By ANTHONY BOTTAN
Now, however, Buchman may have a whole new definition of good money. The 29-year-old Valley Stream resident sits in second place at the final table of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas, with $1.2 million already in his pocket and a possible $8.5 million more if he outlasts eight other players.
"I've always been able to make money, but never like this," Buchman said. "I never had a year where I made close to a million dollars."
Buchman, who grew up in the Gibson section of the village, is one of nine players who have outlasted 6,485 other competitors with high hopes during the grueling eight-day tournament that began over the July Fourth weekend. His chip stack total of 34.8 million is second only to Darvish Moon, a 45-year-old Maryland man who leads the pack with 58.9 million in chips. Buchman and Moon are two of the "November Nine," a group so nicknamed because the tournament will not resume until Nov. 9.
Buchman has played in eight WSOP events, but has only made a final table once. He finished that tournament - in June - in sixth place, and took home $35,000. He spent $10,000 of those winnings to enter the Main Event.
When the pool of players was narrowed to 27, Buchman's girlfriend, Rachel Shapiro, and his parents wanted to fly out to Las Vegas to support him, but he wasn't sure if their presence would help his play. "I told them don't bother because I'm focused and don't want distractions," he said. "But when they got there, it felt good to have the support and have them clap when I won a pot. It was nice to have them root me on."
Shapiro said she had been following Buchman's progress on a poker news Web site, and couldn't focus on anything else. "I couldn't get anything done," she said. "I told him he wouldn't even know I was there. The tips of my fingers were sore from clicking 'refresh'!"
Buchman, who has a degree from SUNY-Albany in finance and marketing, credits his brother, Ari, for teaching him Texas Hold 'Em, the five-card game played in the Main Event. He said he varies his game - playing either loosely or aggressively - based on how the others at the table are playing their hands. On the day when the field was trimmed down to the final 27, he said, he made an aggressive push to solidify a spot there - a spot that would guarantee him an extra $100,000 - that nearly backfired.
Buchman's chip stack had dwindled to less than three million, and he wasn't getting the cards he needed to build it back up. So after getting dealt the ace and the 10 of hearts, he went "all in," pushing all of his remaining chips into the pot. One other player called his bet and showed a pair of jacks, a hand that could potentially bust Buchman. "My face went sour," he said. "... I thought it was the end."
The next three cards from the dealer - the "flop," community cards that players combine with their own two cards - would either help Buchman win the hand or bring a sudden end to his run at the WSOP title. Amazingly, all three cards were hearts; he had a flush. The final two cards didn't help his opponent, and Buchman won the hand, doubling his chip total. "When I hit that flop, it was like a miracle," he said. "From that point on, I felt good about my chances."
Buchman said he probably won't play poker again until he flies back to Vegas for the final table in November. He added that to win a tournament like the Main Event, you have to work hard, get lucky and have a natural ability at poker. If he takes home the grand prize of $8.5 million, Buchman said, he has one thing in mind:
"I'm going to Disney World."
A taping of the final table will be broadcast on ESPN on Nov. 10.
Comments about this story? ABottan@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 246.
