A total of 1,088 entrants took to the felts in the $2,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event (#13) during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). In the end, Keven “Stamdogg” Stammen took home his first gold bracelet and $506,000.
On Sunday night, many in the poker world were tuned into the battle between Brock “t soprano” Parker and Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu in Event #14. Meanwhile, Stammen dominated heads-up play against Angel Guillen, entering with a 2:1 edge in chips and never looking back. In the final hand, the 20th of heads-up play, Guillen check-raised Stammen all-in after a flop of 9-8-2 with two hearts. Stammen called with pocket jacks for an overpair, but was up against Guillen’s J-9 of hearts for top pair and a flush draw. The situation became even more interesting when a ten hit on the river, also giving Guillen a straight draw. However, the river came a benign deuce and Stammen became the WSOP’s newest bracelet winner.
Gregg Merkow hit the exits in ninth place after calling a raise by Stammen for his tournament life with pocket sevens on a board of 5-2-2. However, Stammen flipped up pocket tens for a higher overpair. Needing to catch one of the two remaining sevens in the deck, Merkow watched as the turn was a ten and the river was a nine. Merkow earned $41,439 for his efforts. Matthew Lynn hit the rails in eighth place, cashing for $48,621. He was all-in pre-flop with A-10 of diamonds, ahead of Bahador Ahmadi’s K-J of hearts. However, the flop came king-high and Lynn could never catch up.
Ousted in seventh place was Oktay Altinbas, who picked an inopportune time to call all-in for his tournament life. Altinbas held pocket tens, but was up against the pocket jacks of Guillen. The board ran out A-8-8-9-2 and the hand sent Guillen into the chip lead in the $2,00 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event. All was not lost for Altinbas, however, who earned $59,356 for his efforts. Taking sixth place was Antoine Berube, who cashed for $75,547. Berube found himself all-in pre-flop in a race situation with A-J against Shawn Glines’ pocket nines. All five community cards were 10 or below, sending Berube out of the tournament.
Torrey Reily was eliminated in fifth place by Ahmadi. Reily had all of his chips in the middle pre-flop holding Q-J, but was up against Ahmadi’s A-J of spades. The board ran out K-9-7-9-3 with three spades, giving Ahmadi a flush. For his fifth place showing, Reily banked $100,446, one of five players to take home a six-figure payday. Ahmadi was the next to go, coming out on the short end of a race with pocket fours against Gullen’s A-Q. The flop came Q-8-3, all hearts, and Ahmadi held the only heart in the hand. However, a three of spades on the turn and king of diamonds on the river assured that no flush or set would be hit; Guillen’s pair of queens took the hand down.
Glines was sent packing in third place after running A-K into Stammen’s pocket kings. The pot was the third of three-handed play. Glines picked up a straight draw after the turn, but a harmless three of clubs hit on the river. Glines picked up $202,694 for his three days of work. The hand gave Stammen a healthy 2:1 chip lead heads-up and he ultimately closed it out. Here were the final paydays in the $2,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament, the 13th event of the 2009 WSOP:
1. Keven Stammen – $506,786
2. Angel Guillen – $312,800
3. Shawn Glines – $202,694
4. Bahador Ahmadi – $139,934
5. Torrey Reily – $100,446
6. Antoine Beru – $75,547
7. Oktay Altinbas – $59,356
8. Matthew Lynn – $48,621
9. Gregg Merkow – $41,439
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest news from the 2009 WSOP.
