Aaron Steury Wins 2011 World Series of Poker $1,500 H.O.R.S.E

Aaron “NDGrinder59” Steury is the champion of the 2011 World Series of Poker $1,500 H.O.R.S.E, after outlasting a massive field of 963 players. The Indiana native took home $289,283 in prize money and his first WSOP bracelet in the 17th event of this summer’s Series.

The final table for the event was a tough one, consisting of experienced pros such as David Baker (the older of the two poker famous David Bakers), Adam Friedman, Victor Ramdin (who busted right before the official final table of eight), and eventual runner-up and WSOP bracelet winner, Michael Chow.

The 24-year-old Steury remained focused and battled tough over the course of the five-hour final table, en route to capturing the title early Monday morning at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Here are the elimination hands, as featured in Card Player’s live updates:

Paolo Compagno Eliminated in 8th Place ($24,219)

Stud 8

Adam Friedman opened with the 7, Paolo Compagno reraised all in for about 80,000 with the 5 and Friedman called. Compagno showed a pair of fives but was behind Friedman’s pair of sevens.

Compagno: 5 4 5 9 7 Q A
Friedman: J 7 7 6 4 9 8.

Neither player made a low hand and Friedman raked the pot with a pair of sevens. Paolo Compagno started the final table as the short stack and was the first one eliminated in 8th place ($24,219).

David Baker Eliminated in 7th Place ($32,150)

Omaha 8

Adam Friedman button-raised before the flop, Aaron Steury called from the small blind and David Baker called from the big blind.

The flop came Q 7 7, Steury checked, Baker moved all in for 25,000, Friedman raised the side pot, Steury reraised and Friedman called.

The turn was the 10, Steury bet and Friedman called.

The river was the Q, and once gain, Steury bet and Friedman called.

Steury turned over Q Q J 10 for quads. Friedman mucked trip sevens with an ace, followed by David Baker who was eliminated in 7th place ($32,150).

Denis Ethier Eliminated in 6th Place ($43,512)

Stud

Denis Ethier was on the short stack when he got it all in with one card to go with a wired pair of jacks against Aaron Steury’s two pair.

Ethier: J J Q 4 9 A 8
Steury: J 8 8 2 Q 2 9.

Ethier bricked on seventh street and was eliminated in 6th place ($43,512) while Steury took the chip lead with about 1.4 million that hand.

Ron Ware Eliminated in 5th Place ($60,036)

Hold’em

Ron Ware was on the short stack during the hold’em round when he opened for a raise under the gun and called all in to Aaron Steury’s button three-bet.

Ware: Q Q
Steury: A 4

The board came 10 8 7 5 A, giving Steury the higher flush on the turn. Steury continued his ascent up the leaderboard with 1.5 million this hand while Ron Ware was eliminated in 5th place ($60,036).

Jonathan Tamayo Eliminated in 4th Place ($84,516)

Omaha 8

Jonathan Tamayo started the level on the short stack with less than 10 BBs and about halfway through the round he made his last stand in a hand of Omaha 8.

Aaron Steury raised from the small blind and Jonathan Tamayo called from the big blind.

Tamayo got it all in on a flop of Q 5 3 with top pair against Steury’s top two pair. Tamayo would have no chance at splitting the pot without a qualifying low hand.

Tamayo: A Q 10 9
Steury: Q 6 5 4

The turn and river were the 6 and the J, no help for Jonathan Tamayo who was eliminated in 4th place ($84,516).

Adam Friedman Eliminated in 3rd Place ($121,437)

Hold’em

Adam Friedman came into the new level as the short stack and was eliminated soon after it began. During the hold’em round, Friedman got it all in before the flop with 7 3 against Michael Chow’s J J.

The board came 9 9 4 5 2, no help to either player as Adam Friedman was eliminated in 3rd place ($121,437). Chow managed to gather a few chips here heading into the final match, but started with a significant chip disadvantage of about 835,000 to Steury’s 3,500,000.

Michael Chow Eliminated in 2nd Place ($178,691)

Stud 8

Aaron Steury started Level 29 with a dominating chip lead once again, continuing to put the pressure on his opponents. Adam Friedman was the next to go in 3rd place ($121,437) about halfway through the level, and although it was runner-up Michael Chow that busted Friedman and took his chips into heads-up play, it was too little too late as Steury already had the stranglehold at that point with a chip lead of 3.5 million to Chow’s 835,000. With help from the suffocating blind structure and an average stack of only 18 big bets, Chow’s 7 hardly stood a chance.

Chow finally got it all in with a wired pair of jacks but was behind Steury’s split aces on third street.

Chow: J J 3 5 8 10 2
Steury: A 8 A 6 K 3 5

Both players failed to improve and Michael Chow was eliminated in 2nd place ($178,691). Aaron Steury earned his amazing fifth knockout of this final table, capturing the gold bracelet and the $289,283 grand prize for winning event no. 17.

For all of the latest WSOP information, check out Card Player’s WSOP landing page.

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