liebeler got into a raising war with Q-Q against Robert Shultze’s pocket aces, and went out when a queen failed to arrive.  Liebeler has won events in Los Angeles and elsewhere.  This was his best finish ever at the WSOP.  Ninth place paid $20,940.

8^th Place – What the poker gods give, they also take away.  Robert Shultze, fresh off his chip acquisition from Liebeler, tried to make a move against John Myung, and lost his remaining chips.  The businessman from south Texas was making his first final table appearance ever, and could be proud he topped 562 opponents en route to a $31,410 payday.

7^th Place – Jay Helfert made his final stand of the night with A-Q.  He lost to John Myung’s pockets tens.  Interestingly, Helfert – better known in billiard halls as ‘Toupee Jay’ – has been a professional pool player who now owns a pool hall in Los Angeles.  Toupee Jay got flipped off the final table in 7^th place, and racked up some nice scratch -- $31,410 to be exact.

6^th Place – Rodeen Talebi is a 29-year-old poker pro from Dallas.  He was also low on chips throughout, but managed to stretch out his stay in the finale to a 6^th-place finish.  Talebi has previously won at poker tournaments in Las Vegas.  He picked up $52,350 in prize money.

5^th Place – Tommy Garza survived longer than anyone might have expected, given his short stack.  Always low on chips, Garza managed to stay alive six hours on the final day before his fate was sealed.  The native Texan who now lives in Reno has finished high in several major tournaments in recent years, including a win at the Pot of Gold (Reno).  His cut in this tournament amounted to $62,820 for 5^th place.

4^th Place – ‘Miami John’ Cernuto arrived with the greatest depth of experience.  The former air traffic controller turned poker pro has won three gold bracelets, and now has 22 final table appearances (and 33 cashes) in his distinguished WSOP career.  Cernuto played well, but never seriously challenged the chip leader at any point, despite attempts to take a few chances at getting to Reza Payvar’s stack.  It was futile.  He might as well have been blindfolded in the Miami control tower fielding 727s on a busy Friday night.  Cerbuto’s last hand was pocket threes, which failed to improve.  His opponents checked down the hand and eliminated Cernuto in 4^th place – good for $73,285. 

3^rd Place – Once play became three-handed, a new tournament began.  It was the equivalent of the final hill in the Boston Marathon, or the final lap of an Olympic decathlon.  Except that it seemed to go on forever.  Things started off at a significant disadvantage for both Toto Leonidas and John Myung, since it was obvious Payvar was not going to lose his chip lead easily.  It took a mind-numbing four-and-a-half hours for the next player to exit.  During the degeneration of patience and energy, players became increasingly exhausted.  This effectively turned the final table into just as much a test of mental and physical endurance as a test of poker skill.  Mercifully, the next player finally went out twelve hours after the day began.  John Myung, went bust and took 3^rd place, which paid $83,755.

2^nd Place – With play entering the 13^th hour, it was obvious that Toto Leonidas was going to do everything in his power to win his second gold bracelet.  Players who might have taken reckless chances given the chip disparity could have taken a valuable poker lesson from the Philippine-born poker pro. 

Leonidas was down by about a 4 to 1 margin and badly needed a rush of cards.  He plodded away for nearly an hour before the high blinds and limits finally made it necessary to take a chance and play a big pot.  The final hand of the night came when limits were at 15,000-30,000 and Leonidas was down to his last 50,000 in chips.  Leonidas made his stand with Q-5 which was covered by Payvar’s A-9.  When a nine flopped, Leonidas was left drawing to three outs (a queen).  The ladies in the deck which might have extended the tournament into a profane hour must have been sleeping, and therefore Leonidas was forced to settle for second place.

Toto Leonidas, one of poker’s top pros, won the United States Poker Championship in 2003 and also won his first WSOP gold bracelet that same year (seven card stud).  He collected $160,185 as the runner up.

1^st Place – Reza Payvar, who goes by the poker nickname ‘Fish’ was certainly not the fish at this final table (Note: There wasn’t one).  He ended up with his first gold bracelet in what is to date, his only WSOP final table appearance.

Following his victory, Payvar reflected on the special meaning this moment had in his life.  “Last year I found out my father had cancer.  I missed the entire 2004 World Series because I went to be with him.  I want to dedicate what I did tonight to him.”

Sadly, Payvar’s father passed away.  He was insistent that poker players and fans know of the special charity that has been established to find a cure for the dreaded disease, which is called, ‘Put a Bad Beat on Cancer.’  Like hundreds of players so far at this year’s tournament, Payvar will donate a portion of his tournament winnings to the worthy cause.

Payvar added that other family members back in Iran are now taking an interest in poker, encouraged by Payvar’s commitment to the game.  “My brother watches poker on the Internet and also on satellite (TV),” he said.