World Series of Poker 2010

The greatest poker show on earth got underway in Las Vegas at the end of May 2010. With 57 events covering many poker disciplines it is widely considered the truest test of skill and stamina in the poker world, and the bracelets received by the winners the most coveted possession in the game.

Over the next couple of months Card Player’s crack team of writers will bring you the highlights of the World Series of Poker 2010.

Event 2: $50,000 Players Championship – The Brothers Mizrachi

The final table of the $50,000 Players Championship at the 2010 World Series of Poker was an epic affair, and that’s not just because it lasted 235 hands. It had everything you could ask for at a final table. Huge swings, different styles of play, changes in pace, and a rookie bracelet winner that crossed another name off the “best to never win a bracelet” list.

WSOP records were broken as the ESPN cameras rolled. A huge crowd stayed late into the night and cheered all the way through to the wee hours of the morning. There was even some sibling rivalry thrown in for good measure.

The WSOP proper started six days previously when 116 poker professionals entered the $50,000 Player Championship and created a prize pool in excess of $5.5 million, but it really got started when the champion, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, was awarded $1,559,046, his first gold bracelet, and the Chip Reese Memorial trophy on Wednesday morning.

The chip counts when the final table began were:

The first dozen hands at the final table marched into the record books quietly before Daniel Alaei doubled up on the 13th hand of play. David Oppenheim doubled up on the very next hand, and Mikael Thuritz did so also two hands later. Thuritz then doubled up again, but then Vladimir Schmelev doubled up through him and Thuritz was crippled with just 5,000 in chips. He wasn’t done there though, he quadrupled up on the very next hand, and then chopped a pot with Michael Mizrachi. The chop was his final gasp, he fell in eighth place ($182,463) thanks to a Grinder full house a few hands later.

Robert Mizrachi won the first battle between brothers when he bet 400,000 on a 9 5 4 2 board and The Grinder mucked. The Grinder recovered from the battle of brothers by doubling up through David Baker a few hands later. Baker had come into the final table in second-chip position but The Grinder was not the first player he had doubled up early on and his stack was hurting at 1.8 million. Alaei had suffered a fate similar to Baker and he was eliminated by Schmelev in seventh place ($221,105), just before Baker fell in sixth place ($272,275) at the hands of The Grinder.

With the elimination of Baker, the Mizrachi brothers set a new WSOP record for highest finish in the same tournament by a pair of siblings. They topped the sister and brother duo of Annie Duke and Howard Lederer, who finished sixth and ninth respectively in a $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em event in 1995, and the brother duo of Ross and Barny Boatman, who finished in seventh and ninth place respectively in a $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha w/Rebuys event in 2002.

Robert was the next player to bust in fifth place ($341,430), in the poker edition of Cain and Abel, the Grinder took out his brother. It was a surreal moment at the final table that was eerily quiet. Fourhanded play didn’t last too long when John Juanda busted in fourth place ($436,865) a few hands after Robert, but that just set that stage for a long threehanded battle. Oppenheim held a nice lead with 9.8 million, while Schmelev trailed with five million and The Grinder was at risk with 2.6 million.

It took 45 hands for the final three to pull into a three-way tie, and then another 10 hands transpired before Oppenheim fell in third place ($603,348). The Grinder scored that knockout so thanks to Oppenheim’s chips and his aggressive play during prolonged threehanded action he held 10,635,000 heading into heads-up play, while Schmelev held 6,765,000.

Schmelev scored the first blow when he won the blinds and antes along with 1.89 million of The Grinder’s chips with 8 6 in the hole on a Q 9 3 Q 6 board when The Grinder mucked. The Russian wild card continued to roll and he held a 3-1 chip advantage at the first break in the action during the final match.

After the break The Grinder made his stand, moving all in with A 7 preflop after a series of bets and raises. Schmelev made the call with A J and it looked like things were over. The K 10 9 on the flop opened the door and the anticipation was thick in the air when the Q was followed by the 5 on the river. The overwhelming pro-Grinder section erupted into cheers as he doubled up to survive and drew even in chips with Schmelev.

The two finalists hunkered back down and the Grinder once again assumed the role of the aggressor and grew his chip stack to 14 million. Schmelev was far behind with 3.4 million, and at one point his stack dwindled to a paltry 575,000. The Grinder kept the pressure on until Schmelev decided to make an all-in call preflop with Q-8. The Grinder flipped over Q-5. He was dominated in a key hand again but his supporters rose to their feet and cheered as if their will could affect the outcome.

The flop missed both players, but a 5 fell on the turn and it was enough to win The Grinder his first gold bracelet. He was mobbed by family and friends and the celebration rang out through the otherwise empty Amazon Room.

After the initial elation The Grinder congratulated the runner-up Schmelev, who took home $963,375 in prize money after a strong breakout performance. Mizrachi was awarded the top prize of $1,559,043, and the 2006 Card Player Player of the Year ran his career earnings up to $8,758,298.

He also won something that no one can ever take away from him, a spot on the Chip Reese memorial trophy.

The final-table payouts were:

Event 5: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’Em – Brit Bansi Wins Second Bracelet

Englishman Praz Bansi won event no. 5, a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event, to secure his second career bracelet and $515,501. Bansi defeated Vincent Jacques heads up in a grueling test of will. Bansi’s first bracelet came in the 2006 WSOP when he won event no. 42, a $1,000 No Limit Hold’em event. He took home $230,209 for that win.

A total of 2,092 players registered for the three-day event, putting together a prize pool of $2,824,200. There were 216 places paid and the first player to cash was David Bach. He earned $2,880 for his 216th place finish. Other notables who made the money include Antonio Esfandiari (211th), Tad Jurgens (187th), Shaun Deeb (164th), Dustin Woolf (162nd), Shannon Shorr (111th), and Adam Levy (51st).

There were 23 players who returned for the final day and it took just under four hours to get down to the final nine participants. Notables like John Myung (17th) and Yuval Bronshtein (12th) were just a couple of the names who did not make it to the final table.
Here we look at Bansi’s key hands at the final table.

David Sands Eliminated in Eighth Place ($49,409)

David Sands moved all in for 575,000 and Bansi reraised all in after him. No one called that bet and Sands showed 4 4.

Bansi turned over J J and the board ran out A A 9 A Q offering no help to Sands and he was eliminated.

David Tuthill Eliminated in Fourth Place ($160,654)

David Tuthill found himself all in holding Ah Jd. Bansi made the call with K K.

The board ran out Q 10 7 6 4 and the one time chip leader at the final table was eliminated.

Calvin Kordus Eliminated in Third Place ($223,069)

Calvin Kordus moved all in preflop and Vincent Jacques made the call. Kordus tabled A 5 and was dominated by Vincent Jacques A 8.

The board ran out A K 10 6 3 and Kordus made his exit in third place, leaving Jacques and Bansi to battle heads-up for the bracelet.

Vincent Jacques Eliminated in Second Place ($320,913); Praz Bansi Wins Event No. 5 ($515,501)

Bansi raised to 225,000 preflop and the action was on Vincent Jacques. He moved in for 315,000 total and Bansi made a quick call.

Jacques turned over A 8 but was dominated by Bansi’s A J.

The board ran out Q Q J 8 2 and Bansi took down his second WSOP bracelet and a cool half million dollars to go with it.

The final-table payouts were:

Event 6: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout — Channing and Rutter Come Agonisingly Close

Joshua Tieman only needed four hours to dispose of his opponents at the final table to win event no. 6, a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout. However it was Brits Neil Channing and Stuart Rutter who provided the European interest in the final six of the event.

There were 358 players who registered for this event. They built up a prize pool totaling $1,682,600. The field played on 36 tables during day one, and each table winner walked away with $16,607. Notables who won their first table included Tom Dwan, Max Pescatori, Faraz Jaka, Justin Smith, Chad Brown, and Dario Minieri.

Here’s how London, England’s Neil Channing made it all the way to heads up.

Brent Hanks Eliminated in Sixth Place ($71,998)

Brent Hanks raised to 60,000 from the small blind and Nicolas Levi raised to 160,000 from the big blind. Hanks moved in for 600,000 and was called. Hanks turned over A Q while Levi showed 7 7.

The board ran out 9 9 5 7 3 and Hanks was eliminated.

Nicolas Levi Eliminated in Fifth Place ($92,543)

Joshua Tieman raised to 60,000 and Nicolas Levi reraised to 189,000 from the big blind. Tieman put in one more raise and then Levi moved all in. Tieman called and turned over 8 8. Levi showed J J and was poised to double up.

However, the board ran out 8 5 4 A 2 giving Tieman a set on the flop and Levi was out.

Joseph Elpayaa Eliminated in Fourth Place ($125,387)

Joseph Elpayaa found himself all in against Joshua Tieman. Elpayaa turned over A J and was trailing Tieman’s 10 10.

The board ran out 7 6 3 5 10 and Elpayaa made his exit in fourth place.

Stuart Rutter Eliminated in Third Place ($273,153)

Stuart Rutter raised to 68,000 from the button and Joshua Tieman reraised to 185,000 from the big blind. Rutter then popped it to 500,000.

Tieman raised that bet to 2 million, to which Rutter replied, “All in”. Tieman made the call and turned over A Q dominating Rutter’s A 10.

The board ran out Q 7 3 A 3 and Rutter was eliminated.

Neil Channing Eliminated in Second Place ($273,153), Joshua Tieman Wins Event No. 6 ($441,692)

Joshua Tieman steam-rolled his way to a massive chip lead once the final table got to heads-up play. Neil Channing decided to make his stand moving all in preflop holding A 7. Tieman made the call, and once again he was dominating his opponent holding A J.

The flop came down K 10 4, giving Channing no help. The turn was the 10, pairing the board and giving Channing some outs. He needed a king or a four to chop the pot or a seven to win it. But the river was the Q, giving Tieman a Broadway straight and the victory.

The final-table payouts were:

Event 7: $2,500 Deuce-to-seven Triple-Draw Lowball — Gelencser Hungary For Bracelet

Peter Gelencser won event no. 7, a $2,500 deuce-to-seven triple-draw lowball event. The young Hungarian defeated Raphael Zimmerman heads up for his first bracelet and $180,730 in prize money.

Gelencser, who plays under the name “Iteopepe88” online, has plenty of success navigating his way through massive fields online. In the event however he made his mark on the brick-and-mortar scene. He only had to outlast 290 other players to accumulate all of the chips in play, and took the biggest piece of a $727,500 prize pool.

The top 30 players were awarded prize money. Some notables who cashed in the event but fell short of the final table included Eli Elezra, Ted Forrest, David Baker, Allen Kessler, Greg Mueller, and Hoyt Coykins.

Gelencser entered the final day second in chips. He was only behind the favorite to win the event, David Chiu, who finished in fourth place. He gradually grew his stack from 400,000 to start the day to just over 700,000 at the start of heads-up play. That 700,000 put him at a 2-1 chip disadvantage against Zimmerman. Gelencser was able to chip away at Zimmerman though and he eventually put Zimmerman in a hole that he couldn’t escape from.

Here are the official final-table results:

Event 9: $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em — Dempsey Makes Peace With Bracelet Ambition

Being punctual is not one of James Dempsey’s strong suits, but the same can’t be said about his pot-limit hold’em game.

When the cards were in the air for the final table of the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament Dempsey’s seat was empty and his stack was being blinded off.

However, being 15 minutes late to the final table didn’t stop Dempsey from acquiring all of the chips in play and earning him his first bracelet and first-place prize of $197,470.

Dempsey bested a field of 650 players over three days of play to win event no. 9.

Some notables who cashed in this event included JJ Liu, who came in third, Steve O’Dwyer, Christian Harder, Joe Serock, Scott Montgomery, and Justin Young. It only took five hours of play to see the final table go from nine players to just two, with Dempsey knocking out JJ Liu to go heads-up with Steve Chanthabouasy. The two of them, however, took another two hours to decide who was going to win the bracelet.

At the beginning of what was easily the loudest heads-up match of the 2010 World Series of Poker, with plenty of noisy supporters for both players, Dempsey held better than a 2-1 chip advantage over Chanthabouasy. Chanthabouasy refused to give up and after his flopped straight held against Dempsey’s top two pair, he actually took the lead.

Dempsey remained calm and collected even though his chip lead had vanished. He continued to play well and picked off a few ill-timed Chanthabouasy bluffs to get back on top. After his A-10 held up against Chanthabouasy’s A-7, his supporters erupted and engulfed him in a sea of hugs and pats on the back.

Dempsey became the second British player to win a bracelet this year, after Praz Bansi won his a few days earlier.

The final-table payouts were:

Event 10: $10,000 Seven-Card Stud World Championship — Men “The Master” Wins Seventh Bracelet

Men “The Master” Nguyen captured event no. 10, a $10,000 7-card Stud World Championship event for his seventh career bracelet, moving him into a tie for sixth all-time and joining the likes of Billy Baxter and Phil Ivey.

Nguyen earned $394,800 for the victory and defeated Brandon Adams in an entertaining heads-up match during the early morning hours in the Amazon Room at the Rio.

Though all eyes were focused on a possible rematch between the previous week’s Players Championship heads-up opponents Michael Mizrachi and Vladimir Schmelev, Nguyen stole the show with his crowd banter and fearlessness as he proceeded to play part of the tournament without even looking at his cards.

At one point during his heads-up match with Adams, Nguyen said, “I got six bracelets man. I want one more! How many you got? One? None? Don’t worry, you beat Men “The Master” and you’ll be famous tomorrow!”

Adams took all of the playful needling well, even on the final hand when Nguyen came from behind to lock up the tournament with a five-outer on seventh street. Before the hand went down, Nguyen agreed to blindly get the rest of Adams’ chips in the middle with a 10 showing and Adams was happy to get a chance to double up with his queen. Adams went on to pair queens, but Nguyen had a king-high straight draw with only the final down card to come.

Needing a king or a queen to win, Nguyen slowly squeezed out the back corner of the card and nearly fell off the stage in excitement when he realised that it was paint. Praying out loud for it not the be one of the jacks left in the deck, Nguyen turned over a king and his pair was enough to claim the title.

Here is a look at the final-table results:

Event 11: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em — Durrrr Doesn’t Do It, pLayers Sigh in Relief!

Simon Watt is the high-stakes gambler’s hero — the former software developer defeated cash-game legend Tom “durrrr” Dwan heads up in event no. 11, a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em tournament.

Watt, the 2009 APPT Auckland main event champion, prevented Dwan from winning the first bracelet of his young tournament career, and also saved the poker world about $12,500,000, according to Mike Matusow.

As soon as the WSOP began, Dwan took personal bracelet bets with a number of poker pros. A bracelet, Dwan said, could be worth over $2 million.

However, when heads-up play began against Watt, it appeared a victory would be worth much more than original estimates.

“[Dwan] was playing for the main event title right there,” Matusow said after Dwan’s second-place finish.

The atmosphere around the final table felt more like the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship than a $1,500 event. Fans and supporters of Dwan were chanting his name and applauding after every walk in the big blind.

Dwan ran well leading up to short-handed play, but he never found any sort of traction near the end. With just 13 big blinds, Dwan moved all in on the button with the Q 6 and was called by the 9 9 of Watt. The board of A A 8 A K ran out in agony for Dwan and everyone rooting for him.

While Watt began to celebrate for winning $614,248 in prize money, Dwan left the Amazon Room without talking to anyone, clearly disappointed after outlasting all but one in the 2,563 player field.

Watt was all smiles after beating one of the best in the game to win his first bracelet.

“It was amazing,” Watt said. “It would have been crazy enough just being at a final table, but playing Durrrr heads up, it can’t really get much better than that.”

“They are going to put [your picture] on the Bobby’s Room wall,” Matusow interjected from across the final-table area. “Here is Simon, saved everyone from going broke.”

Here is a look at the final results:

Event 17: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’Em — Sam Trickett Trips Up at Final Hurdle

Jason DeWitt narrowly missed out on winning a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2009, finishing in second place in one event and third in another.

Some players try their entire lives and never come that close again. DeWitt only had to wait until the next summer arrived. The UK’s Sam Trickett will wish for a similar path to glory in the future after becoming the second Brit to finish second in a WSOP event this year. Paul Foltyn from England finished eighth in the tournament.

Here are some key hands from the final table:

Foltyn Runs Into Aces, Out in Eighth Place ($79,957)

Paul Foltyn was battling the short stack when he decided to move his last 650,000 all in. It couldn’t have felt good to see Jason DeWitt re-raise all in over the top of him. Everyone else folded and they showed their hands:

Foltyn: 5 5
DeWitt: A A

The board came K 4 7 4 6 and Foltyn was gone in 8th place. DeWitt was back up to 1.9 million after the hand.

Raptor Gone in Sixth Place ($135,718)

David Benefield moved his last 565,000 all in and got a call from Sam Trickett and Peter Gilmore.

Action was checked down by the two other players and they showed:

Benefield: 3 3
Trickett: A 8
Gilmore: Q J

By the river card Trickett had aces and took the pot, and Benefield was gone in 6th place, making $135,718 for his efforts.

Makhija Finished in Fifth Place ($179,866)

Following Benefield’s departure was Amit Makhija. Pushing his last 1,030,000 in from the button, Makhija was called by Sam Trickett, who had him covered.

Trickett: A Q
Makhija: K 6

The board ran out J 9 4 A 10 and Makhija finished in fifth place, taking $179,866 in prize money. Trickett had more than 6 million in chips after the hand.

Gilmore Rivered, Out in Fourth Place ($241,472)

Peter Gilmore appeared to be in good shape when he got his last 1.18 million in holding A K against Sam Trickett’s A 10. Things looked OK through the turn too as it ran J 8 Q 8.

But the river was a nightmare for Gilmore, as the 9 gave Trickett a straight, knocking Gilmore out in four place, for which he earned $241,472.

Trickett regained a lot of chips, holding around 5 million after the hand.

Williams Falls in Third Place ($328,762)

Jeff Williams was short on chips and forced to push all in for 940,000. He was called by Jason DeWitt and the two showed down:

DeWitt: 7 7
Williams: A 5

The board of 10 4 2 K Q didn’t improve Williams’ hand and he was gone in third place. He won $328,762.

The elimination left Jason DeWitt and Sam Trickett heads up. DeWitt held 6.8 million to Trickett’s 4.9 million.

Trickett Finishes Runner-Up ($505,725)

After a slow heads-up match that saw some hands take as long as ten minutes to complete, Jason DeWitt got the better of Sam Trickett to win event No. 17 and $818,959.

DeWitt moved all in from the button having Trickett easily covered. Trickett called and showed A 7. DeWitt held 10 8 and was a slight underdog.

The flop came 8 6 5, pairing up DeWitt to give him the lead. Trickett held an overcard and a straight draw.

The turn was the 6 and the river was the 5, and with that DeWitt won his first WSOP bracelet and $818,959 in prize money. Trickett earned $505,725 for his runner-up finish.

The final-table payouts were:

Event 21: $1,500 Seven-Card Stud — Ashby Chuffed With First Bracelet

High-stakes cash game player Richard Ashby took home his first bracelet in event no. 21, a $1,500 Seven-Card Stud tournament.

Ashby outlasted a field of 408 players and one of the toughest final tables yet at the 2010 World Series of Poker to walk away with $140,467.

Joining Ashby at the final table of eight included Dan Heimiller, Sorel Mizzi, Pat Pezzin, and Jon Turner.

Mizzi busted in sixth and as a result sits in second place in Card Player’s 2010 Player of the Year standings with 3,862 points.

Ashby came into heads-up play with an almost 2-1 chip deficit to Christine Pietsch, who was looking to be the first woman to earn a bracelet this summer. However, Ashby battled back and now has $606,588 in career tournament earnings.

The final payouts were: