LA Poker Classic Update - Paul Darden Wins Event 12
Paul “The Truth” Darden, who hails from New Haven, Connecticut and was mentored by none other than Phil Ivey, has won about $2,000,000 in tournaments in his professional poker playing career. The dude with a WSOP bracelet in Seven Card Stud, which he earned back in 2001, proved this week that he can really play Omaha Hi-Lo as well.
Omaha Hi-Lo, or 8/b is a mixed game in which a player is dealt four cards. The variant of hold'em utilizes five community cards dealt three on the flop, one on the turn and one on the river just like the Texas version. However in Omaha, players can only use two cards from their hand and three from the board to make the best hand. In the hi-lo edition of the game, players get two chances to win the pot. They can win with the highest, or best hand or the lowest, or worst hand. The low side allows for no better than eight in the hand. Straights are good with the wheel (a,2,3,4,5) being the nut low, or the best “worst” hand you can make. Flushes don't count.
Darden, who has taught Amnon Filippi, a fourth place finisher in the 2007 $50,000 WSOP HORSE Championship, a thing or two, came in first in Event #12 at the 2008 LA Poker Classic. The $1,000 buy-in Omaha 8/b tournament had 134 entrants and a prize pool of $129,800. Darden, who's also a rap promoter and night club owner, received $41,580 for his efforts.
Here are the final results:
1) Paul Darden Jr. - $41,580 2) Phillip Penn - $20,800 3) Richi Burrell - $15,730 4) Susan Genard - $10,920 5) Ben Boyd - $7,800 6) Daniel Kim - $6,370 7) Paul Vinci - $5,070 8) Wing Wong - $3,770 9) Raymond Davis - $2,730