The $10,000 championship events are coming hard and heavy at the 2017 World Series of Poker (WSOP). On Monday, Ben Yu won Event #34: the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship, cashing for $232,738.
I was going to give you the rundown of how difficult the final table was, but I think I’ll just leave that to Mr. Yu, who talked about it with WSOP reporters after the tournament. He also gave me something to consider when I am wowed by all the talent at a future final table:
It was actually a very tough final table. I think the media overblows it [at times]. Even a lot of the name players, the ones you’ve seen have some success, aren’t always that great. But this final table and this field was actually really tough.
You have Nick Schulman, who is one of the end bosses of Bobby’s Room — very, very good, winning at everything he plays, good at everything. You have Shaun Deeb, who is one of the few players who can get away with that loose because of how great he is post-flop… . Mike Watson is… I don’t look up to many people in poker, but he is definitely one of them [I do]. I always like to brag in my poker chats, my group of poker friends, but I’m often not the best at the things I excel the most in. Mike Watson is ahead of me for sure. Shawn Buchanan is also very tough, very good at everything he plays.
I must say, calling Nick Schulman an “end boss” of Bobby’s Room is incredible. As a gamer myself (who is itching to play Overwatch when I’m done with this, even though I have to wake up in five hours), I heartily approve (also, Overwatch has no end bosses).
Yu also commented that he would have wormed his way into Watson’s bracelet photo if Watson would have won, making his feelings known with the “McKayla Maroney ‘unimpressed’ face.”
Going into heads-up play, Yu had 2.575 million chips versus Shaun Deeb’s 1.425 million. Deeb took the first hand, but after that, it was all Ben Yu. On the final hand, Deeb had just 500,000 chips. He raised before the first draw and Yu called. Deeb drew three cards while Yu drew two. Yu check-called a Deeb bet. Yu took two cards again on the second draw and Deeb took just one.
At that point, both players got all their chips in (Yu many more than Deeb) and stood pat for the final draw. Deeb turned over 8-7-6-4-2, but Yu juuuust had him beat with 8-7-5-4-2 to scoop the pot and win his second career WSOP bracelet.
Ben Yu’s first WSOP bracelet was won in the $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship in 2015. This victory puts him over the million dollar mark for lifetime WSOP earnings and he now has just a fraction more than $2 million in all live tournaments.
2017 World Series of Poker Event #34: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship – Final Table Results
1. Ben Yu – $232,738
2. Shaun Deeb – $143,842
3. Nick Schulman – $98,337
4. Mike Watson – $68,601
5. Shawn Buchanan – $48,854
6. Mike Matusow – $35,532
