Dung ‘Gomer’ Nguyen won Event #38, the $1,500 NLHE, earning $607k for rising to the top of a 2,534-strong field over three days of play. It’s the first bracelet for Nguyen, who only agreed to take part in the event when his friend volunteered to take half his action. Nguyen started final table play with a sizable chip advantage and never relinquished control. Theo Tran earned $377k for being the last to fall at Nguyen’s hands, making this Tran’s second second-place finish at a WSOP event.
Ronnie Bardah won his first bracelet by taking Event #40, the $2,500 Limit Hold’em. Bardah started the third and final day dead last on the chip count, but the Massachusetts man battled his way to heads-up action against Marco Johnson, who began the day with the second-shortest stack. On the final hand, an ace on the river gave Bardah a full house, the victory and $182k. Johnson earned $112k, while Vincent Gironda took third and $73k.
In other Saturday action, Event #41, the $3k NLHE, closed out the second day of play with just 30 survivors from the original 1,394 entrants. Joseph Chaplin is narrowly ahead of Jackie Glazier by a margin of 1.085m to 1.077m chips, with JP Kelly well back with 742k. Day 2 of Event #42, the $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8-Or-Better, saw 22 of the original 393 entrants still in the hunt. Jeffrey Lisandro is chip champ with 355k, followed by Perry Friedman with 263k and broadcaster Norman Chad with 224k. The first day of Event #43, the $1,500 NLHE, saw 2,770 entrants take their seats, but only 320 will reconvene at the Rio on Sunday. Sam Barnhart leads with 169k, followed by Henry Lu (141k) and Andres Sanchez (115k).
Finally, don’t ever lose a prop bet with EPT San Remo 2010 champ Liv Boeree. Vanessa Rousso is used to turning heads, but she had an even easier time of it on Friday when she showed up to play dressed as a giant cockroach. Too bad they don’t do this in other sports tournaments. Can you imagine Tiger Woods playing the Masters dressed as Gumby?