Travis,
Below is an article Mike Paulle - Actor/Writer - did on the tournament last night. As you'll see, my name is mentioned, but, that is about all! I'll post a link to the site where his reports will be for future reading on the other tournaments at The Orleans Open in the next day or so.............Andy - Las Vegas

THE ORLEANS OPEN

EVENT #2 Omaha Hi-Lo
Sunday, July 11, 1999
$120 BUY-IN
$500 in Chips

MAMA MIA, WHAT A RUSH
By Mike Paulle

Emulating every move of a great player can pay off big time. Especially when
you catch every card in the known universe.

There were 670 entrants in the $120 Buy-In, Omaha Hi-Lo, for a total prize pool
of $67,000 including a paid entry into the Tournament of Champions. 3 tables
were paid, a total of 30 players.

In a portent of things to come, Al Barbieri raised under the gun and was called
all-in on the button by Cop Snow. Barbieri didn't read Snow his rights before
sending him out in the cold in 31st, one out of the money.

To set up the final table, with only one player to eliminate, Ray Rumler would
have been all-in for his big blind in two hands. Harvey Schmidt didn't care, he
wanted chips and went all-in against the chip leader Jay Colombo to get them.
Schmidt's A J 7 4 was scooped by Colombo's A 9 6 2 to make Harvey invisible in
11th.

THE FINAL TABLE 40 minutes left of 45 min. rounds, blinds $2,000/$5,000
.......Player....................Hometown.................. Chip Count
Seat 1 Peter Primiano Clackamas OR $36,900
Seat 2 Chakae Koo Las Vegas NV $17,400
Seat 3 Ray Rumler Canton IL $ 5,000
Seat 4 Dennis Grannen Las Vegas NV $54,400
Seat 5 Hassan Igram Reno NV $29,500
Seat 6 Jay Colombo Bayonne NJ $98,800
Seat 7 Al Barbieri Philadelpia PA $19,600
Seat 8 Martin Tilden Plano TX $14,700
Seat 9 Robert Williamson III San Angelo TX $34,900
Seat 10 Richard Mensen Fontana CA $22,000

The only hope Ray Rumler had of moving up the pay ladder was to avoid the big
blind. As luck would have it, that's what he got. All-in on his one and only
hand, Rumler went out 10th when Bill Williamson caught a Jack on the flop.

In a giant multi-way pot, Richard Mensen called all-in with two Aces. Hassan
Igram was already all-in and flopped a full house with K 5. Richard's Aces
would have been good for the side pot but Jay Colombo hit a runner runner
double gutshot wheel with his A 2 to crown Mensen Richard the 9th.

Another runner runner ended Martin Tilden's night. This time it was hearts that
came on the turn and river. Tilden made a Queen high heart flush only to lose
to Bill Williamson's all-in King high flush for 8th.

We didn't know it at the time but the tournament was over. Al Barbieri patterns
his play after his idol and mentor John Bonetti. In fact, the players call
Barbieri "Bonetti Jr." for his aggressive play and sometimes caustic table
personality.
Well, John Bonetti with all his success may never had a rush like the one that
followed. Al Barbieri put out the next six players winning almost every hand
from here on. First up was Hassan Igram who was making his second final table
appearance in two days. Igram went all-in and was winning until runner runner
clubs gave Barbieri an flush.

Then Jay Colombo who had started with the most chips, ran into trip Kings by
Bonetti Jr. and finished a disappointing 6th.

There was no stopping Barbieri as Bob Williamson went all-in with A K to Al's A
J. Of course the Jack came, and Williamson was 5th. As in earlier hands, the
nut low draws that these victims were playing never arrived.

Hitting every over card he needed, Barbieri's Jack was again the key card
against Chakae Koo's all-in 10's. The lows refused to get there.

Already with all the chips in the world, Barbieri caught even more miracles.
With 6's against Peter Primiaro's Kings, don't you know that a 6 Q Q flopped.

With an amazing 30-1 chip lead, the last survivor Dennis Grannen joked if
Barbieri wanted to "do something." With tens up on the turn for Grannen, it
looked like Barbieri would finally lose a hand. Barbieri only had two outs.
Only a trey on the river would give Al the pot with his pair of 3's. To
complete the final table devastation, the trey came as if in a dream to give
Barbieri 3's full of 2's and the title.

Al "Bonetti Jr." Barbieri had won over $300,000 in chips in 30 minutes. Al's
idol John Bonetti was watching his student between hands at another table to
sweeten the prize.

Mama Mia, what a rush!

Official Money Winners

1. Al Barbieri............$25,704
2. Dennis Grannen..........12,566
3. Peter Primiano...........6,283
4. Chakae Koo...............3,142
5. Robert Williamson III....2,285
6. Jay Colombo..............1,999
7. Hassan Igram.............1,714
8. Martin Tilden............1.428
9. Richard Mensen...........1,142
10 Ray Rumler.................857

11th-20th received $503
21st-30th received $335

Andy Hughes, Mike Sexton and Pierre Perretti were a few of the better known
players who made it into the money.

In the No Limit Hold'em Second Chance evening tournament Saturday, there were
260 entries and 165 rebuys for a total prize pool of $42,500. The final table
order of finish was Bill Berrio, Don Barton, John McIntosh, David Bach, Allen
Cunningham, Don Naifeh, Men Nguyen, Steve Couture, Joe Parille an Britton
Sneed.