Taking second place in a World Series of Poker (WSOP) event would be slightly disappointing for any poker player, but $381,000 in cold hard cash might console most of them. For Tom “durrrr” Dwan, who finished second in Event #11: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em on Sunday, it was all about the bracelet. Dwan, one of the best nosebleed stakes cash game players in the world, regularly wins and loses pots bigger than his second place haul, so he may be excused for not being ecstatic. But this year, Dwan has a plethora of bracelet bets with various other high-stakes pros and should he actually win one, it would be “his biggest day ever.”
On the final hand of play, Dwan moved all-in with Qd-6c and the man who stole his thunder, Simon Watt, immediately called with 9d-9c. When the board ran 8c-Ac-As-Ad-Kh, Dwan gave Watt a curt handshake and headed straight for the exit. For his victory, Watt takes home $614,248 and a gold bracelet. Here’s how the final table played out:
1. Simon Watt – $614,248
2. Tom Dwan – $381,885
3. David Randall – $270,299
4. Austin McCormick – $194,939
5. Jason Young – $142,346
6. Michael Smith – $105,185
7. Marvin Rettenmaier – $78,681
8. Kyle Winter -$59,547
9. Eric Ladny – $45,603
Also playing down to a winner on Sunday was Event #12: $1,500 Limit Hold’em. When all was said and done, poker writer Matt Matros emerged victorious to the tune of $189,870 and his first WSOP bracelet. Prior to this win, Matros was best known for his third place finish in the 2004 World Poker Tour (WPT) Bellagio Five Star World Poker Classic for $704,000. Matros claimed victory last night when his Qh-8d outdrew runner-up finisher Ahmad Abghari’s Ac-Tc, sending Abghari to the rail with $117,272. The final table rundown can be found below:
1. Matt Matros – $189,870
2. Ahmad Abghari – $117,272
3. Terrence Chan – $83,185
4. Georgios Kapalas – $59,838
5. Adrian Dresel-velasquez – $43,647
6. Jason Potter – $32,281
7. Jameson Painter – $24,198
8. Roberto Truijurs – $18,385
9. Mark Burford $14,149
Saturday and Sunday marked Day 1A and Day 1B of Event #13: $1,000 No Limit Hold’em, which will see Day 2 kick off later today at 2:30pm PT. 566 players remain, with 324 slated to make the money. The eventual winner will bag $472,479. Heading into the afternoon, the top chip counts look like this:
1. Andre Black – 90,275
2. Pedro Reis – 78.550
3. Michael Lederer – 77,350
4. Narinder Singh Khasria – 76,000
5. Marcello Delgrosso – 68,300
6. Jack Schanbacher – 63,150
7. David Baker – 60,950
8. Matthew Vance – 60,475
9. Jonathan Tare – 57,450
10. Steven McLoughlin – 56,600
Meanwhile, the final table is set for Event #14: $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball, which is to play out later today. Sitting atop the remaining field is Nicholas Binger, who holds a commanding chip lead of 309,500. Next best is Derric Haynie with 189,000, followed by Yan Chen with 182,500. The rest of the final table is rounded out by Mike Wattel (146,000), Alexander Kravchenko (144,500), James Bord (83,800), and Todd Bui (68,500). Top prize for the event is $92,817.
Getting underway yesterday was Event #15: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better World Championship, which is scheduled to finish up on Tuesday. Out in front of the 112 players left after Day 1 is Marco Johnson with 121,500. Other notable stacks include Phil Ivey (109,800), Jennifer Harman (93,500), Eli Elezra (78,900), and Gus Hansen (76,700). Play will resume at 2:30pm PT this afternoon.
There’s just one event on tap today at the World Series of Poker, but it’s a juicy one. Event #16: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed is scheduled to start at Noon PT.
