Since my last news entry a full nine WSOP tournaments have concluded; there have been classic battles, and history has been made.
Event #10: $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em. 1,532 runners came to the felt making this one of the biggest tournament so far this year. Justin Bonomo came to the final table as the most recognisable face and the favourite to take home the bracelet, but he will have to wait another day after he busted out in fourth. The $575,774 first prize eventually went to William Durkee V, from Chicago.
Event #11: $5,000 Seven-Card Stud Championship. This much coveted bracelet was hard fought for, although just 180 players fancied their chances enough to pony up the $5k buy-in. Marco Traniello, David Oppenheim and Ted Lawson made the final table, while Johnny Chan’s run for an record eleventh WSOP title ended in 18th. Heads-up it came down to a battle between veteran Chris Reslock and the much fancied Phil Ivey. But Reslock started heads-up with a 4.5-1 chip lead and never looked back, taking the $258,453 first prize and denying Ivey his sixth WSOP bracelet.
Event #12: $1,500 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em. Another $1,500 NL HE tournament and another big field. 1,427 players had a go at this one, and though POY leader J.C. Tran made it to 15th he was the last of the recognisable pros left in the event. The bracelet and the $481,698 first prize went to Jason Warner, from Canada, who beat David Zeitlin heads-up.
Event #13: $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em Championship. The high buy-in of this event meant only 398 players entered, and the field was massively pro-heavy. As a result we saw one of the most star-studded final tables of this year’s WSOP, with EPT Grand Final winner Gavin Griffin, WSOP bracelet holder Jason Lester, and Humberto Brenes all finishing in the top seven. The heads-up battle was fought by Allen Cunningham and Jeffrey Lisandro, who were inseparable for over 40 hands, before Cunningham finally cracked Lisandro’s pocket queens with his K-9o. It was Cunningham’s fifth bracelet, and his third in the last three years, equalling the record for consecutive bracelets.
Event #14: $1,500 Seven-Card Stud tournament. Barry Greenstein and Greg Raymer both made the final table but it was the little known Michael Keiner who beat Nesbitt Coburn heads-up to collect the $146,987 first prize.
Event #15: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em. This was the second biggest tournament of this year’s WSOP, with 2,628 players competing for the bracelet. This made it all the more incredible when Phil Hellmuth triumphed to bag his 11th WSOP bracelet, putting him out on his own as the only man to have done so in WSOP history. He won $637,254 to go with it.
Event #16: $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. James Richburg topped a surprisingly unrecognisable final table in a tournament that drew just 382 players. He won $238,881 for his efforts.
Event #17: $1,000 Ladies World Championship No-Limit Hold’em. Sally Boyer beat Anne Heft to take down the $262,077 first prize.
Event #18: $5,000 Limit Hold’em World Championship. Another small field: just 257 players paid up for a shot at this one, with the little known Saro Getzoyan using relentless aggression to top a final table that included William Thorsson and Thor Hansen among others. He won $333,379 for first.
Here are the winners so far in the 2007 WSOP:
|
Event |
Tournament |
Buy-In |
Entrants |
Winner |
1st Prize |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Mixed HE Championship (Limit/NL) |
$5,000 |
451 |
Steve Bilirakis (USA) |
$536,287 |
|
2 |
Casino Employees (NL HE) |
$500 |
1,038 |
Eric Narciso (USA) |
$104,701 |
|
3 |
NL HE |
$1,500 |
2,998 |
Ciaran O’Leary (Ire) |
$727,150 |
|
4 |
Pot-Limit HE |
$1,500 |
781 |
Mike Spegal (USA) |
$252,290 |
|
5 |
Omaha/Stud Hi-Low/8 |
$2,500 |
327 |
Tom Schneider (USA) |
$214,347 |
|
6 |
Limit HE |
$1,500 |
910 |
Gary Stycznski (USA) |
$280,715 |
|
7 |
Pot-Limit Omaha w/ rebuys |
$5,000 |
145 (421 rebuys) |
Burt Boutin (USA) |
$825,956 |
|
8 |
NL HE w/ rebuys |
$1,000 |
884 |
Michael Chu (USA) |
$575,774 |
|
9 |
Omaha Hi-Low/8 |
$1,500 |
690 |
Alex Kravchenko (Rus) |
$228,466 |
|
10 |
NL HE |
$2,000 |
1,532 |
William Durkee V (USA) |
$566,916 |
|
11 |
7 Card Stud Championship |
$5,000 |
180 |
Chris Reslock (USA) |
$258,453 |
|
12 |
NL HE (6-handed) |
$1,500 |
1,427 |
Jason Warner (Can) |
$481,698 |
|
13 |
Pot-Limit HE Championship |
$5,000 |
398 |
Allen Cunningham (USA) |
$487,287 |
|
14 |
7 Card Stud |
$1,500 |
385 |
Michael Keiner (USA) |
$146,987 |
|
15 |
NL HE |
$1,500 |
2,628 |
Phil Hellmuth (USA) |
$637,254 |
|
16 |
H.O.R.S.E |
$2,500 |
382 |
James Richburg (USA) |
$238,881 |
|
17 |
Ladies World Championship NL HE |
$1,000 |
1,286 |
Sally Boyer (USA) |
$262,077 |
|
18 |
Limit Hold’em World Championship |
$5,000 |
257 |
Saro Getzoyan (USA) |
$333,379 |