WSOP: Blair Hinkle Wins Event No. 23

Tonight was truly a historic night at the 2008 World Series of Poker. Poker Professional Blair Hinkle won his first gold bracelet and $507,563 in prize money in impressive fashion. He won a third of the pots at the final table en route to victory. He came into the table second in chips, but once things got started he took things over and never took his foot of the gas pedal. Blair eliminated his last six opponents at the final table, and left no questions about his claim to the prize.

The win was impressive, but even more impressvie was the piece of history it made. Grant Hinkle, Blair’s older brother won Event No. 2 this summer to win his first gold bracelet as well. This makes the Hinkle brothers the first brothers in the history of the WSOP to ever win a bracelet in the same year. It was Grant that originally introduced poker to his brother Blair, but Blair went on to become a full-time poker professional, while Grant kept his day job as a markeritng manager in Knasas City, Missouri. Now, they both have bracelets and their mother (who attended both final tables) is hands-down the most proud parent in the world of poker.

Here were the chip counts at the start of the final table:

Andrew Jeffreys: 1,051,000
Blair Hinkle: 1,030,000
Dustin Dirksen: 867,000
David Steicke: 611,000
Mark Brockington: 552,000
Daniel O’Brien: 465,000
Stepane Tayar: 323,000
Chris Bjorin: 247,000
Dominik Kulicki: 241,000

Here are highlights from all of the action, as featured in CardPlayer.com’s live coverage of the final table:

International Incident

The final table today is an international affair. Seven different countries are represented as follows:

Andrew Jeffreys: Australia
Blair Hinkle: USA
Dustin Dirksen: USA
David Steicke: Hong Kong
Mark Brockington: Canada
Daniel O’Brien: USA
Stephane Tayar: France
Chris Bjorin: England
Domink Kulicki: Netherlands

Stephane Tayar Eliminated in Ninth Place ($45,252)

Early in play, Stephane Tayar got it all in preflop and David Steicke made the call. Their cards:

Steicke: Q Q
Tayar: A 10

Board: 5 2 2 9 K

The Frenchman Tayar was eliminated in ninth place, and took home $45,252 in prize money.

Chris Bjorin Doubles Up

Chris Bjorin raised to 108,000 preflop and Dustin Dirksen made the call. Blair Hinkle then reraised all in over the top of everyone and Dirksen laid down his hand. Bjorin and Hinkle then reveaed their cards:

Hinkle: K J
Bjorin: 10 10

Board: 10 5 4 Q 6

Bjorin doubled up on the hand to survive by spiking a 10 on the flop.

Andrew Jeffreys Eliminated in Eighth Place ($63,598)

The lone Aussie at the table, Andrew Jeffreys, moved all in preflop and Steicke quickly called him down. Steicke flipped over rockets and Jeffreys held cowboys for the classic ace vs. kings showdown. The board hit the table A 10 2 5 7 and Jeffreys was eliminated in eighth place. he took home $63,598 in prize money.

Dominik Kulicki Eliminated in Seventh Place ($81,944)

Dutchman Dominik Kulicki got all of his chips into the middle preflop against Blair Hinkle and they turned up their cards:

Hinkle: A J
Kulicki: Q Q

Board: A A 10 5 K

Kulicki was eliminated in seventh place, and he took home $81,944 in prize money.

Chris Bjorin Eliminated in Sixth Place ($106,404)

Hinkle raised to 65,000 preflop and Bjorin reraised all in for 113,000. Hinkle made the call and they revealed their hands:

Hinkle: A 3
Bjorin: K Q

Board: 10 8 2 3 5

Bjorin was eliminated in sixth place, and the Englishman took home $106,404 in prize money.

Dustin Dirksen Eliminated in Fifth Place ($137,757)

Dustin Dirksen raised all in preflop for 330,000 and Blair Hinkle made the call after pondering his move for a moment. Their cards:

Hinkle: A 8
Dirksen: A 2

Board: Q 3 2 8 6

Dirksen was eliminated in fifth place, and he took home $137,757 in prize money. Hinkle cleared a hurdle by defeating what had been his toughest opponent to start the day.

The Blair Hinkle Show

Action has been stuck at four handed for quite some time this past level. Blair Hinkle has been master of ceremonies and to say he is running the show is an understatement. Seventy-seven hands into things he had taken down 26 pots. With Hinkle taking down one out of every three hands, it is obvious that his opponents are trying to stay away. Just two double up hands by Daniel O’Brien and Mark Brockington are the only thing standing between Hinkle and total domination.

David Steicke Eliminated in Fourth Place ($166,333)

Blair Hinkle raised to 100,000 preflop and everyone made the call. The flop was dealt Q 8 6 and David Steicke moved all in. Hinkle reraised all in and everyone else folded. Their cards:

Hinkle: 8 6
Steicke: 10 2

Turn and River: 5 10

Steicke was eliminated in fourth place, and he took home $166,333 in prize money.

Daniel O’Brien Eliminated in Third Place ($198,312)

Daniel O’Brein got all of his chips into the middle and Blair Hinkler made the call. Their cards:

Hinkle: 6 6
O’Brien: 8 8

Board: A 6 5 5 K

O’Brien was eliminated in third place, and he took home $198,312 in prize money.

Hinkle now takes a huge chip lead into the final heads-up match. It’s a lot to a little and Hinkle almost has this one in the bag.

Blair Hinkle Wins Event No. 23 ($507,563)

Mark Brockington moved all in preflop for 1.2 million and he was called by Blair Hinkle. Brockington showed A K and he was up against Hinkle’s pocket sixes. The flop came down A 6 2 and while both players hit their hands, Hinkle spiked a 6 for a set. The turn was the 8, sealing Brockington’s fate, and another 2 was dealt on the river to make Hinkle a boat. Brockington earned $326,552 for his runner-up finish.

Hinkle earned $507,563 and of course, a gold bracelet that he can now match up with his older brother’s. The Hinkles become only the second pair of brothers to own a bracelet in history, and they set a record by winning them at the same WSOP!

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