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Larry Wright Wins World Series of Poker $1,500 Deuce-to-Seven No-Limit Bracelet

Tops Mizrachi, Lindgren, Other Stars To Win First Bracelet and $101,975

by Erik Fast  |  Published: Jun 17, 2012

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Larry Wright overcame a star-studded final table, with names like Michael Mizrachi, Erick Lindgren, Brandon Cantu and Andrew Lichtenberger, to capture his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet in the $1,500 no-limit deuce-to-seven single draw lowball event. In addition to the gold, Wright also was awarded the $101,975 first-place prize and 456 Card Player Player of the Year points.

“I got in a zone. I didn’t want to gamble, I didn’t want to reraise with drawing hands, I just played a trapping game,” said Wright just after defeating Brandon Cantu heads-up. “Every time he got out of line, I would snap him off. I had to wait for a few of the stars to get out of the way, and when they wiped each other out, I switched gears.”

The 58-year old is a rancher in the southern Texas town of McQueeney, were he raises cattle. He also has plenty of experience making raises on the poker felt. This was Wright’s third cash of the 2012 WSOP, and he has career tournament cashes in excess of $500,000. But his poker experience extends even farther back then that.

“ I started playing razz in 1975 at the Stardust. I played triple draw then, and then no-limit started coming around,” said Wright. “I met Tom McEvoy and he changed my life and got me into playing no-limit. He introduced me to Kathy Liebert and I sponsored her into a big tournament, she won a million dollars. I was her backer on that, and I won’t discuss the financial arrangement but it was very good for me, and I just haven’t looked back from that as far as poker goes.”

Wright, who once gifted a trucking company he owned to its employees, also has benevolent plans for his most recent poker winnings.

“The majority of this is going to the Sudan, in Africa. We have a missionary friend, and we are going to sponsor a couple of houses and water well being drilled there. I said if I could win an event, that is where the money is going.”

Wright had his wife and daughter with him as he captured his first WSOP title, as well as a number of close friends who rooted him on as he took on some of poker’s biggest names, including Erik Seidel (13th – $4,682), Bryan Devonshire (9th – $5,955), John Phan (8th – $7,748), Erick Lindgren (5th – $19,676), Michael Mizrachi (4th – $28,198), and Andrew Lichtenberger (3rd – $41,445). Wright’s last opponent was Brandon Cantu, who eventually was eliminated as the runner-up, earning $63,048 and 380 points at his second final table of the 2012 WSOP.

“This event here wasn’t the biggest,” said Wright of his win in this event. “But it was a who’s who field, and I was pretty well intimidated at every table I played at. I just stayed patient, and it just was almost like it was meant to be that I was going to win this on Father’s Day.”

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at this final table:

Place Player Earnings POY Points
1 Larry Wright $101,975 456
2 Brandon Cantu $63,048 380
3 Andrew Lichtenberger $41,445 304
4 Michael Mizrachi $28,198 228
5 Erick Lindgren $19,676 190
6 Rep Porter $14,078 152
7 Ryan Tepen $10,318 114
8 John Phan $7,748 76
 
 
Tags: Poker Tournaments,   2012 WSOP,   World Series of Poker,   Larry Wright,   deuce-to-seven,   no-limit,   final table,   Brandon Cantu,   Andrew Lichtenberger,   Michael Mizrachi,   Erick Lindgren
 
 
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