Texas Hold'em (No Limit)

$2,500 Buy-in
Entries: 267
Total Prize Money: $667,500

1995 Champion: Dan Harrington

1996 Champion: Mel Weiner

• The Winners.
• The Showdown.

1. Mel Weiner                       $250,315
Hidden Hills, CA
2. John Spadavecchia                $126,825
N Miami Beach, FL
3. Anthony Guerriero                 $63,412
Patterson, NJ
4. Russ Hamilton                     $43,388
Las Vegas, NV
5. Chris Ferguson                    $30,038
Pacific Palisades, CA
6. Annie Duke                        $23,363
Las Vegas, NV
7. Randy Holland                     $16,688
Tallahassee, FL
8. O'Neil Longson                    $13,350
Salt Lake City, UT
9. Barry "Doc" Schwartz               $9,012
Huntington Beach, CA
10. George Geary                      $9,011
Liverpool, England
11. Andre Boyer                       $8,010
Las Vegas, NV
12. Bill Argyros                      $8,010
Carlton, Australia
13. Marsha Waggoner                   $6,675
Downey, CA
14. Don Kidder                        $6,675
Biloxi, MS
15. Bill Henson                       $6,675
Temple City, CA
16. Jennifer Harman                   $5,340
Las Vegas, NV
17. Billy Thomas                      $5,340
Long Beach, MS
18. Bob Beinish                       $5,340
New York, NY
19. Bob Kirkeby                       $3,337
Orange, CA
20. Scott Mayfield                    $3,337
Grants Pass, OR
21. Carl Mckelvey                     $3,337
Victoria, TX
22. Jim Bechtel                       $3,337
Gilbert, AZ
23. Dick Carson                       $3,337
Las Vegas, NV
24. Barbara Freer                     $3,337
San Diego, CA
25. Isai Scheinberg                   $3,337
Richmond Hill, Canada
26. Vera Blokker                      $3,337
Duivendrecht, Holland
27. John Heaney                       $3,337
Belfast, Northern Ireland

"It feels great to win this event," he said. "I was ecstatic to see the cards break even." This is the first World Series of Poker title for Weiner and the first time he has finished in the money in the Horseshoes annual tournament. Weiner has been playing poker since childhood.

Placing second in the $2,500 buy-in no-limit Holdem event and winning $126,825 was John Spadavecchia, a 57-year-old businessman from North Miami Beach, Florida. A regular tournament player for the past nine years, Spadavecchia holds one World Series of Poker title, as well as two titles from the Hall of Fame Poker Classic, and has finished in the money in several other major poker competitions. This marks the seventh time he has cashed in the World Series, including placing third in the 1994 championship event.

Anthony Guerriero, a 50-year-old real-estate investor from Patterson, New Jersey, won third place and $63,412. This was the first time he has entered a World Series competition.

Finishing in fourth place for $43,388 was Russ Hamilton, the 1994 World Champion of Poker. A 46-year-old professional player, Hamilton has accumulated total World Series earnings of $1,078,913 and currently ranks 12th on the tournament roster of all-time money winners.

Internet readers may be interested to know that Jeff Woods of Raleigh, NC and Jeffrey Siegal played in this tournament.

The 1996 World Series of Poker continues at the Horseshoe through May 16. The $5,000 buy-in limit Texas Holdem event begins today at noon, followed by the $1,000 buy-in Womens Seven Card Stud competition and the Press Invitational Tournament, both on May 12.

More than 4,000 entrants -- representing at least 20 countries -- are expected to participate in this years World Series, and the total money distributed is anticipated to be in excess of $11 million.

©1996, Binion's Horseshoe. Some portions ©1996, ConJelCo. All Rights Reserved.