WSOP: David Benyamine Wins Event No. 37Puts Rumors To Rest, Wins First Bracelet |
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Widely regarded as one of the game’s most premier cash players, David Benyamine nixed the naysayers and put all of the rumors to rest here tonight as he outlasted one of the toughest final tables to date, claiming his first gold bracelet and $535,687.
Benyamine is no stranger to the tournament trail with two World Poker Tour titles and now over $2 million in live winnings, but in a CardPlayer.com interview with the champ, he explains that he had some extra motivation to bring home the gold this year. A man of pride and determination, Benyamine had set a new goal for himself at this year’s WSOP, and with four cashes, three final tables, and one gold bracelet under his belt, perhaps now Benyamine can get the much deserved respect that he has been looking for.
Considered by the Godfather of poker himself, Doyle Brunson, and many other top pros to be the world’s greatest Omaha eight-or-better player, Benyamine proved that to the world here tonight, as he steamrolled over a final table littered with talent including other highly-regarded players such as Mike Matusow, Toto Leonidas, David Chiu, and Tony Ma.
As soon as play got down to four handed, Benyamine quickly changed gears in dramatic fashion, becoming overly aggressive and extremely intimidating as he personally eliminated all three of his last opponents as if it were the quarter-finals in a heads up, round robin, winner-take-all tournament.
Here were the chip counts at the start of play:
Seat 1: Tony Ma -- 300,000
Seat 2: Jason Gray -- 590,000
Seat 3: Ram Vaswani -- 175,000
Seat 4: Toto Leonidas -- 720,000
Seat 5: David Chiu -- 730,000
Seat 6: Mike Matusow -- 195,000
Seat 7: David Benyamine -- 1,020,000
Seat 8: Greg Jamison -- 470,000
Seat 9: Eugene Katchalov -- 310,000
Here are highlights from all of the action, as featured in CardPlayer.com’s live coverage of the final table:
Tony Ma Eliminated in Ninth Place ($55,225)
A severely short stacked Tony Ma got it all in on the turn on a board of 10
7 4 3. Toto Leonidas looked him up.
Ma: 8 5 4
3
Leonidas: A
9 8 2
Ma flopped a flush and Leonidas flopped a better flush. The river was the A and Ma became very excited, thinking that Leonidas' low hand was counterfeited, but it wasn't. Leonidas scooped the pot with a better high and a better low hand than Tony Ma, who was eliminated in ninth place ($555,225).
David Chiu Eliminated in Eighth Place ($71,792)
Greg Jamison raised before the flop and a short-stacked David Chiu called all in.
Jamison: A K K 10
Chiu: 5 5 4 3
Board: J 10 7 8 Q
Chiu really never had a decent shot at winning this pot after the flop. Jamison had the over pair (kings) and on the turn both players picked up a flush draw, Jamison's better. Without a 5 or a 6 on the river, Chiu couldn't win the high pot, and a queen meant that he couldn't win the low pot either. Chiu was eliminated in eightth place, earning $71,792.
Ram Vaswani Eliminated in Seventh Place ($88,360)
Fresh off of eliminating David Chiu just moments before, Greg Jamison came in for a raise when his soon to be next victim, Ram Vaswani reraised. Jamison threw one more raise in there, enough to put Vaswani all in. Vaswani called and both players turned over their cards.
Jamison: A 8 7 2
Vaswani: Q Q 6 6
Board: A 8 2 7 4
If nothing else, Vaswani technically had the best hand when the money went in, but an ace on the flop meant that he would be drawing very slim to the river. With no low hand possible, Vaswani needed a queen to hit the board or he would be eliminated. No queen on the turn or river and Vaswani was our seventh-place finisher, earning $88,360 for his efforts.
Eugene Katchalov Eliminated in Sixth place ($110,450)
Eugene Katchalov got it all in against Greg Jamison on a flop of 8 7 2.
Katchalov: A K 9 2
Jamison: A K 5 2
The turn and river brought bricks, Katchalov and Jamison split the high pot and Jamison locked up the low with A-5. Katchalov got quartered this hand.
The very next hand and Katchalov got it all in against Jason Gray.
Katchalov: 9 8 7 6
Gray: A J 3 2
Board: 6 4 3 Q J
Katchalov flopped top pair with a gut-shot and an 8-7 low, but the jack on the river gave Gray two pair (high) and a 6-4 low. Gray scooped the pot while Katchalov was eliminated in sixtth place ($110,450).
Mike Matusow Eliminated in Fifth Place ($138,062)
After a bit of a rollercoaster ride this past hour, Mike Matusow finally met his demise when he got it all in against Toto Leonidas on a flop of A K 8.
Matusow: A Q 6 3
Leonidas: A K 7 6
Matusow flopped top pair with a queen while Leonidas had the best of it with top pair, top kicker. The turn was the J, giving Matusow a few more outs, but the 8 on the river meant that Matusow was not going to get his second bracelet of this Series here tonight. Matusow would have to settle for fifth place and $138,062.
Toto Leonidas Eliminated in Fourth place ($171,197)
After Jason Gray doubled through Toto Leonidas the hand before, Leonidas found himself all in for 40,000 in the big blind. He was called by both David Benyamine and Jason Gray. Gray and Benyamine checked down the river where Gray fired out a bet and Benyamine called. Gray conceded the hand.
Leonidas: A J 5 2
Benyamine: K 9 7 5
Board: K Q 6 10 9
Benyamine turned over the king-high flush, taking both the side and main pots, and he eliminated Leonidas in fourth place ($71,792).
Jason Gray Eliminated in Third Place ($209,855)
Action folded around to Jason Gray who raised from the button, David Benyamine made the call out of the small blind. The flop came K J 8, and Benyamine bet out (enough to put Gray all in), Gray called all in.
Benyamine: J 10 10 9
Gray: A Q 3 2
Benyamine had the best hand going to the turn with a pair of jacks, an open-ended straight draw, and the nut straight redraw. Gray flopped the nut-flush draw and a gut-shot nut straight draw. The turn was the 2, no help to either player and the J hit the river, giving Benyamine trip jacks. With no low hand possible, Benyamine scooped the pot, eliminating Gray in third place ($209,855).
And Then There Were Two...
Here is a look at the chip counts going into heads-up play.
David Benyamine: 3,665,000
Greg Jamison: 1,035,000
David Benyamine Wins Event No. 37 ($535,687)
David Benyamine raised from the button and Greg Jamison reraised all in, Benyamine called.
Jamison: K Q 6 2
Benyamine: Q 10 10 3
Board: J 10 9 J 3
Benyamine flopped middle set while Jamison flopped the nut straight to the king. With the low hand not even being an issue, Benyamine needed the board to pair which it did when the jack hit the turn. Benyamine made a full house (tens full of jacks) on the turn and Jamison was drawing dead on the river. Benyamine wins event No. 37 ($535,687) and his first WSOP bracelet while Jamison has to settle for second place and $331,350.
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