Phil Hellmuth hasn’t had the rub of the green at this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP). For the second time at the 42nd incarnation of the tournament the veteran missed out on making its 12 career bracelets in the tournament. Event #33’s $10k Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo saw him beaten by American Eric Radowig but he did boost his bank account to the tune of $273,233. Last year’s November Nine runner-up John Racener ended up back in third but this day belonged to Radowig. If winning the bracelet and sizeable purse of $442,183 wasn’t enough in itself, he beat one of poker’s greats.
They might not have won the Stanley Cup but Canada took home its fourth WSOP bracelet as its citizens dominated the top of event #32’s chip count. Kirk Caldwell was the luckiest of them all as he won his first ever bracelet and with it a purse of $668,276. The Ontario native beat out competition from American Corbin White ($414,918), and his fellow countryman Mark Mclaughlin ($292,634) to win the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event. Montreal’s Gabriel Houle also found his way into fourth place as the country’s poker players took another back for the Canucks. Just think – if they’d managed as many finals wins as they have bracelets those riots may have been even more raucous!
Lastly, Sam Stein took down event #31 of this year’s jamboree and the $420,802 purse and bracelet that went with it. There was a long wait for a winner to be crowned as the play went on until around 5am until Stein’s red eyes were declared the winning pair. It was his first bracelet and means his lifetime winnings have hit around $3million.
