Belize poker champion Badih "Bob" Bou Nahra
Belizean Badih Bou Nahra is competing at the WSOP finals in Las Vegas setting Belize in the world stage of this sport. Badih is accompanied by some 200 supporters and fans from Belize, many of them professional and aspiring poker players. The event has sparked so much nationalism and interest in Belize that a local television station is covering the event live. Marleni Cuellar who is anchoring the coverage for TV 5 told the media in an interview that:
“This weekend we’re going to be following Bob BouNahra the poker player who has made it to a very prestigious level in poker. He is a part of what is called the November 9 which is essentially the 9 finalists for the World Series of Poker. And although there aren’t a lot of people who are aware of the major level tournaments, it is a very big worldwide event. The fact the Bob has made it to this level is very good for him, but even very good for Belize.
“One of the things that has been highlighted of course is the fact that as it was winding down to the final nine he sported his Belize cap the entire while; really bringing a lot of attention to Belize. And even in his interviews that followed, Bob talked a lot about being able to say I want you all to know more about my country. His being a part of the November 9, ESPN came here to do some shoots with him. So we’ve really gotten exposure as a country and I think following a Belizean that is making such a great accomplishment is really something that would be nice.
“What we are going to do is; there is a very large contingency that is going from Belize to view the game itself. There are a lot of people who support Bob from Belize and Belizeans Americans living abroad. So we are going to be able to get some of the behind the scenes things that are happening. There is a little get together for his supporters as well and see what it’s like to support this person as he steps into one of the biggest competitions of his life I’d imagine.”
Gambling expert RJ Bell of Pregame.com says casino sports books in Las Vegas think it’s anyone’s game to win.
Quoted in the Washington Examiner Newspaper, Bell says that after factoring out adjustments for betting fees, casinos in Las Vegas were giving chip leader Martin Stazko of the Czech Republic a 17 percent chance of winning — best among the nine final table participants. Stazko has nearly 20 percent of all the chips in play at the table before the final table begins. The entrants are from seven different countries: the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, Germany, Belize, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.
Update: Badih Bou Nahra is out of the championship at 7th place on Sunday. Pokerlistings.com account of the end for Belize:
Bob Bounahra may have been the most beloved player at the final table today but even that couldn’t save him from hitting the rail in seventh place.
Bounahra was extremely short-stacked for the last 10 minutes and, after a 1.7 million bet from Martin Staszko, he moved all-in with A♥ 5♣.
Unfortunately for him Staszko called with A♠ 9♦ and all of Belize was suddenly gasping for air.
The flop came 7♣ 6♥ 2♣ and that changed nothing. The turn was an eventful K♥ and all Bounahra could do was pray for one of the three remaining fives in the deck. Finally the dealer peeled off… the 6♦! It gave Staszko fans a scare but it wasn’t good enough to give Bounahra the checkmark.
Bounahra is out and we’re assuming he’s going to take his small army of Belizean fans with him. He picks up $1.3 million for his efforts in the 2011 WSOP Main Event.
One of Bounahra’s railbirds told Bluf Magazine that the Belize Tourist Board sponsored the Belize player and several Belize politicians including the minister of tourism Manuel Heredia were in attendance. “Bounahra is partnered up with the Belize tourism bureau. The first player from Belize to final table a major poker event, his rail is the rowdiest of them all. During a stretch of play where Bounahra won Hands 22, 23, and 25, the crowd went crazy even though Bounahra remained in the bottom three chip counts.”
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