Battling through arguably the most difficult final table to date at the 2014 World Series of Poker Asia/Pacific (WSOP-APAC), Germany’s George Danzer captured his third bracelet of the overall WSOP and took over the lead in the WSOP Player of the Year race.
Although only 48 players put their money on the line in Event #8, the $5000 Eight-Game Mixed tournament, the final six men (who were the only players to cash in the tournament) were all very experienced in the travails of tournament poker. Chip leader Scott Clements (with 179,200 in chips) held a slim lead over 2010 WSOP Championship Event winner Jonathan Duhamel (175,200) and Duhamel’s edge over Sam Khouiss (making his second final table of the WSOP-APAC) was just as miniscule (169,500). On the bottom of the tier, Tino Lechich (90,500), Ismael Bojang (79,100 and also having a great run in Australia) and Danzer (26,800) were looking to make moves to get back into the race.
Danzer started his rise from the short stack in doubling up through Clements. In Omaha Hi/Lo, the twosome saw a flop of 6-9-J and Danzer called off his stack on a Clements bet. Danzer held a tenuous lead with plenty of drawing opportunities for his 10-9-8-7 (pair of nines, several wrap draws), while Clements was looking to improve on his A-10-2-2 rainbow arrangement (pocket deuces and not much else). Once the turn and river came with a six and a nine, respectively, Danzer had improved to trips and secured his double up.
Only a few hands later, the two men would clash again, this time in Razz. Joined by Lechich until Fifth Street, Danzer was able to make a nine-six low by showdown (while Clements couldn’t muster a qualifying hand) to see his chip stack suddenly pop over the 125K mark. That only got better moments later when, in Limit Hold’em, Danzer would make a straight on a K-3-10-9-8 board (Clements could only muster a K-10 for two pair) to find himself sitting on a 150K stack.
Now armed with chips, Danzer began to broaden his attack range beyond Clements. Snagging chips from Lechich, Bojang and Khouiss, Danzer moved into the lead while a short-stacked Duhamel stayed out of the German’s way. Clements decided himself to get away from squaring off with Danzer, opting to take a big chunk out of Duhamel when he made quads in Pot Limit Omaha and soon found himself back healthy and in second place. In fact, it was Clements who would take care of the first elimination of the day.
In Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, Khouiss brought in and Clements completed the bet. After a raising battle between the two men, Khouiss eventually saw all his chips in the center with an (A-A) 4 against the (A♥ 3♥) 4♥ of Clements. Clements would find a fourth heart with the 9♥ on Fourth Street and, on Sixth Street, completed his nut flush (and eight low) with the 8♥. Khouiss could only bring together “three pair” after fours and Jacks paired in his remaining four cards, sending Khouiss to the rail in sixth place.
Following Khouiss’ departure, the floodgates opened up on the table. Duhamel was able to stave off Lechich to eliminate Lechich in fifth place in Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo; Clements bumped off Bojang (and crippled Duhamel) in 2-7 Triple Draw to end Bojang’s tournament in fourth place; and Duhamel was out on the next hand, giving his last chips to Danzer. Over the span of five hands, four eliminations had taken place to set up the heads up battle between Danzer and Clements.
Danzer held about a 100K chip lead as the men headed off to decide the bracelet, but it was Clements who drew first blood. With both men looking for their third WSOP bracelet (Danzer his third this year), Clements moved into the lead in 2-7 Triple Draw and started to extend it in No Limit Hold’em. That was before one hand that saw the tournament take a stunning turn.
After an opening bet from Danzer on the button, Clements three-bet him and Danzer simply made the call. A 7-6-5 flop presented many scary possibilities but Clements fired again for 29K. Danzer, after a quick study, was the one to pull out the three-bet this time, making it 90K to go and Clements moved all in. Danzer immediately called, showing his 6-5 for a flopped two pair, while a stunned Clements dropped his pocket Aces on the felt in preparation for the final two cards. A Jack on the turn changed nothing and, after a ten came on the river, Danzer’s two pair had held up, pushing him up to 621K in chips and knocking down Clements to only 99K in ammunition.
Clements would fight back, however, working his stack up through the mixed game format to actually regain the lead by 30K in chips after taking a hand in Limit Hold’em. Danzer would fire back in 2-7 Triple Draw to retake his lead as the duo continued to vie for the title. With the twosome landing massive blows against each other, it was two hands that essentially decided the event.
In PLO, Danzer would be able to make a straight against Clements to take more than a 2:1 lead and, in LHE, Danzer would take more of Clements’ chips to leave Clements with only 69K remaining. Danzer would finish Clements off in NLHE after Clements moved all in pre-flop and Danzer made the call. Danzer’s J-10 was alive against Clements’ Q-6 and, once a ten came on the flop, took the lead in the hand. A King on the turn helped neither player and, once a deuce came on the river, Danzer had sealed his third WSOP win for the 2014 season.
1. George Danzer, $84,600
2. Scott Clements, $52,340
3. Jonathan Duhamel, $34,291
4. Ismael Bojang, $23,688
5. Tino Lechich, $17,371
6. Sam Khouiss, $13,310
With his third bracelet victory of the overall WSOP, Danzer has now seized the lead in the WSOP Player of the Year race. Heading off to the start of the $10,000 Championship Event today (and with only the $25,000 High Roller left on the schedule), Danzer has pulled out to a 116.8 point lead over Brandon Shack-Harris in the POY race. Danzer is also a member of a very exclusive club – players who have won three WSOP bracelets in one year – that features Jeff Lisandro (the last to do it in 2009), Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Ted Forrest and the late Walter Clyde ‘Puggy’ Pearson.
