Event 50 – $5,000 No-Limit Hold ‘em

This was a long grueling event that had to be extended into a 4th day of play for the final 3 players. The tournament began with over 1,000 players, promising a first place prize of over $950,000. It was one of the largest payouts of the year so far and in the end it was a two bracelet winner that would take down the title. All the momentum was in Dan Smith’s favor as he was rolling strong throughout the day and still had the chip lead going into the extended day 4. However, he would be the first to leave on day 4, leaving Panayote “Peter” Vilandos and Kyle Julius to battle it out for the bracelet. Vilandos proved to be the better player that day as he won the tournament when his A-J dodged the straight draw of Julius. Julius came very close to winning his first title, but it was not to be. For Vilandos this is his 3rd bracelet, previously winning bracelets in 1995 and then in 2009.

Event 51 – $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold ‘em Championship

Over 930 ladies came out to become the 2012 Ladies Champion of Hold ‘em. After 3 days of play it was Yen Dang that would become the champion. She built a big stack on day two, which is moving day in these short week events, and it proved to help her for sure. Making the right moves at the right times is key in hold ‘em and Dang did just that. She was near the top all tournament long and took control when she reached the final table. She eliminated the final 3 players en route to the title. Dang learned the game as a law student and now can call herself a WSOP champion. Kind of gives you a “Rounders” feel. She won it all when her flopped pair of Queens held against the straight draw of Debbie Pechac. With the win Dang takes home the bracelet and the $170,587 in prize money. A “Dang-gum” day for her indeed.

Event 52 – $2,500 10-Game Mix/ 6-Handed

Event 45 – $50,000 Poker Players Championship

After a long 5 day war the dust settled and Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi was victorious for the second time in 3 years at this event. It is the 3rd bracelet for Mizrachi and with the win moves him into 4th place on the all time money list at the WSOP. The Poker Players Championship is a test to every player’s all around poker skills. There were 108 players this year all wanting to get that elusive bracelet and Chip Reese memorial trophy. The tournament features a rotating game of several poker variants including: limit hold ‘em, Omaha hi/low, razz, 7-card stud, 7-card stud hi/low, no-limit hold ‘em, pot-limit Omaha and 2-7 triple draw lowball.

Mizrachi started the final table off with a flurry of knockouts when he eliminated two players in a row during the NL hold ‘em round. He wasn’t done from there as he got the next player too. Stephen Chidwick lost during the Pot-limit Omaha round. By the time it got to heads up, Mizrachi held nearly a 2.5 to 1 chip lead on Chris Klodnicki. Mizrachi stayed aggressive the entire match and eliminated Klodnicki in the Omaha hi/low round when his Q-J-8-9 made a straight, securing the win. Mizrachi took home $1.4 million in prize money.

Event 46 – $2,500 No-Limit Hold ‘em

There were 1,607 players at the beginning of this one and after 3 days, only 1 was able to keep all their dreams and aspirations in check. That was Joey Weissman. When many play in the WSOP it can be overwhelming and easy to lose concentration. Weissman was able to keep all of that in order and claim his first WSOP gold bracelet. On the final day of play 26 players were reduced to the final table in little over 2 levels. The final table consisted mostly of Weissman playing just about every hand and double ups from every player. Weissman basically got the better of everyone and was dominant until heads up play began when he relinquished the chip lead at one point to Jeremy Quehen. However, Weissman would regain the lead and the grab the title when his A-Q of hearts made the nut flush on the river. He always managed to get his opponents all-in while holding the best hand. Something very hard to do in poker. Weissman also took home $694,609 in prize money.

Event 47 – $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Low Split 8-or better

Event 41 – $3,000 No-Limit Hold ‘em

Yet another hold ‘em event is complete at the 2012 WSOP and the winner is former New York police officer, Greg Ostrander. 1,394 players entered the event with hopes of becoming a champion. However, by the end of day 3 there was only two that would battle it out on the next day for the title. The other player in question for the title was Jackie Glazier who was trying to become the second woman this year to win an open event. She played tough all tournament long, picking her spots and picking them well all the way to the final table. She played tight until it got down to 3 players and totally flipped her game to become super aggressive, taking a 3 to 1 chip lead into heads up. Ostrander, who is now a professional poker player since retiring from his police work in upstate New York, had other ideas. He considers himself a short-stack specialist and when the day was over he had all the chips and the bracelet full with the $742,020 in prize money. Congrats to a man who has gone through a lot since switching professions. With the win he takes his first bracelet home and some much needed security for his family. This was also the 1,000th bracelet awarded at the WSOP.

Event 42 – $2,500 Omaha/7-Card Stud Hi/Low 8-Or Better

After a grueling 3 days of poker this one is in the books. The winner is now two time bracelet winner, Oleksii Kovalchuk. Hi/low tournaments are always hard and drawn out because of so many split pots. Patience and keeping your emotions in check are the two keys in this type of format. Jeff Lisandro was looking for his 6th bracelet, but fell short of making the final table by just a few spots. Norman Chad was in the mix when the final table commenced, but was unable to make a run. In fact Chad became so short-stacked he decided to see if his luck would change with the help of a fortune cookie. It didn’t and he was gone in 6th place. Kovalchuk played well, only being down a few times, but never really threatening his tournament life. As the final table wore on Kovalchuk built a good chip lead and when heads up play began he had a 2 to 1 chip lead. He took home the title in the Omaha/8 round when his two pair of Kings and 9′s would dodge a straight draw from George Danzer. Kovalchuk won $689,730 for his efforts.

Event 43 – $1,500 No-Limit Hold ‘em

Event 37 – $2,500 8-Game Mix

One of the most difficult tournaments to win, the 8-game mix tests players in a variety of games. The games included are 2-7 Triple Draw, Limit Hold ‘em, Omaha hi/low, Razz, 7-Stud, 7-Stud hi/low, No-Limit Hold ‘em and Pot-Limit Omaha. In the end it was David Baker who would outlast the 477 player field and win his first bracelet, a long awaited one indeed. He would face some tough competition in the final few days of the tournament. Some of those included Jennifer Harmon, Barry Greenstein, Freddy Deeb, Rep Porter and the 2009 champ of the event, Jerrod Ankenman. However, Baker was able to navigate the field and dodge all of those former bracelet winners to take the title. He won the tournament during the Razz round after Greg Mueller went all-in. Baker secured the hand and the victory on 6th street when he made an A-2-3-5-6. Mueller was drawing dead. Baker would walk away with the bracelet and the $271,312 that came along with it.

Event 38 – $1,500 No-Limit Hold ‘em

Yet another No-Limit Hold ‘em event is complete on the schedule. How many of these things are they?!? Is this the World Series of Hold ‘em? Sheesh! Anyways, congrats must go out to Dung Nguyen for overcoming the huge field of 2,534 to win his first bracelet. No one was even close to Nguyen when the final table commenced. Players would fall rather quickly throughout the final table as Nguyen slowly began to pull further and further away. When heads up play began he had a 3 to 1 chip lead over his opponent, Theo Tran. The final hand saw Tran get it all-in with A-K against the Q-10 of Nguyen. However, a 10 would spike on the turn, giving Nguyen the tournament. He also took home a whopping $607,200 in prize money. Not bad for three days of work.

Event 39 – $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship