Posted: Sunday, May 30, 2004 12:00 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Greg "Fossilman" Raymer won the World Series of Poker tournament Friday, winning a head-to-head showdown on the final hand worth $5 million.
Raymer, 39, had built up a $14.4 million stack of chips during the tournament's finale, making him the chip leader when he began the final table at Binion's Horseshoe Hotel & Casino. He then went to work toppling four of his eight competitors using solid pairs and a hand of three tens.
The runner-up was David Anthony Williams, a young college student from Dallas who knocked out a former World Series of Poker champion. Third place went to Josh Arieh, a 29-year-old professional poker player from Atlanta.
A field that began with 2,576 entrants May 22 was down to nine Friday afternoon. The game is No-Limit Texas Hold'Em, in which a player can risk all his chips with every draw of a card, guaranteeing high-stakes action and big losers.