Texas Dolly Plays His Last Poker Tournament
Poker legend finishes in sixth place in $10,000 buy-in NL 2-7 Single Draw event and exits to applause
Poker legend Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson (85) played his last World Series of Poker tournament this week, finishing sixth in the $10,000 buy-in No Limit 2-7 Single Draw event after announcing his retirement from the game, and departing the Amazon Room at the Rio to a standing ovation.
The event was captured on the PokerGo channel as the evening evolved into a celebration of the man and his outstanding contribution to the game, with many top names offering their best wishes and congratulations.
Brunson’s son Todd was there to watch his father’s final but unsuccessful bid for an eleventh WSOP winner’s bracelet.
German Victory In Millionaire Maker Event At The World Series Of Poker
Arne Kern bests a field of 7,361 to earn over a million dollars
German poker pro Arne Kern has emerged as the winner of the World Series of Poker $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Millionaire Maker event, earning a cool $1,173,223 and a WSOP bracelet after besting a large field of 7,361 that included many top players.
The field generated a prize pool worth $9,937,350, and Kern’s lion’s share of it was by far his biggest pay day to date, totally overshadowing his previous top tourney reward of $28,000.
The twenty-eight year old poker pro started Day 4 play way down in the low chip counts but managed to double up early on which gave him momentum, on which he built with skill and patience, zooming up the chip counts with a telling win over two-bracelet holder Barney Boatman and eliminating him in seventh before going on to survive the rest of a tough 250-hand final table and make it to the heads up stage.
There he faced UK ace Sam Razavi in what turned out to be a thrilling two-hour, 62-hand battle in which the lead repeatedly changed hands before Kern was finally able to put a very strong opponent away. Razavi’s strong showing earned him a runner up prize of $724,756.
Other final table pay days included:
Joe McKeehen $538,276
Michael Souza $402,614
Justin Liberto $303,294
Manuel Ruivo $230,120
Barny Boatman $175,865
Ralph Massey $135,383
Sean Marshall $104,987
Hennigan Earns His Fifth Winner’s Bracelet At World Series Of Poker
Philadelphia poker pro adds $414,692 to his career earnings in taking down the $10,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. championship event
Philadelphia poker pro John Hennigan (47) claimed the victory, a fifth World Series of Poker bracelet and $414,692 in prize money Friday in taking down the $10,000 buy-in HORSE Championship event, besting a stellar field of 166 entries in the mixed games competition which generated a prize pool of $1,560,400, enabling 25 players to cash.
The win boosts Hennigan’s career live tourney earnings to almost $5 million.
The competition required an additional day to complete, with the final table forming on the third day but the heads up running over into the additional day.
Hennigan was among the lower chip stacks as final table action got underway, but managed to recover strongly and survive through to the heads up stage against respected US pro David “Bakes” Baker, where he held a starting advantage of over 2 million chips.
The two played for almost two hours, with Hennigan increasing his lead, before play was halted and the additional day declared necessary to complete the heads up.
On the fourth day of the event, Hennigan continued to dominate the action, finally eliminating Baker after just a hour of play and sending him to the cashier to collect his runner up prize of $256,297′
Other final table cashes included:
3rd: Lee Salem, $179,216
4th: Iraj Parvizi, $127,724
5th: Randy Ohel, $92,808
6th: Albert Daher, $68,783
7th: Daniel Zack, $52,016
8th: Michael Noori, $40,155
Aussie Triumphs In Marathon Poker Event
Michael Addamo claims his first World Series of Poker bracelet in $2,620 buy-in The Marathon No-Limit Hold’em competition
Thailand-based Australian poker pro Michael Addamo (23) is $653,581 wealthier after winning the $2,620 buy-in The Marathon No-Limit Hold’em competition at the World Series of Poker Friday and claiming his first WSOP winner’s bracelet.
His victory comes at the end of a tough five-day contest in which 1,637 entries were recorded, among them former WSOP main event champ Martin Jacobson and WPT champ Taylor Paur, and represents his biggest pay day yet, bringing his career live tournament earnings to almost $1.4 million.
Belgian pro Bart Lybaert was the dominant force in the game as three-handed play was reached, with US pro Mark Sleet (50) and Addamo his remaining opponents.
The action was interesting as three skilled players mixed it up with plenty of aggression, and it looked as if the game was in the bag for the Belgian. However, following the dinner break, Addamo surged upward and Sleet and Lybaert were involved in some intense clashes which ultimately led to the Belgian’s exit in third place for $290,315.
Heads up, Sleet enjoyed a significant chip lead at the start and things looked glum for the Aussie, but he turned it around and was able to take the lead and ultimately best a very worthy opponent, sending Sleet home with a second placing prize of $403,870.
Other final table cashes from the $3,485,124 prize pool included:
Taylor Paur $210,995
Martin Jacobson $155,062
Ying Chan $115,244
Anton Morgenstern $86,631
Cate Hall $65,875
Ihar Soika $50,678
New Jersey Day Trader Scores First World Series Of Poker Bracelet
$217,123 first prize for Ryan Bambrink in $1,500 buy-in pot-limit Omaha competition
Ryan Bambrink, a 30-year-old day trader and online poker player from New Jersey, has taken down the $1,500 buy-in pot-limit Omaha competition at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas to earn his first WSOP bracelet and the main prize of $217,123.
It was his fourth cash in a remarkably successful Las Vegas trip with the sole intention of playing WSOP events.
A veteran online player who started out just after Chris Moneymaker started the boom in online poker interest, Bambrink bested 799 entrants in the POL event despite a relative sparse live tournament history. His reward far outstripped his previous top live tourney earning of $47,000.
Finnish player Sampo Ryynanen had the chip lead as the finalists reached three-handed action, but Bambrink scored a major double up which enabled him to wrest the lead from the Finn. He was able to retain that momentum, eliminating third placed Tim McDermott for $93,639 and entering he heads up stage against Ryynanen with a healthy lead.
Thirty minutes in it was all over as Bambrick sent Ryynanen to the exit and a second placing reward of $134,138.
Other final table cashes included:
4th: Phil Riley – $66,342
5th: Jared Ingles – $47,713
6th: Jody Fayant – $34,843
7th: Danny Woolard – $25,841
8th: Randy White – $19,469
9th: Pushpinder Singh – $11,596
L.A. Entrepreneur Wins World Series Of Poker NLHE Six Max Event
$461,798 pay day and a maiden winner’s bracelet for Gal Yifrach
Los Angeles entrepreneur Gal Yifrach (31) claimed his first World Series of Poker winner’s bracelet and the main prize of $461,798 over the weekend in the $3,000 buy-in NLHE Six Max competition, besting an entry field of 868 that included a slew of top professional players.
Yifrach is happiest playing high stakes cash games when he can spare the time from running his businesses, but he showed that he can handle tournament action with equal aplomb despite the large crowds.
He played a skilful but low profile competition until the finalists reached four-handed play, when he won a major pot that gave him the chip lead…a position he was to maintain and increase over the next three hours of aggressive poker and significant pay jumps.
By the three-handed stage Yifrach had amassed two-thirds of the chips on the table when the organisers decided that an extra day would be required to complete the event. Yifrach appeared unhappy with the call but bagged up with his two remaining rivals, who in a last-minute clash had managed to reduce his chip stack but not overtake it.
On Saturday – the additional fourth day – the trio reassembled and play recommenced with no eliminations in the first level, but Yifrach busted Gary Hasson at third for $193,716 in the following level to enter the heads up against James Mackey with the lead. Mackey staged a fight-back that saw him almost level the chip counts, but Yifrach pulled ahead again and ultimately defeated his last opponent.
Mackey’s second placing reward was $285,377.
Other final table cashes included:
4th: Aaron Mermelstein – $133,731
5th: Darren Rabinowitz – $93,917
6th: Ana Marquez – $67,116
California Stats Teacher Wins Record World Series Of Poker Seniors Event
Matthew Davis bests a record field of 5,919 to win $662,983
Fifty-year-old Matthew Davis, a college statistics teacher from California, has taken down the World Series of Poker $1,000 buy-in Seniors event, besting a record entry field of 5,919 which generated a prize pool of $5,326,200.
The Chabot College lecturer claimed his first World Series of Poker winner’s bracelet and the main prize of $662,983 for his victory.
Davis came alight around the five-handed stage of the final table to make it into the heads up against 2012 Seniors Event champ Bill Stabler, with the chip stacks more or less even. The duo were to battle on for the next 100 hands and were evenly matched.
Stabler played a skilful game and by the dinner break was ahead 4 to 3 in chip stacks, but following dinner Davis came out firing on all cylinders, taking a 3 to 1 lead and holding it for the remaining 15 minutes it took to eliminate Stabler at second for $409,456
Other final table cashes included:
Scott Hamilton-Hill
New Zealand
$303,859
Gary Friedlander
United States
$227,111
Bill Bennett
United States
$170,973
Rachel Delatorre
United States
$129,648
Frank Berry
United States
$99,032
Joseph Schulman
United States
$76,204
Thirty Confirmed For Big One For One Drop Tourney
With One Million Dollar Buy-In
The culminating tournament of this year’s 49th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP), the fourth edition of the Big One for One Drop, has registered thirty player buy-ins one month before the cards are dealt.
The charitable contribution from each buy-in has been reduced to 8 percent equating to $920,000 of each buy-in forming the prize pool. If the 48-player cap is reached the prize pool will reach a record $44,160,000.
The current thirty comprise a mix of poker pros and amateur players, WSOP said. Confirmed players include Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Esfandiari, Christoph Vogelsang, Bryn Kenney, Nick Petrangelo, Rainer Kempe, Dominik Nitsche, Steffen Sontheimer, Jason Koon, Phil Ivey, Adrian Mateos and Phil Hellmuth. Philanthropic businessmen include Rick Solomon, Talal Shakerchi, and Leon Tsoukernik.
“That a charitable poker tournament could have such an impact is simply astonishing,” said Jack Effel, tournament director at the WSOP.
“Since 2012, through15 tournaments and player donations, over 12,000 individuals have contributed to raising over $20 million for the cause of access to safe water. This has had an incredible impact on the lives of over 170,000 people in need. Both from the poker and humanitarian aspects, the whole poker community and us at WSOP are lucky to be a part of this.”
The Big One for One Drop will be televised by ESPN2, and live streamed to viewers on PokerGo.
Michael Mizrachi Wins $50,000 Buy-In Poker Players Championship
South Florida poker pro scores fourth bracelet and record third PPC title
Top Florida professional poker player Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi once again showed what a formidable opponent he is in taking down the World Series of Poker $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship this week, besting 87 talented entrants to claim the main prize of $1,239,126 and his fourth WSOP bracelet.
It was his record breaking third Poker Players Championship victory in a glittering poker career, and Mizrachi executed it with certainty, holding the chip pretty much throughout the multi-variant game competition and into the exciting heads up with fellow pro and five bracelet holder John Hennigan.
It was however a brief affair, taking Mizrachi just over 20 minutes to send Hennigan to the cashier cage and a second placing cash of $765,837
The final table included names like Dan Smith, Mike Leah, Benny Glaser and Aaron Katz, none of whom were able to stop Mizrachi remarkable run.
3rd: Dan Smith – $521,782
4th: Mike Leah – $364,197
5th: Benny Glaser – $260,578
6th: Aaron Katz – $191,234
WSOP Success Runs In Bonyadi Family
Mother of three-time WSOP bracelet winner wins her own
Three-time WSOP bracelet winner Fazad Bonyadi’s mother Fahrintaj has hit the headlines winning Event 36, the $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold’em event on Wednesday and $311,451 in prize money.
Defeating a massive field of 2,191 entries, and ultimately Robert Beach heads-up, Bonyadi won her first gold bracelet in only her second career WSOP cash.
Final Table Results:
1 Fahrintaj Bonyadi – $311,451
2 Robert Beach – $192,397
3 Paul W Lee – $140,123
4 Linda Iwaniak – $103,215
5 Russell Sutton – $76,655
6 Alan Denkenson – $57,465
7 Chalres Thompson – $43,489
8 Neil Henley – $33,227
9 Bill Frogel – $25,633
Yueqi Zhu’s Patience Pays Off With Wsop Bracelet Win
After two decades of play and his 72nd WSOP cash
Yueqi Zhu won his first WSOP bracelet on his 72nd WSOP cash through a poker career spanning two decades and eleven final table appearances.
The 55-year-old engineer outplayed a 773-entry field and ultimately Gabriel Ramos heads-up to win the title, bracelet and $211,781 in Event 35, the $1,500 mixed Omaha hi-lo event.
Final Table Results:
1 Yueqi Zhu – $211,781
2 Gabriel Ramos – $130,850
3 Carol Fuchs – $89,488
4 Matthew Gregoire – $62,226
5 Jon Turner – $44,007
6 Peter Neff – $31,662
7 Ryan Hughes – $23,182
Yaniv Birman Wins $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship
Los Angeles businessman and cash game player earns his first WSOP bracelet
Yaniv Birman (35), a Los Angeles businessman who prefers cash game action to live tournament play, has emerged victorious in the World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in Seven Card Championship, an event which attracted a stellar field of 83 entrants, creating a prize pool of $780,200 that enabled 13 players to cash.
Birman’s first prize of $236,238 came with his first WSOP winner’s bracelet.
The competition featured rounds of Hold’em, Omaha hi-lo, Razz, Seven-card stud, and Eight-or-better seven-card, a range that Birman said was well suited to his preferences.
When the final table formed Birman and US online and live poker pro Jesse Martin (38) were neck and neck in chip counts, and the duo managed to maintain that status quo through to the heads up.
Martin held a slight lead at the start of heads up action, but Birman went on a self-admitted heater that saw him quickly overtake his two-bracelet opponent and then eliminate him at second for $146,006.
Other final table cashes included:
3rd: Ben Yu, $99,540
4th: Lee Salem, $69,928
5th: Matt Grapenthien, $50,669
6th: James Obst, $37,904
7th: Joseph Cappello, $29,306
8th: Lars Gronning, $23,443
Robert Peacock Wins $1,000 No-Limit Hold’Em Double Stack
Las Vegas poker pro bests field of 5,700 entries to win first bracelet
The $1,000 buy-in NLHE Double Stack event at the World Series of Poker was taken down Thursday by Las Vegas poker pro Robert Peacock, who bested a field of 5,700 to claim his first WSOP winner’s bracelet and the main prize of $644,224.
The massive field and rate of attrition meant that an extra (fifth) day was required to complete the event with Peacock facing his last two opponents, Josh Turner and Nicholas Salimbene, on the final day.
When Turner busted out at third for $294,760 at the hands of Peacock, the heads up stage was reached, in which an on-fire Peacock made relatively short work of Salimbene, sending him away with the runner-up prize of $397,908.
Other final table cashes included:
4th: Jacky Wong – $219,952
5th: Ralph Wong – $165,342
6th: Daniel Eichhorn – $125,215
7th: James Ostrowski – $95,538
8th: Pfizer Jordan – $73,446
9th: Takao Shimizu – $56,891
