World Series Of Poker -- Valdemar Kwaysser Wins Event No. 38

Valdemar Kwaysser (pictured right) won event no. 38 ($10,000 pot-limit hold’em championship) at the 2010 World Series of Poker during a long final table that ended just as abruptly. It was Kwaysser’s third cash of the series and his first career bracelet, netting him a cool $617,214.

Kwaysser entered the day 11th in chips and managed to outlast names like Amnon Filippi, Sandra Naujoks, Allen Kessler and Amit Makhija to make the final table. Once the field condensed its last 10 players to one table, it took almost five hours for Sam Stein to hit the rail in 10th place to get down to the official final table.

Thomas Marchese, leader in Card Player’s Player of the Year race, made a solid run and held the chip lead to start the official final table. Unfortunately for him, he could not keep those chips and was busted in sixth place. He did take home $123,264 and expanded his lead over Sorel Mizzi in the POY race to 580 points.

Kwaysser accounted for five of the eliminations at the final table, but they were spread throughout four hours of agonizingly slow play. The final level of the night started with four players and somehow they managed to lose three players, with Kwaysser emerging victorius over Matt Marafioti in a brief heads-up battle.

Here are the official final table results:

1. Valdemar Kwaysser — $617,214
2. Matt Marafioti — $381,507
3. James Calderaro — $284,845
4. Konstantin Bucherl — $214,106
5. Dani Stern — $161,934
6. Thomas Marchese — $123,264
7. Peter Jetten — $94,394
8. Blair Rodman — $72,754
9. Alexander Kuzmin — $56,404

Here are the elimination hands as reported on CardPlayer.com’s live updates:

Alexander Kuzmin Eliminated In Ninth Place ($56,404)

Alexander Kuzmin raised preflop and Thomas Marchese reraised enough to put Kuzmin all in. Kuzmin made the call and the players showed down their cards:

Kuzmin: KJ
Marchese: A10

The board ran out AQ5K7 and Kuzmin was the first casualty at the official final table.

Blair Rodman Eliminated In Eighth Place ($72,754)

Blair Rodman was all in after a flop of KJ7 against Valdemar Kwaysser. Rodman had flopped top two pair with his KJ.

Unfortunately for Rodman, Kwaysser had flopped top set as he held KK. The board finished off 79 and Rodman was eliminated.

Peter Jetten Eliminated In Seventh Place ($94,394)

Peter Jetten raised to 175,000 preflop and Valdemar Kwaysser reraised enough to put Jetten all in. Jetten made the call and the players turned over their cards:

Jetten: A5
Kwaysser: A10

Kwaysser was dominating and the board offered no help to Jetten as he was eliminated.

Thomas Marchese Eliminated In Sixth Place ($123,264)

James Calderaro raised to 150,000 from the button and Thomas Marchese reraised to 575,000 from the big blind. Calderaro repotted and Marchese made the call for the rest of his chips.

Calderaro then showed the bad news, turning over KK. Marchese could only show 99 and he needed help.

What he got instead was a quick boot out the door as the flop came down K77, leaving him virtually drawing dead.

The turn was the 4 and the river was the A and Marchese was eliminated.

Dani Stern Eliminated In Fifth Place ($161,934)

Dani Stern raised to 130,000 and Valdemar Kwaysser reraised to 300,000. Stern made the call for the last of his chips and the players turned up their hands:

Stern: 1010
Kwaysser: A2

The board ran out AA356 to give Kwaysser trip aces on the flop and the pot. Stern was eliminated and took home $161,934.

Konstantin Bucherl Eliminated In Fourth Place ($214,106)

Konstantin Bucherl found himself all in preflop against Valdemar Kwaysser. Here were their cards:

Bucherl: AQ
Kwaysser: AK

The board ran out K10384 and Bucherl was eliminated.

James Calderaro Eliminated In Third Place ($284,845)

James Calderaro opened for a raise and Valdemar Kwaysser repotted. Calderaro then moved in for 1.7 million and Kwaysser made the call. Here were their cards:

Calderaro: AK
Kwaysser: JJ

The board ran out 65433 and Kwaysser’s jacks held, sending Calderaro to the rail in third.

Valdemar Kwaysser Wins Event No. 38 ($617,214), Matt Marafioti Eliminated In Second Place ($381,507)

Matt Marafioti raised to 200,000 preflop and Valdemar Kwaysser made the call. The flop came down J106 and Marafioti bet 425,000.

Kwaysser reraised the pot and Marafioti put all his chips in the middle. Here were their cards:

Marafioti: K6
Kwaysser: J8

Marafioti was drawing very live with four clubs against Kwaysser’s top pair. The turn and river were both black, but they were the Q and 7 and Kwaysser took down his first WSOP bracelet.

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