Grinders grind. Small cashes, large cashes, they keep playing tournament after tournament to make a living. It’s what they do. And Dan Heimiller is one of tournament poker’s most successful grinders. In 2002, he won his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet. After a dozen years of grinding the WSOP, he finally won another this weekend, taking down the Event #17 of the 2014 WSOP, the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Seniors Event.
No, the Seniors Event is not an open event, as it is restricted to players 50-years of age and older, but this was the largest Seniors Event in WSOP history: 4,425 players strong. It is hard enough to win a tournament at the local card club, but winning a tourney of more than 4,400 players is a whole other animal entirely.
And these weren’t 85-year old Shriners Heimiller was up against. Included in the field were many of the best players in the world. At the final table, for example, Heimiller had to go up against Dennis Phillips, who finished third in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, as well as second is this very same event last year.
As mentioned, this was Heimiller’s first WSOP bracelet since 2002, when he won the $2,000 half Hold’em, half Seven Card Stud event for $108,300. That is a tidy sum, but compared to the $627,462 he just won (the most Heimiller has ever won in a tournament), it’s a pittance. After his victory, Heimiller told the WSOP’s Media Director, Nolan Dalla, “Back in 2002, it wasn’t for as much cash, so that makes this one a lot more important. It was also a smaller field and wasn’t as prestigious back then. It was a great feeling, but this one feels extra spectacular because it was for such a big prize.”
This was Dan Heimiller’s 52nd cash at the World Series of Poker, good for 21st all-time. And now with nearly $2 million in lifetime WSOP earnings, he sits at 116th in the history of the festival. This is the first six-digit score Heimiller has made since August of 2013, when he finished second in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker Main Event, winning $356,115.
Heimiller went into heads-up play against Don Maas with a substantial chip lead, 9,705,000 to 3,570,000. And it didn’t take long for Heimiller to close the deal. On just the sixth hand of the one-on-one match, the two limped pre-flop to see a flop of 4♠-3♠-5♣. Maas bet, Heimiller raised to 600,000, and Maas called. On the A♦ turn, Maas bet 500,000 and this time, Heimiller just called. When the Q♠ was dealt on the river, Heimiller was the first to commit chips, betting 300,000, after which Maas shoved. Heimiller insta-called, revealing 6-2 for a flopped straight. That was all Maas needed to see. He was out of the tournament and Dan Heimiller had his second WSOP bracelet.
2014 World Series of Poker Event #17: $1,000 No-Limit Seniors Event – Final Table Results
1. Dan Heimiller – $627,462
2. Don Maas – $388,054
3. David W. Smith – $279,412
4. Anthony Wise- $206,492
5. Dennis Phillips- $153,883
6. David Tran – $115,651
7. Barry Schwartz – $87,615
8. David Vida – $66,945
9. Jim Custer – $51,573
* Event updates courtesy WSOP.com
