Yuval Bronshtein Wins Second World Series of Poker Bracelet In $1,500 Limit Hold'em

Ari Engel wasn’t the only player to win his second World Series of Poker bracelet as Thursday night turned into Friday morning.

Just a week after being eliminated on the money bubble of the $25,000 HORSE, Yuval Bronshtein won his second career bracelet in the $1,500 limit hold’em. He defeated a field of 422 entries and Kevin Erickson heads-up to earn $124,374. He also netted 720 points in the Card Player Player of the Year race sponsored by Global Poker. The victory moved Bronshtein into the top 100.

Like Engel, this is Bronshtein’s second victory in as many live WSOPs after he won his first in 2019 in the $1,500 no-limit 2-7 single draw for $96,278.

In his most recent victory, Bronshtein overcame what was at one point more than 9-to-1 chip disadvantage in his heads-up match against Erickson, who took home $76,868 for his runner-up finish.

“I was very lucky to win this after I was down to so few chips so many times,” Bronshtein told official WSOP live reporters. “My opponent was a tough player.”

The third and final day of the tournament kicked off on Thursday at 2 p.m. with 16 players still in the hunt. After about three hours of play, six players were eliminated and the final 10 players redrew for seats at the unofficial final table with Erickson and Zachary Gruneberg pacing the field.

Gruneberg eliminated Mike Lancaster in 10th to give the final nine players a payjump, some elbow room and a spot at the final table, but Bronshtein won a big pot before the elimination to hold the chip lead with nine left.

Nine-handed, Bronshtein and Erickson began separating themselves from the rest. Erickson eliminated Anh Van Nguyen in ninth to move into the chip lead, but Bronshtein wasn’t far behind.

Tony Nasr was eliminated in eighth when he got all in preflop with AK, but ran into Ian Glycenfer’s AA. Nasr flopped the nut flush draw but couldn’t complete the bad beat as the turn and river were bricks.

Tom McCormick, a veteran of the WSOP took most of Guy Cicconi’s chips seven-handed in a pot that saw Cicconi call bets on the flop and turn before folding to a river bet. McCormick got the last of Cicconi’s chips a couple hands later when Cicconi committed the last of his chips on the button with A-6 for less than a big blind.

McCormick and John Bunch were in the blinds and checked it down as the board ran out J108Q6. McCormick turned over 103 form the small blind and won the pot.

In the next orbit, Erickson won a massive pot to eliminate Gruneberg in sixth and extend his chip lead. The pot was capped preflop and all the chips were in the middle by the turn with the board reading 10777.

Erickson turned over 1010 and hit his two-outer against Gruneberg’s KK. The river bricked off for Gruneberg and the pot was sent to Erickson, who had more than one-third of the chips in play with five left.

Gruneberg’s bad beat allowed the short-stacked Glycenfer to get a payjump and was eliminated by Bunch less than 10 minutes later. Glycenfer was all in preflop with J10 against Bunch’s K-4. Neither player improved and Bunch won the showdown with king-high.

Erickson then put a series of beats on Bunch to eliminate the Las Vegas local in fourth. Erickson cracked Bunch’s A-A with Q-8 and then raise-called on the button with 74 against Bunch’s AQ. Bunch put the last of his chips in on the turn with the board reading 9643 and needed to river a pair to stay alive. The river was the 3, however, and Bunch was out in fourth.

With three players left, Erickson had about 75% of the chips in play and looked like he was going to run away with the bracelet. But Bronshtein eliminated McCormick in third and Erickson held that percentage at the start of heads-up play.

The early portion of heads-up play was all Erickson and at his peak, had more than 90% of the chips in play. But Bronshtein mounted one of the most improbable comebacks and thanks to several double ups, pulled even and opened a 4-to-1 chip lead of his own in about an hour.

Bronshtein then picked up AK and got all the chips in the middle against Erickson’s KQ. The board ran out 10102J8 which sent the pot and the bracelet Bronshtein’s way.

Final Table Results:

Photo Credit: WSOP/Hayley Hochstetler

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