By Nolan Dalla

Special to VegasInsider.com

2005 World Series of Poker

Rio All-Suites Casino-Resort Official Report

Event #11

Pot-Limit Hold’em

Buy-in: $2,000

Number of Entries:  540

Total Prize Money:  $993,600

Official Results:

Bolivia!

Edward ‘Bolivia’ Moncada wins international finale, takes $298,070 in pot-limit hold’em championship

Anyone questioning poker’s international popularity would be advised to take a look at the final table of the Pot-Limit Hold’em championship (Event #11) at the World Series of Poker.  The setting looked more like a conference at the United Nations than a poker game.  Eight different countries were represented – including Armenia, Belgium, England, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, and the United States.  And, it just so happened that the American-born winner is nicknamed ‘Bolivia.’ 

Edward Moncada, a 31-year-old professional poker player now living in California, won first place and $298,070.  He also captured his first gold bracelet in what amounted to his first and only WSOP in-the-money finish.  Moncada seized the chip lead into the sixth hour of play when there were three players remaining.  He then lost the chip lead when heads-up play began.  But in the end, Moncada caught a powerful rush of cards, maximized his advantages by getting paid off, and locked up the victory.

The total prize pool amounted $993,600.  In contrast to previous final tables so far at this year’s WSOP, this final table included only one former gold bracelet winner – Freddy Deeb.  Shah Ajay, from Belgium, enjoyed a comfortable chip lead when play began:

THE FINAL TABLE:

Players were eliminated as follows:

9^th Place – Twenty minutes into play, Yoshitaka Oku took a horrible beat when he was dealt pocket kings.  He pre-flop re-raised ‘all in’ and was called by Edward Moncada, holding A-8.  Moncada must have known what was coming, as the flop came with two 8s, giving Moncada three-of-a-kind.  Yoshitaka Oku is the first known Japanese player ever to make it to a WSOP final table.  The computer engineer from Tokyo also finished 112^th in the main event last year.  He earned 2,066,250 Japanese yen at the current exchange rate, or $18,870 in US dollars.

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8^th Place – Elia ‘Danger’ Ahmadian was low on chips and made his final stand with 7-7, and was raised ‘all in’ by David Cossio, holding K-K.  A seven failed to rescue Ahmadian, which meant the owner of a car dealership drove off in 8^th place – good for $29,810.  Most interesting is the fact that Ahmadian came to the WSOP last year “to watch,” and was so captivated by the game that he returned this year “to play.”  The transition from poker fan to poker player paid off nicely.

7^th Place – Italian-born Marco Traniello broke away from his public association as the spouse of poker superstar Jennifer Traniello Harman by making his first WSOP final table.  Traniello showed he can play with the best in the world by outlasting 533 players.  It looked like Traniello would double up with A-10 when the flop came A-K-2, good for top pair.  But Freddy Deeb had 5-5 and rivered a five (making trips) to take down the 220,000 pot.  Traniello said “arriva derci” and collected $39,745 in prize money.

6^th Place – Cypriot-born Sharbel Koumi now lives in England.  He has made a number of cashes in Europe and broke into the WSOP this year with his first final table appearance.  Koumi took a tough beat when he was dealt K-10 and flopped top pair (K-3-3).  Ajay Shah had A-9 and caught runner-runner spades to make a flush, thus eliminating Koumi.  Sixth place paid $49,680.

5^th Place – If poker has a court jester, it is most certainly Kassem ‘Freddy’ Deeb.  The Lebanese-born poker pro who now lives in Las Vegas won a gold bracelet in the Deuce-to-Seven championship (1996).  His charismatic banter failed to cast a spell at this final table as Deeb was unable to challenge for the chip lead.  He played his last hand of the night (K-Q) and watched as the flop came Q-6-5.  Deeb moved ‘all in’ with top pair, which was called instantly by David Cossio (with 6-6).  The set of sixes held up and Deeb was de-railed.  Deeb quietly walked away with $59,615 for 5^th place.

4^th Place – Ajay Shah arrived in the finale as the chip leader but could do no better than 4^th place.  Shah made an over-the-top pre-flop re-raise with A-Q, which was called by Steven Hudak, holding J-J.  With the biggest pot of the night, thus far, and the chip lead at stake, Shah lost the proverbial ‘coin flip’ battle when the jacks held up.  Ajay Shah, an Indian-born expatriot now living in Antwerp, Belgium collected $69,550 for 4^th place.

3^rd Place – Mexican-born David Cossio was low on chips and made his final stand with A-Q.  Steven Hudak was in the blind with an ugly hand, 3-4 offsuit, but the ugly duckling turned into a swan when a four flopped.  Cossio, a math professor at UTEP, added up $79,490 in prize money.

2^nd Place – When heads-up play began, David Cossio enjoyed a slight chip lead.  Then, the most important hand of the tournament took place when Cossio was dealt 9-9 against Moncada’s J-5.  The flop came J-8-5.  Moncada played the hand perfectly by betting out 50,000.  Cossio, with the pocket nines raised 190,000 more.  Moncada re-jammed the pot with an 180,000 ‘all in’ re-raise.  Cossio was trapped and reluctantly called.  Moncada’s two pair held up, and the winds of change had blown to a gust.  Twenty minutes later, the gusts would turn into a tornado. 

On the final hand of the tournament, Hudak was dealt A-8.  He made a pot-size raise, and was re-raised instantly by Moncada, holding 8-8.  Hudak moved the remainder of his chips forward and grimaced when he saw the showdown.  Hudak desperately needed and ace.  The board came 9-4-2-Q-Q giving Moncada two pair – and more important, the victory.

Steven Hudak played marvelously.  The 22-year-old student-turned-poker player (University of Maryland) has been playing for four years and was making his first-ever visit to the WSOP.  He could certainly be proud of his finish in this tournament, worth $159,970 in prize money.

1^st Place – Edward ‘Bolivia’ Moncada was born to Bolivian parents.  He grew up in upstate New York and attended UC-Berkeley.  He graduated with a degree in civil and environmental engineering in 1997.  After working a few years in his chosen field as a project manager, Moncada decided he valued his independence over a structured corporate lifestyle.  Playing poker gave him the freedom to pursue many of his personal interests, including music.  Moncada crafted his new trade online and also received helpful advice from two close friends, Phil Laak and Antonio Esfandiari.

“We all started to play together and came up at the same time,” Moncada said of his earlier days spent with Laak and Esfandiari in northern California.  “They found out I was Bolivian, so that’s how I got my nickname.”

When asked to explain the reasons for his success, Moncada stated:  “I was able to use my strong analytical background, since my degree is in engineering, and combine that with the advice from my close friends.  I was very fortunate to have some people around me who really helped me become better in tournaments.”

Moncada had an interesting perspective about the World Series of Poker, which might serve others who are seeking to become champions.  “I came here with having all of my buy-ins already set up.  I knew in advance exactly what I wanted to play – so I came here with a really solid game plan,” he said.  “I planned to play in 14 events and I sold off 30 percent of myself (to backers).  I treat this very much as a business.”

“I did not come here thinking to myself ‘oh, I have to earn money the night before so I can play in the next tournament.’  Then, you are tired and you play all night hoping to get into the next event.  That’s not the way to do it.  I get my rest, go swimming in the morning, and come in fresh, and that gives me a comfortable feeling.  I think that helps me to play a better game.”

The realization that Moncada had joined an elite group of poker players, who will forever be enshrined into a special fraternity of WSOP gold bracelet winners, had not yet sunk in for the new champion.  “I don’t think I have had time yet to understand how much this really means.  It might take me another week or another month.  Maybe then, after I look back on the World Series, I can get a better perspective.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great thing.  But to really understand and look back on this ten years from now….and understand what this moment means will take some time.”

Congratulacion, mordisquear!