Hal Cromwell Wins Short Handed WSOP Circuit Event in Tunica

2007 Grand Casino Tunica
World Series of Poker
(WSOP) Circuit Event
Event #6
$1,000 No Limit Hold'em
6 Handed
Tournament Report

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2007 Grand Casino Tunica WSOP Circuit Event Report

The Eyes of Texas Are Upon Him
Hal Cromwell Wins Six-Handed
Hold’em Championship at WSOP
Circuit Tunica

Hal Cromwell

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Financial Planner from Austin, Texas wins first major poker
tournament at WSOP Circuit in Tunica

Tunica, MS – The most exciting final table so far at this year’s World Series of
Poker Circuit in Tunica took place on a blustery Saturday afternoon along the
Mississippi River. A standing-room only crowd packed into the second floor at
the Grand Tunica Casino-Resort, located about a half-hours drive from nearby
Memphis. Spectators were treated to several stunning hands and exciting
moments.

Event #6 at this year’s Tunica tournament series attracted 235 entries,
generating a prize pool totaling $227,950. After 238 players were eliminated
during 13 hours of play on Day One, seven finalists returned for Day Two.
Mary Jones arrived with a decisive cheap lead – with 229,000. Ms. Jones has
been on fire during the past half-year. She won a gold bracelet at the 2006
World Series of Poker and is the current Ladies World Poker Champion. She
also won an open event at last year’s United States Poker Championships
held in Atlantic City. With her massive chip lead, this appeared to be Mary
Jones’ tournament to win – or lose. Her closest rival (Chester Gwin) had but
105,000. The remaining players all had less than 100,000 – including the
shortest stack at the final table belonging to none other than Hal Cromwell.
The seating positions and starting chip counts began as follows:

The first player to exit was Matt Sterling. He had previously finished second
in a WSOP Circuit event last year (winning $39,000) and hoped to make this
his first major tournament victory. However, it was not to be. Instead, Mr.
Sterling went out when his pocket eights ran into Mark Miley’s pocket
queens. The 28-year-old Indiana poker player received $8,890 for seventh
place.

This was a brutal day for Mary Jones. Just as so many things went right for
her on the first day, absolutely nothing went her way at the final table. The
reigning Ladies Poker World Champion lost most of her chips in several coin
flip situations within the first hour. Down to fifth in the chip count, Ms. Jones
made her final stand with A-J and ran into Mark Miley’s A-K. The better hand
held up and Ms. Jones was knocked out. “Not one thing stood up for me all
day,” Ms. Jones lamented as she was paid sixth-place prize money -- $11,169.

A few hands later, Bob Allen busted out when his pocket fives were crushed
by Chester Gwin’s pocket aces. Mr. Allen moved all-in after the flop came
8-7-4. He had a pair with an inside straight draw. But two blanks on the
turn and river sealed his fate. Mr. Allen, a retiree from Florida who has been
playing poker most of his life, cashed for
$14,132.

Down to four-handed, Chester Gwin held the chip lead. Then, one of the
most exciting tournament hands in recent memory unfolded when Chester
Gwin moved all-in pre-flop with A-Q. Hewitt Poland, with about 75,000 in
chips remaining, was thrilled to make the call holding K-K. The next 90
seconds strapped both players and a captive audience into an emotional
roller coaster of epic proportions. Mr. Poland spiked an ace on the flop,
taking a commanding advantage on the hand. In an instant, he went from
being an underdog to big favorite. The board showed A-10-8. The turn,
however – proved disastrous. A two-outer king was peeled out of the deck,
giving Mr, Gwin three kings. The board showed A-10-8-K. Holding the A-Q,
Mr. desperately needed a jack to make a straight to win the pot. Right on
cue, a jack rained down from the poker gods and shattered Mr. Gwin’s big
hand. Mr. Poland scooped the 150,000 pot with a straight. Meanwhile --
Hewitt Poland, who works in the tobacco business in North Carolina, ended
up as the fourth-place finisher. He received $17,096.

A few hands later, another exciting hand took place. Mark Miley was getting
low on chips and moved all-in with J-10 hoping to steal a round of blinds and
antes. Chester Gwin made the call with K-9. Things looked bleak for Mr.
Miley on the turn when the board showed A-8-5-K. Only a queen would save
him, by making a straight. Just as before, the magical card flew from the deck
– a queen which gave Mr. Miley the pot. All Mr. Gwin could do was smile,
having spiked a life-saving card himself just moments earlier.

Three-handed play continued for about 30 minutes before a huge hand took
place which seemingly could have decided the final outcome of the
tournament. Hal Cromwell was dealt Q-J and raised before the flop. He was
re-raised by Chester Gwin holding pocket 10s. Mr. Cromwell called. The flop
came with two queens, giving Mr. Cromwell a monster hand. He moved all-in
and Mr. Gwin called after several minutes of deliberation. The three queens
held up and Mr. Cromwell scooped the largest pot of the tournament thus far,
nearly 500,000 in chips.

Mr. Cromwell enjoyed a decisive advantage. But as this final table proved
many times before, nothing was predictable. Chester Gwin doubled up
twice. Then, Mr. Gwin’s luck ran out when he moved all-in on a nut flush
draw and missed. Chester Gwin, a.k.a. “Slimshadie” went out in third place.
The consultant from Houston collected $23,934.

Heads-up play commenced as Hal Cromwell had a 3 to 1 chip lead over Mark
Miley. It took nine hands for the final hand to be dealt. Mr. Miley moved all-in
on a flush draw with K-4 of spades after the flop came A-10-2 with two
spades. Mr. Cromwell called with 10-7, good for a pair of tens. Two red
cards brought no help to Mr. Miley, who was forced to settle for second place.

Mark Miley, the 41-year-old owner of a heating and air conditioning company
in Lexington, Kentucky has been playing poker for 25 years. His official win
amounted to $39,891 in prize money.

This was, by his own admission, Hal Cromwell’s finest poker hour. The 41-
year-old financial planner from Austin, Texas normally assists other people in
making their investment decisions. Now with an extra $71,360 in the bank,
Mr. Cromwell will be making some decisions for himself. Cheered on by his
mother and aunt who were sitting proudly in the audience the entire day, Hal
Cromwell overcame big odds to win. He took the shortest stack at the start
of the final table and built it into a chip castle. Following his first-ever
tournament victory, Mr. Cromwell was presented with the coveted WSOP
Circuit gold ring, awarded to all tournament winners this year in Tunica.

Report by Nolan Dalla

To view a complete listing of results for Event #6 of the 2007 Grand
Casino Tunica WSOP Circuit Event, click on the link below:

2007 Grand Casino Tunica WSOP Circuit Results - Event #6

Tournament Director – Janis Sexton

Grand Tunica Poker Room Manager – Karen Kaegin

Seat 1
Seat 2
Seat 3
Seat 4
Seat 5
Seat 6
Seat 7

Mary Jones
Chester Gwin
Mark Miley
Hewitt Poland
Matt Sterling
Hal Cromwell
Bob Allen

229,900