WSOP -- David Halpern Wins Event No. 53

David Halpern will never again be so happy that a cash game is full.

Three days ago, he was attempting to take a seat in a cash game, but all the seats were full. This led him to enter event No. 53, the $1,500 seven-card stud eight-or-better event, on a last-minute whim. Halpern earned more in the tournament than he would have in the cash game, as he ended up earning $159,390, along with a World Series of Poker gold bracelet.

The final table was not an easy table for Halpern, as it featured Chad Brown, Matt Savage, and Allie Prescott. Brown finished fourth in what was his second final table. He also made the final table of the $10,000 limit hold’em world championship, where he finished third. Renowned tournament director Matt Savage made his first World Series of Poker final table soon after he made his first WSOP cash, in event No. 3, the $1,500 Omaha eight-or-better event. Savage finished in fifth in this event, netting himself $32,465.

Halpern went up against William Kohler in a heads-up match that saw many lead changes and lasted over three hours. But when all the dust cleared, Halpern had all of the chips in play and got the bracelet. This was Halpern’s second cash of the Series. The New Orleans native finished 23rd in event No. 5, a pot-limit Omaha event, earlier in the Series.

Here are the final table results:

1. David Halpern – $159,390
2. William Kohler – $98,550
3. Max Stern – $64,484
4. Chad Brown – $44,589
5. Matt Savage – $32,465
6. Zak Gilbert – $24,828
7. Brian Swinford – $19,901
8. Allie Prescott – $16,682

Here are the elimination hands, as seen in Card Player’s Live Updates:

Allie Prescott Eliminated in Eighth Place ($16,862)

Allie Prescott is all in on fifth street against Matt Savage and William Kohler. Kohler bets on sixth street, and Savage folds.

Prescott: 3 2 J 4 A 3 J
Kohler:5 6 9 9 A A 2
Savage: X-X-6 J 6 2

Prescott failed to improve and was eliminated in eighth place ($16,682).

Brian Swinford Eliminated Seventh Place ($19,901)

Brian Swinford is all in against Chad Brown.

Swinford: 4 3 5 8 2 2 10
Brown: 2 6 4 6 7 3 K

Swinford makes a pair of deuces, but Brown makes a pair of sixes, eliminating Brian Swinford in seventh place ($19,901).

Zak Gilbert Eliminated in Sixth place ($24,828)

After being crippled by Matt Savage in a previous hand, Zak Gilbert is all in here against David Halpern.

Gilbert: 2 3 4 5 K 10 Q
Halpern: K 5 6 3 K A 4

Halpern makes a pair kings, while Gilbert finishes with busted flush and straight draws; he is eliminated in sixth place ($24,828).

Matt Savage Eliminated in Fifth Place ($32,465)

Matt Savage is all in on third street against David Halpern.

Savage: A 2 9 3 10 J-X
Halpern: 5 10 10 8 2 A 10

Halpern makes trip tens on the river, eliminating Matt Savage in fifth place ($32,465).

Chad Brown Eliminated in Fourth Place ($44,589)

Chad Brown was all in for his last 100,000 against Max Stern.

Their cards:

Brown: (3 4) 4 Q 8 K (A)
Stern: (X-X) 4 9 9 2 (X)

Stern’s nines that were showing were good enough to eliminate Brown in fourth place.

Max Stern Eliminated in Third Place ($64,484)

Max Stern was down to just 10,000 and was all in against David Halpern and William Kohler.

Their cards:

Stern: (X-X) 7 10 2 7 (X)
Halpern: (10 9) 10 Q J 9 (K)
Kohler: (A 5) 6 4 5 K (2)

Halpern made a king-high straight on the end to send Stern packing. Action is down to heads up.

David Halpern Wins Event No. 53 ($159,390) William Kohler Eliminated in Second Place ($98,550)

William Kohler was finally grinded down to just a few big bets, and they went in gradually before they were all committed on seventh street. The players’ boards read…

Kohler: (J 10) 10 4 9 6 (Q)
Halpern: (K K) 9 2 4 7 (4)

Kohler’s tens went unimproved, and Halpern’s pair of kings took the pot and the tournament.

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