Kevin Eyster Wins Event #24: $5,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em
Event #24: $5,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em attracted 541 runners who battled it out for four days of play until a winner had been crowned. Kevin Eyster, a poker pro originally from Louisiana now residing in Denver, received the $622,998 first-place prize (his largest live tournament cash to date) and his first gold coveted bracelet for the accomplishment!
"This is what I've been dreaming about for my whole life," Eyster said afterward. "This is what I've been wanting to win my whole life. I've been watching this on ESPN, I mean words can't even explain it. I'm speechless."
Final table results:
1st: Kevin Eyster - $622,998
2nd: Pierre Neuville - $385,041
3rd: Andrew Lichtenberger - $242,827
4th: Bryn Kenney - $160,927
5th: Jeremy Kottler - $109,844
6th: David Borrat - $77,145
John Kabbaj Wins Event #25: Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better
This event saw 470 runners and it took 3 days and 28 levels of play until a winner had been crowned. After defeating Thomas "Thunder" Keller heads up, John Kabbaj was awarded his second gold bracelet and $267,327 in prize money!
Kabbaj won his first bracelet in 2009 in the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em Championship. The win of Event #25 yesterday marked his 16th WSOP and he now has $1.5 million in live tournament earnings! However, it seems like the $267k in prize money will come in handy...
"I have had probably the worst two years of my life," said Kabbaj. "I lost everything I had and had to rebuild. I have started a new life in the last six months and now this is looking good for the future"
Final table results:
1st: John Kabbaj - $267,327
2nd: Thomas Keller - $165,177
3rd: Christopher McHugh - $75,713
4th: Terrence Hastoo - $55,451
5th: Joe Tehan - $41,230
6th: Erik Seidel - $31,115
7th: Mike Leah - $23,833
8th: Tom Schneider - $18,519
Andrew Rennhack Wins Event #26: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Andrew Rennhack thought his way through a field of 1,594 players over 3 days of play to claim his first bracelet and $408,953 in prize money. It was his first final table appearance and fifth career WSOP cash for Rennhack, a semi-professional poker player based in Seattle, Washington.
"I think [not being a pro] gave me some advantage," Rennhack said about his first final table appearance. "I think some of the other players tightened up at the final table. They may have been thinking about the pay jumps, whereas I was just playing it one hand at a time. You just have to play one hand at a time and make the decisions that way....that's the way to think about it."
Final table results:
1st: Andrew Rennhack - $408,953
2nd: Michael Katz - $252,826
3rd: Tony Gargano - $166,384
4th: Ryan Welch - $119,946
5th: Reed Goodmiller - $87,797
6th: Heinz Kanutzki - $65,202
7th: Geremy Eiland - $49,106
8th: Eric Rappaport - $37,486
9th: Dan Smith - $28,986
Tommy Hang Wings Event #27: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E
After three days of intensive play, Tommy Hang defeated Jim Collopy heads up, denying the latter his second WSOP gold bracelet to lay hands on his own first! Hang, a 34-year-old from Newcastle, Washington has been close to a bracelet many times before. In 2008 he finished second to James Schaaf in this event. Besides that second place finish, he has finished third twice and forth once in WSOP events in the past few years.
"I have been shooting for a bracelet for years now, and have always been falling slightly short," said Hang about his near misses in the previous years. "Each year I have progressed and learned new things, new tactics and I have been applying them. It seems to be paying off so far."
Final table results:
1st: Tommy Hang - $230,744
2nd: Jim Collopy - $142,533
3rd: Kristan Lord - $96,894
4th: Brandon Guss - $67,435
5th: Joe Villella - $47,905
6th: Christopher George - $34,725
7th: - Stewart Yancik - $19,338
8th: David "ODB" Baker - $19,338
Alex Bilokur Wins Event #28: $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em
Alex Bilokur, a Russian businessman and part-time poker players, outlasted a field of 160 players to claim the $398,567 first-place prize and his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet. Bilokur now has nearly $3 million in tournament cashes, including winning the PCA High Roller for $1.1 million in 2012!
"It was my dream," Bilokur said following his big win. "It's been my dream for a long time. "I've never considered myself a professional poker player," he explained. "I just really love this game and I like tough competition."
Final table results:
1st: Alex Bilokur - $398,567
2nd: Matthew O'Donnell - $246,310
3rd: Alex Venovski - $178,434
4th: Chino Rheem - $131,705
5th: Ismael Bojang - $98,978
6th: Todd Brunson - $75,681
7th: Pratyush Buddiga - $58,851
8th: Richard Lyndaker - $46,533
9th: Barny Boatman - $37,389
Pierre Milan Wins Event #29 $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Frenchman Pierre Milan topped a field of 1,165 entries over 3 days and 30 levels of play to capture the $536,768 first-place prize and his first first gold bracelet. Milan, who had $3,056 in WSOP earnings before winnings this tournament, defeated Justin Oliver heads up to win the title. Oliver won the 2013 WSOP Event #38 $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Four Handed for $309,071 and ended up giving that gold bracelet to his dad for Father's Day. Unfortunately for him he was denied the second one on Father's day.
Final table results:
1st: Pierre Milan - $536,768
2nd: Justin Oliver - $332,198
3rd: Matt Salsberg - $207,842
4th: Thad McNulty - $150,859
5th: Barry Hutter - $111,368
6th: Jamie Armstrong - $83,486
7th: Andy Phan - $63,502
8th: Daniel Laming - $48,952
9th: Sam Cohen - $38,244
Calvin Anderson Wins Event #30: $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low
Calvin Anderson, ranked as the top online tournament player in the world last November, has won his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet!
Event #30: $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low drew a field of 588 players and Anderson stood tall as the champion after 3 days of intensive play, which including a final table that only took a few hours to "complete". Besides the bracelet, he pocketed $190,538 for defeating fellow American pro Joe Tehan heads up.
Final table results:
1st: Calvin Anderson - $190,538
2nd: Joe Tehan - $118,014
3rd: Eric Kurtzman - $79,800
4th: Levon Torosyan - $55,319
5th: Melissa Burr - $39,181
6th: Sanjay Pandya - $28,346
7th: Jimmy Fricke - $20,932
8th: John Myung - $15,772
