Greg “FBT” Mueller barreled through the field of 185 players in the $10,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em Championship (Event #33) during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). The Vancouver native earned $460,000.
The Limit Hold’em Championship marked Mueller’s second final table of the 2009 WSOP. He grabbed seventh in Event #6, the World Championship of Seven Card Stud, and earned $53,000. He finished as the runner up during the 2008 WSOP in the $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Shootout and during the 2007 WSOP in the World Championship of Mixed Hold’em. A former hockey player, Mueller watched as the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Stanley Cup Trophy was hauled into the Rio during a special presentation while the final table played out. On-hand for the festivities, which included a charity poker tournament, was NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Kenny Hsiung, who came into the final day of play as the chip leader, was bounced from Event #33 in ninth place for $55,996. His Kd-Q was up against 2009 WSOP bracelet winner Daniel Alaei’s A-8. The flop came ace-high, all diamonds; Alaei led with top pair, but was up against a flush draw. Needing to catch a diamond or running cards for help, Hsiung watched as the turn and river both came sevens, sending him home. Soheil Shamseddin was eliminated in eighth place after committing all of his chips on a 2-Q-Q-J board holding A-3. Matt Glantz flipped up pocket nines and improved to a boat when a nine hit on the river. Shamseddin earned $59,996.
After being crippled in a hand against Alaei, Michiel Brummelhuis was all-in pre-flop with A-Q against two pocket pairs, as Glantz held sevens and Pat Pezzin peeked down at nines. Glantz and Pezzin checked the action all the way to the river on an 8-4-2-K-10 board, shipping the pot to Pezzin and sending Brummelhuis away $67,647 richer for his wear. It was Brummelhuis’ second WSOP final table in two years. Glantz was promptly shown the exit in sixth place, cashing for $80,342. Glantz pushed with A-3 on a board of A-5-Q with two clubs for top pair. Pezzin called and flipped over Q-J of clubs for middle pair and a flush draw. The turn was the king of clubs, filling his flush.
Matt Hawrilenko fell in fifth place from the Limit Hold’em Championship. The high-stakes cash game player was short on chips after a hand against Team PokerStars Pro member Chad Brown and quickly pushed from the small blind with Q-8. Pezzin called and revealed Q-9, which held up. Alaei was the next to go when his A-8 could not withstand Mueller’s 10-8 after the flop came Q-10-6. The turn and river came a seven and ten, respectively, sealing Alaei’s exit and $134,733 payday. Alaei won Event #18 of the 2009 WSOP, the World Championship of Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better.
Brown was ousted in third place. He was all-in pre-flop with Q-10 against Mueller’s A-9 of hearts. The flop came 5-8-7, adding a gutshot straight draw for Mueller, which hit on the river and kept “FBT” out in front. Brown pocketed $188,855 in his first WSOP final table in two years. The win in the hand gave Mueller a 2:1 chip lead heads-up and created an all-Canadian battle for the 33rd WSOP bracelet of 2009.
At one point during heads-up play, Mueller had built his chip lead to 36:1. Pezzin then doubled up, cutting the margin to 15:1. On the final hand, Pezzin called all-in for his tournament life with 10-8 on a flop of 2-K-3. Mueller held pocket fives, which held. Pezzin took home a $285,196 consolation prize and turned in the third WSOP final table of his career. On capturing a bracelet, Mueller told WSOP officials, “It’s a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I was starting to think I was a second place pony there for a while. I had nightmares, even heads-up. When he won a pot against me, I thought, ‘My God, this could be the biggest choke ever.’ But, it feels unbelievable and I am so happy right now.”
Here were the final results from Event #33 of the 2009 WSOP, the Limit Hold’em Championship:
1. Greg “FBT” Mueller – $460,841
2. Pat Pezzin – $285,195
3. Chad Brown – $188,855
4. Daniel Alaei – $134,772
5. Matthew Hawrilenko – $100,688
6. Matt Glantz – $80,341
7. Michiel Brummelhuis – $67,647
8. Soheil Shamseddin – $59,995
9. Kenny Hsiung – $55,995
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest 2009 WSOP results.
