John Brandenburg, Who Played WithThe Legends of Poker, Wins $500 PLO at Caesars Indiana

2007 Caesars Indiana
World Series of Poker
(WSOP) Circuit Event
Event #7
$500 Pot Limit Omaha
with Rebuys
Tournament Report

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2007 Caesars Indiana WSOP Circuit Event Report

John Brandenburg, Who Played With
The Legends of Poker, Wins $500 PLO

John Brandenburg

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John Brandenburg goes a long way back. As a kid, he played with, and
learned from, such poker icons as Puggy Pearson, Stu Ungar, Johnny Moss
and their ilk, playing at the Dunes and Flamingo in Vegas. In 1992 he moved
to Texas to tend to his terminally ill father, cut back on his poker, and now
works in a Ford plant in Kentucky. But he still plays often enough, and well
enough, to play with the best. Tonight he proved his mettle again by taking
first place in the seventh event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Caesars Indiana,
$500 pot-limit Omaha. First place paid $20,320, though he chopped it evenly
with runner-up Mohammad Yennes when they were close in chip counts. In
2005 he collected $55,560 for placing second in a $1,000 no-limit Circuit
event here.

Moss was especially nice to him, he recalls, advising him to concentrate on
$30-$60 games, and when he could beat them, then move up.

Brandenburg, 42, now lives in Louisville, is partial to stud games, and plays a
tournament now and then. The very first tournament he played, in fact, was
five-card stud, at the Bicycle Casino, and he came in third.

The second-day final table got underway at 2 p.m. with blinds of 600-1,200
and 42 minutes left at level 10.

Here were the starting chip counts:

SEAT 1        Kenneth Auker
SEAT 2        Vinh Ho
SEAT 3        Larry Kozlove
SEAT 4        Mitch Michener
SEAT 5        Michael Sanders
SEAT 6        Jeffrey Jones
SEAT 7        John Brandenburg
SEAT 8        Mohammed Yennes
SEAT 9        Ben Ponzio

Starting as chip leader, with 106,400, more that twice his nearest competitor,
was Yennes. Mark Mitchener arrived with the fewest chips, 4,400, and was
first out. On the seventh hand he was all in from the big blind with J-8-10-K.
Ben Ponzio’s pocket aces were sufficient for the kill, but a flopped ace gave
him a set for good measure.

Mitchener is from Bonner Springs, Kansas, but provided no other information
on his bio sheet. In any event, he left $1,693 richer for placing ninth.

Ponzio had the same pocket aces a few hands later when Jeffrey “Slick”
Jones was all in with A-J-8-5, but this time a board of 10-8-5-8-10 let Jones
escape with a full boat.

Next out was Michael “Nutcracker” Sanders. On the 21st deal he had A-10-6-
3 and put in his last chips on a flop of 9-8-6. He had two callers. The pot was
checked down, and Yennes, with Q-Q-5-4 took the pot with his pair and left
Sanders in eighth place, which paid $2,258.

Sanders, 22, is from Russelville, Arizona. He’s single and enjoys pool and
reading. His poker highlight was winning a tournament in Norman, Oklahoma,
never being at risk of going out. He also praised his father who raised him
alone with no money since he was nine and got him into gambling/cards. “I’m
going to make his post-retirement wonderful,” he said

On the 33rd hand, Kenneth Auker was all in from the button on a flop of 7-7-
6. He held K-K-J-4, up against John Brandenberg, who also had pocket kings,
but also an ace. An ace turned and Auker was drawing dead, finishing
seventh and collecting $2,822.

Auker, 54, nicknamed “Santa,” is from Rock Island, Illinois, where he owns a
bar and restaurant. He’s married with fve children, is a college grad, and
enjoys golf. A poker player for 40 years who learned from his father, his
highlight was once having Johnny Chan all in with the best hand, only to lose
on the river. He also put in a plug for his restaurant: “Best pizza in the
country!” This is his second year playing Circuit events, and his seventh-
place finish was worth $2,822.

Five hands later, Jones, playing his first pot-limit Omaha tournament, went
out on a tough beat. Holding A-4-3-2, he was all in when a board of J-9-2-3
gave him two pair, as well as a flush draw. Brandenburg had K-K-8-3, and
when a 9 hit the river, that gave him the better hand of kings and 9s.

Jones is a 34-year-old pro from Rolla, Missouri, and was a business owner
before turning to poker. His poker highlight was cashing in four out of eight
tournaments here last fall. Jones, who is married with three children, also
enjoys racing. Sixth place tonight paid him $3,387.

After 45 hands, the players took a long break while a nearby table was set
up for the final table from yesterday’s $500 no-limit event. They returned to
blinds of 1,500-3,000. Soon after, Vinh Ho, who earlier had lost a big pot to
Larry Kozlove, now got his revenge on a big draw-out. Holding A-A-10-8,
Kozlove flopped a set when the flop came A-K-6. Ho, all in with J-10-9-8, then
let out a big “Hee-yaw” when a queen turned to give him a Broadway
straight, leaving Kozlove with only about 3,500.

Despite that hand, Ho would eventually be next out. Holding pocket kings
and drawing to a flush, Brandenburg bet, and Ho, with pocket jacks and a
smaller flush draw, raised all in. The cowboys prevailed, and Ho was out in
fifth place.

“You should have given the money to me,” Kozlove said peevishly.

Ho, 34, originally from Vietnam, now lives in Cincinnati where he is self-
employed. He learned poker from friends, has been playing poker for two
years, learning the game from a friend. Fifth place paid $3,951.

To this point, Yennes had been playing very tight, holding onto his chips and
his lead. Earlier, Kozlove had bet a hand and tried to coax Yennes into calling,
saying “You have plenty of chips.” Yennes declined the invitation, prompting
Brandenburg to crack, “He’s just getting bored.”

Ben Ponzio finished fourth. Holding K-J-10-8, he had a straight draw when
the board showed 10-4-4-Q. Brandenburg, with pocket aces, bet the pot and
Ponzio re-potted all in, missed his draw and was eliminated.

Ponzio, who lives in Elwood Park, Illinois, is 31, married with one child, and
works in radio sales. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois and learned
poker from his father 20 years ago. This is his third year looking for a Circuit
win. Fourth place was worth $4,516.

Kozlove finished third when he held 7-5-3-2 and a flop of 10-6-5 gave him
both a straight and a flush draw. He moved in, and found himself up against
a set of 10s held by Yennes, with 10-10-7-7. Kozlove missed and picked up
$6,209 for third.

Kozlove, 61, whose nickname is “Wizard,” is a banker living in Louisville. He’s
been playing poker “too many years to remember,” but pegs it at 50 years.
He has a dozen cash-outs in major events, the largest being $46,095 for
winning a $500 pot-limit Omaha event at a Circuit tournament here two years
ago. He was educated at the University of Louisville and his other hobby is
contract bridge. He cashed in for $6,209 tonight for finishing third.

Heads-up, Brandenburg enjoyed a chip advantage of about 175,000 to
144,000 for Yennes. As play continued, however, Yennes pulled about even
and the two agreed to chop the remaining prize money and play for the
ring.

Brandenburg later had Yennes on the ropes when he made a straight to beat
Yennes’ pocket aces. But Yennes recovered, and when blinds went to 2,000-
4,000, the count was about 216,000 for Brandenburg and 100,000 for
Yennes.

On the final hand, Yennes raised all in on the river with two pair, losing to
Brandenburg’s higher two pair.

Yennes, 63, is originally from Jordan and now lives in New Albany, Indiana,
where he owns a floor covering business. He’s been playing poker for many
years, likes to play a variety of poker games, and has another final table at
Tunica.

Report by Max Shapiro -- WSOP Media Director

To view a complete listing of results for Event #7 of the 2007 Caesars
Indiana Circuit Event, click on the link below:

2007 Caesars Indiana WSOP Circuit - Event #7 Results

World Series of Poker Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack
World Series of Poker Tournament Director -- Jack Effel
Caesars Indiana Poker Room Manager – Jimmie Allen
Caesars Indiana Tournament Directors -- Craig Carman and Steve Melrose

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