Atlanta's Josh Arieh wins poker title
Associated Press
Published on: 06/21/05
After a six-year dry spell, poker pro Josh Arieh of Atlanta has won a second title at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, tournament officials said.
The 30-year-old won $381,600 by beating out a crowd of 212 players ? including 2000 poker world champion Chris "Jesus" Ferguson ? to claim first place in the pot-limit Omaha tournament.
In addition to the prize money, Arieh received a gold bracelet, which is a World Series of Poker trophy coveted by poker pros and enthusiasts. It is his second such bracelet ? he won his first in 1999 in limit Texas hold'em.
"It's so nice, just being able to prove myself and prove all the doubters," Arieh said Monday by phone from Las Vegas. "Now that I'm financially settled, the money is not important. It's now about ... proving to yourself that you can win. I haven't won in six years."
The World Series of Poker started June 2 and consists of 39 different poker tournaments at the Rio All Suite and Hotel in Las Vegas. The series ends with its main event ? the $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas hold'em World Championship on July 7. In the poker world, World Series tournament wins identify the best poker players in the world.
Arieh came close to another poker title ? a world championship in poker ? last year during the series' main event. He won $2.5 million after he placed third out of a field of nearly 2,600 competitors in the $10,000 no-limit tournament. But he was so disappointed he did not win that he left in "absolute tears," he previously said.
Last year, Arieh gained notoriety for appearing unsportsmanlike during the televised event for criticizing other players during the tournament, something that Arieh said was more the result of TV editing than his typical conduct.
This year, "I made a point to stay calm and not show too much emotion," he said. "Everybody expected me to do something crazy."
Arieh dominated the field in this year's Omaha tournament, officials said. By the time he and Ferguson were the last two players remaining, Arieh had a 2-1 lead in chips. But Ferguson won a big hand and soon gained the lead.
Omaha is a variant of the popular Texas hold'em poker game. It uses four hole cards instead of the two cards players receive in hold'em. In Omaha, players must use two of their four hole cards and combine that with three of five community cards to make the best five-card hand.
With the lead in chips, Ferguson went on attack, raising every hand and Arieh said he had to stop the former champion's momentum.
So he asked for a restroom break.
"I didn't have to go to the bathroom. I needed to take a time out. All his fans were going nuts," Arieh said.
Arieh came back with renewed vigor, sensing that Ferguson had let his guard down.
"Did I catch the deck? Nope, I bluffed my way to victory ... It should definitely make for good TV," Arieh wrote on his Web site.
Despite the win, Arieh said he hasn't had time to celebrate with his family. There are 17 more World Series of Poker tournaments remaining, including the July 7 main event.
"I have a long way to go before celebrating," he said.
......................................................................................
maybe jack can use the bathroom break ploy to throw off
the tables.
