Two more bracelets were awarded Friday at the 2011 World Series of Poker. Fabrice Soulier earned his first bracelet (and France’s third this year, following the lead of Elie Payan and Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier) by taking Event #37, the $10k H.O.R.S.E. Championship. The high buy-in kept the field to a modest 239, and when things got down to the final table, most eyes were on Tom Dwan, but durrr was eliminated in fifth place. Soulier ultimately defeated Shawn Buchanan in heads-up play to earn the win and $609k. This is Buchanan’s second runner-up finish in as many years, but he took home $376k as compensation for retaining his ‘always a bridesmaid’ status.
Russia earned its second bracelet of 2011 after Mikhail Lakhitov earned his first at Event #36, the $2,500 NLHE Championship. It took four days for Lakhitov to maneuver his way through the 1,734-strong field, including two days of final table play, but he takes home a healthy $749k for his patience. Hassan Babajane took second place and $463k.
Hats off to Jason Mercier for being one of the very few repeat bracelet winners at this year’s WSOP, and he did it at an event that was brand new for 2011. Mercier outlasted a star-studded field of 507 entrants in Event #35, the $5k Six-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha, earning $619k and the (as far as we can tell) unofficial title of “the luckiest fucking motherfucker alive” courtesy of David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliot (who finished in unlucky 13th place). After three days of PLO action, Mercier dispatched the last obstacle in his way, Hans Winzeler, who settled for $383k. Interestingly, Mercier’s other bracelet was also earned at a PLO event in 2009.
Finally, this has nothing to do with the WSOP, but if you want to watch an animated Viktor Blom puppet dance, click here.
