Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Kerry Petre had a simple goal for the 2005 World Series of Poker championship in Las Vegas July 8. The retired Cle Elum postmaster and lifelong Ellensburg resident just wanted to play well enough to survive the first day of the 5,619-person competition.
"I just didn't want to embarrass myself and get knocked out the first day," Petre said.
But he did a lot better than that.
Petre doubled his chips on the second day when he flopped a set of 7s, which resulted in a three-of-a-kind when the dealer turned over the first community cards in Texas Hold 'Em poker. The lucky 7s assured Petre the chance to play on the third day, July 11, with a good shot of winning some money.
"I was very happy," Petre said. "I felt I had a little hope. I knew I was going to make some money."
Petre finished 379th place, ahead of 5,240 others, and took home $18,335. He plans to use the money for a trip to the East Coast.
Anyone can play in the World Series of Poker, but there's a $10,000 entry fee. The Wild Goose Casino paid Petre's entry fee. He won a satellite tournament at the Ellensburg casino on May 1.
"He definitely traps people," said Wild Goose Casino poker manager Lance Kohler, who followed Petre at the World Series of Poker on the Internet. "There was quite a buzz when he made it past the second day."
Born and raised in Ellensburg, Petre took an early interest in poker. He honed his skills by playing cards with friends after school. He attended Ellensburg High School when the school demolished this spring was brand new, he said.
Petre kept poker as a hobby through the 24 years he worked at the Ellensburg post office and later as Cle Elum postmaster. He retired in 1992.
"I'm not aggressive," he said. "I'm a very patient player. But it doesn't mean I don't bluff a few times. You've got to do it."
Petre said he hasn't decided if he will try for the World Series again next year.
"It's pretty strenuous," he said.
A testament to the growing popularity of the game, there were so many players at the World Series of Poker that the first round had to be staggered. It was played over the course of three days instead of one. Many of the players at the World Series of Poker won Internet satellite tournaments, which, along with TV coverage of poker tournaments, has caused the game to explode, Kohler said.
"They understand the basics; they just don't know how to play with people," Petre said of the online players.
Petre and nearly 2,000 other players started their opening rounds at noon on July 8. They played until 2:30 a.m. the morning of July 9.
There were about 1,800 players remaining in the tournament at start of July 10's round and just 568 by the end of the session - at 1:30 a.m. on July 11.
The top 560 players are in in the money, meaning they can do no worse than a $12,500 paycheck. Petre had been playing with a low stack of chips until that point.
"I was low man at the table most of the time," he said.
Petre said he "loosened up quite a bit" on July 11 once he knew he was guaranteed money. He was eliminated at 5:30 p.m. He was dealt pocket 7s - two 7 cards in the initial hand, a good hand - and lost against a player who made a flush after starting with an ace and a queen of the same suit.
