Player Who Coolered Matusow at 2005 Main Event Final Table Runs Deep in WSOP Seniors

Twenty years in the past, Scott Lazar doubled up eventual champion Joe Hachem and coolered Mike Matusow at one of the entertaining and memorable World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Fundamental Occasion last tables ever.

20 years later, the 2005 sixth-place finisher in poker’s most prestigious occasion ran deep in one other WSOP occasion. This one, Occasion #48: $1,000 Senior’s No-Restrict Maintain’em Championship, a match that attracted 7,575 entrants. Lazar, who spoke to PokerNews on a Day 3 break, busted in thirty first place for $21,950, his second-largest match money since his televised $1.5 million rating.

Scott Lazar Again in Motion

Lazar rapidly made his presence felt throughout ESPN’s 2005 Fundamental Occasion last desk broadcast, and he left Matusow on fumes proper off the bat.

Matusow, a Full Tilt Poker professional on the time, headlined a star-studded 2005 Fundamental Occasion last desk, the final one held at Binion’s on Fremont Avenue. The poker increase period celebrity, on the second hand on the last desk, had his world title desires all however shattered within the blink of an eye fixed, however he virtually received a monster pot as an alternative.

The hand started with Maryland’s Steve Dannemann, the eventual runner-up, elevating to 250,000 with J♠J♣. Lazar, one of many smallest stacks getting into the ultimate desk, three-bet — or, for correct 2005 terminology, re-raised — to 1,250,000 with A♥A♦.

“The commentary stated I made it 1 million, however I truly 5x’ed it — 1,250,000,” Lazar defined.

Matusow, who hung out in jail months earlier than the 2005 WSOP, picked up Okay♥Okay♣ and moved all in, having all of the gamers left to behave lined. Dannemann folded his jacks earlier than pocket aces snap-called. The flop got here out Q♥6♥Okay♦, and Matusow celebrated hitting his set. However the 2♥ on the flip led to a flush draw, and it was adopted by the J♥ on the river to finish the flush.

“As a result of I had already been taking part in for 17 years, when the king hit, it did not faze me,” Lazar recollects. “After which when the flip got here, it was a coronary heart, and I assumed ‘oh, that is attention-grabbing.’ And when the center hit the river, I exploded due to the emotion of that second.”

Lazar shot up the chip counts, whereas Matusow later busted in ninth place, a disappointing finish to his second Fundamental Occasion last desk look regardless of the $1 million payday. However Lazar started to unravel earlier than lengthy, and he admits he did not play his finest on the last desk, which inevitably price him a shot on the bracelet with six gamers remaining in opposition to Hachem.

The important thing pot befell in opposition to Hachem, who three-bet jammed all in with A♠Q♠, and Lazar, the unique raiser, known as with Okay♠9♠. Each gamers flopped a flush draw, and the Ax on the flip locked the hand up for Hachem, which sparked his comeback on the last desk.

“That is the portion the place I had the meltdown,” Lazar shared his ideas on the free name. “I wasn’t considering. I used to be on this auto mode. Have a look at my hand, playable, fold. I wasn’t considering, I wasn’t doing math. I used to be so drained after so many days that I had actually virtually collapsed mentally and bodily.”

Lazar stated he made a foul fold on the earlier hand with a suited ace “getting five-to-one” within the huge blind.

“I simply auto-mucked it, and I keep in mind being upset as a result of I ought to have known as. And, in fact the flop got here out ace, ace, and an ace on the flip. I’d have made quads, and each of them had pairs over the opposite playing cards on the board.”

Lazar stated he felt he had been taking part in too tight, which led to a few free calls, beginning with the aforementioned play in opposition to Hachem, and it ended by snap-calling with Q♣10♦ after Andrew Black, who had him lined, moved all in with J♠J♣.

No assist got here for the California poker participant on the 5 group playing cards. He was eradicated in sixth place for $1.5 million, whereas Black, an Irishman, was the subsequent participant out, a $1,750,000 rating.

Poker Participant 20 Years Later

Lazar, who would not be recognizable to 2000s poker followers as of late given he is now scruffy and gray-haired, nonetheless speaks fondly of that once-in-a-lifetime expertise regardless of the abrupt finish to his title chase. He instantly grew to become associates with Hachem, the 2005 champion, and continues to be shut friends with the Australian poker legend. However he stated the world champ cannot make it to Las Vegas this summer season for the twentieth anniversary of his title resulting from prior commitments.

The 2 households stay shut. Lazar has two kids who’re associates with Hachem’s youngsters, together with Daniel Hachem, a talented poker participant who completed runner-up in a $1,500 blended bomb pot bracelet occasion final summer season. Joe Hachem sat on the rail to cheer on his son till the ultimate card was dealt.

Lazar solely has about $165,000 in stay match cashes because the 2005 Fundamental Occasion, in response to The Hendon Mob. However he nonetheless frequents the money recreation tables. He was one of the skilled gamers on the memorable last desk, having performed professionally for 17 years earlier than that.

“I selected not to enter poker full-time after that,” Lazar stated when requested what he is been as much as the previous 20 years. “However I by no means stopped taking part in. Consider it or not, I actually solely stopped taking part in for about six months after that match as a result of I used to be so devasted by the way it completed, purchased a home, raised a few boys and watched them go off to school and turn into profitable, and by no means re-married. Sadly, my spouse and I separated simply earlier than that World Collection.”

Lazar did not run scorching on the last desk, however he did catch one fortunate break. He stated his divorce had been finalized not lengthy earlier than the Fundamental Occasion started, which meant he did not owe her a penny from that seven-figure rating.

“She known as me the day after I last tabled and stated, ‘You received how a lot?'”

The newly minted millionaire went on to provide the 2008 poker film, Deal, starring Burt Reynolds. Lazar was amongst a star-studded forged of poker gamers who made cameo appearances in that flick. Shannon Elizabeth, Mike Sexton, and Jennifer Tilly have been just some of the gamers noticed within the movie.

“Nearly inside months of the Fundamental Occasion, I obtained a name from a producer I would labored with earlier than, and he stated, ‘Hey, I am doing a script based mostly on poker with Burt Reynolds connected, would you govt produce it?’ And I did not even have to consider it,” Lazar stated.

Lazar, who lives within the Los Angeles space, got here up a bit in need of the ultimate desk within the Seniors occasion on Thursday. However he confirmed that he can nonetheless play poker at a excessive stage, 20 years after practically turning into a world champion.

*Characteristic picture courtesy of PokerGO.