On Day 7 of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, Wisconsin native Benjamin Statz rumbled through the competition in the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament. After a 4bet pre-flop shove with Q-10 of spades, Statz was up against the A-K of UB.com qualifier Christopher Bolt. The flop came 7-6-2 with one spade, leaving Statz rooting for a queen, ten, or running spades to draw out on Big Slick.
Then, the four of spades struck on the turn, improving Statz to a bona fide flush draw, which promptly hit on the river. Seemingly out the door on the flop, Statz cruised to a double up to more than 2.5 million in chips. Statz also showed Mark Meloche the door on Day 7 of the 2010 WSOP Main Event. Meloche was all-in on a board of 9-9-8-10 with two clubs and tabled Q-9 for trips. Statz, however, turned over A-9 for a better kicker and no saving grace came on the river.
Statz’s resilience through Day 7 allowed him to survive in the prestigious poker tournament after entering play at 27th on the leaderboard at 2.91 million. His original table draw on the seventh day of the 2010 WSOP Main Event included Bolt, Meloche, Jerry “sandler1860” Payne, Josh “brikdog24” Brikis, and online poker whiz Bryn Kenney. Statz ultimately found the exit in 16th place for $396,000.
According to the Hendon Mob database, Statz’s lone in the money finish in a major live event came during the 2002 United States Poker Championship in Atlantic City. There, the New Yorker finished in sixth place in a $500 No Limit Hold’em tournament for $2,500. The 2010 Main Event marked his first in the money finish in a WSOP contest.
On Day 5 of the Main Event, like many other players that have come before him, Statz committed his stack pre-flop and found himself in a race. This time, it was the “classic race situation,” pocket queens versus the A-K of Nicholas Fierrogottner. The flop brought Statz a set and he ducked a wheel draw on the river to stay alive in the 2010 WSOP Main Event.
Statz is surrounded by poker daily, as the 32 year-old is dating UB.com pro Annie Duke’s little sister. He day trades and came armed to Day 7 of the 2010 WSOP Main Event in a maroon Full Tilt Poker hoodie.
