PROFILE
Name: Ben Lamb
Age: 26
Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Online Handle: benba
In 2011, Ben Lamb put together one of the most impressive performances the World Series of Poker has ever seen. And with a date at the Main Event final table set for November, Lamb’s fairy-tale series is far from over.
The 26-year-old had a World Series for the ages this year. After a second place finish in the $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event in June, Lamb won his first gold bracelet in the $10,000 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha Championship for $814,436. That moved him past Jason Mercier as the No. 1 all-time money winner in Omaha tournaments at the WSOP.
He also added an eighth-place finish at the $50,000 Poker Players Championship and a 12th-place finish in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Handed event. In total, his 2011 WSOP earnings had eclipsed $1.3 million.
And then came the Main Event.
The Las Vegas-based pro fittingly surged to the chip lead on Day 1B of poker’s biggest tournament; Lamb was atop the leaderboard during five of the eight events he played at this year’s WSOP. He maintained a big stack throughout the Main Event, lurking near the leaders during each of the eight days before securing a seat at the November Nine. Lamb takes more than 20 million to the final table, placing him just fifth overall, but he’s considered the favorite by many in the industry based on his immense talent and recent streak of success.
This marks Lamb’s second deep run in the WSOP Main Event in three years. In 2009, he finished 14th for $633,022 after being eliminated by Steve Begleiter on Day 8. That stood as his largest career cash until this year’s series.
Now, he’s guaranteed at least $782,155, with a top prize of $8,711,956 within reach.
HOW HE GOT THERE:
Day 1: 188,925 chips
Day 2: 551,600
Day 3: 354,500
Day 4: 1,268,000
Day 5: 4,032,000
Day 6: 9,980,000
Day 7: 14,690,000
Day 8: 20,875,000
KEY HAND: It was one of the longest, most intense hands during the final days of the Main Event. Late on Day 7, Lamb and Matt Giannetti tangled in a sizeable pot, but it was Lamb’s incredible body control that made the hand so memorable. Here’s how it played out:
With the blinds at 150,000/300,000 and a 40,000 ante, Ben Lamb raised to 675,000 from the cutoff and Giannetti called out of the big blind. After the flop came Ah-9h-2d, Giannetti checked, Lamb fired a bet of 700,000, and Giannetti called. The turn brought the 7d and both players checked to see the 2h hit the river. Giannetti checked again and Lamb overbet the pot, pushing 4 million chips into a pot of 3.1 million. Giannetti went into the tank for nearly ten minutes, visibly anguished while Lamb sat frozen in his seat. Finally, Giannetti called and Lamb turned over 3c-2s for rivered trips, good enough to win a pot worth more than 11 million, increasing his stack to 26 million.
Giannetti mucked, but ESPN revealed that he had Ace-nine for a flopped two pair. He was left with 9.5 million but battled his way to a seat at the final table.
WHY HE CAN WIN: Lamb has more high-pressure poker experience than any member of the November Nine and is arguably the best No Limit tournament player remaining. He’s known as a high-stakes Omaha cash game specialist, but Lamb is quickly becoming one of most feared all-around players in the world. He’ll enter the final table with more than 40 big blinds and lots of room to maneuver.
