$84,256 poker prize creates dilemma

When recent Temple University graduate Russell Thomas earned his diploma, his future was fairly well-defined. An actuarial science major, he had a job lined up, a job he planned to start right after he returned from playing in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Now, after winning $84,256 for fifth place in his first live tournament - a no-limit hold 'em, six-handed event - Thomas faces a crossroads: Does he take the job or try his hand as a full-time poker player?

"It's a very big decision," Thomas said. "I want to think about it for a while. In the job market right now, if you don't take it, who knows what will be available in a few years?"

Before heading to Vegas, Thomas was primarily an online player, which explains why he entered the six-handed tournament, an event that drew 1,663 competitors who bought in at $1,500 each.

Six-handed tournaments are popular among younger players with online poker backgrounds because there's more action. The average age of Thomas' final table was 22.2 years old. The Wallingford resident, who went to Strath Haven High, turned 22 on June 20.

Thomas expects to play in the famous Main Event, the No-limit Hold 'em Championship, that will begin July 5 and is the final tournament of the seven-week, 57-event poker World Series.

Philly near-misses. Two players with Philadelphia ties just missed winning WSOP championship bracelets.

Bill Chen, of Lafayette Hill, almost won his third career bracelet but was outdueled by eight-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey in a mixed-game H.O.R.S.E. event ($3,000 buy-in). Chen, who holds a doctorate from Cal-Berkeley and is known for his extraordinary mathematical acumen, collected more than $203,000. Ivey made nearly $330,000.

Chen won two WSOP tournaments in 2006, and works as a quantitative analyst for Susquehanna International Group in Bala Cynwyd. The firm is involved in trading commodities and securities, and other financial products. SIG is known for using principles of poker within its corporate culture.

And South Philadelphia native Al Barbieri finished second in another H.O.R.S.E. tournament ($1,500 buy-in), behind Russian Konstantin Puchkov. Barbieri, who lives in Long Beach, Calif., won $158,637, and Puchkov earned $256,820. That was Barbieri's second final table of the current WSOP. He finished sixth in a Limit Hold 'em, six-handed event ($2,500 buy-in), good for nearly $30,400.

Borgata bad beat. A South Jersey man played a little musical chairs at an Atlantic City casino and pocketed more than $66,000. Carlos Santos, of Blackwood, grabbed the No. 7 seat at a poker table when another player switched his position, according to casino officials. Moments later, Santos was dealt the winning hand when the Borgata's largest-ever bad-beat jackpot hit on June 17.

The total bonus had built to $332,544 when Do Hien, of Virginia, saw his quad deuces beaten by Santos' straight flush. Bad-beat jackpots are paid when a qualifying high hand, usually four-of-a-kind or better, is beaten by an even better hand. Typically, the loser of the bad beat gets the lion's share of the jackpot.

Hien collected a little more than $133,000. Santos received $66,509. And the other players dealt into the hand each earned $22,170. The game was $1-$2 no-limit hold 'em.

The record bad-beat jackpot for Atlantic City occurred at the Taj Mahal casino for $672,115 earlier in June.