WSOP Day 18 & 19 recap sees a trio of first-time bracelet winners that include Tommy Hang, Andrew Rennhack and Alex Bilokur.
We leave the World Series of Poker (WSOP) for just two days and we already have three players losing their bracelet virginity.
The first person to break that duck was Andrew Rennhack who took the bracelet in Event #26: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) for $408,953.
Rennhack cashed five times in last year’s revitalized Carnivale of Poker, and has also cashed five times in WSOP tournaments; but this is his biggest tournament success by far.
1,5954 players took part in the event, and Rennhack defeated Michael Katz in heads-up action, who was enjoying his second final table after finishing sixth in a $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) Triple Chance event back in 2009.
Ivey Poker pro, Dan Smith, finished ninth in the event.
“It’s a dream come true, it has always been a goal of mine, I have played a lot of events, and it’s awesome to finally get a breakthrough.” Rennhack told PokerNews after his win.
Final Table Standings
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 Kamutzki – $65,202
7th. Geremy Eiland – $49,106
8th. Eric Rappaport – $37,486
9th. Dan Smith – $28,986
Tommy Hang Wins Event #27: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E
The WSOP grinder, Tommy Hang, has won his first bracelet after overcoming a field of 743 players in the baby H.O.R.S.E competition.
It’s a well -deserved victory for Hang, after cashing in 25 WSOP events, and earning over a million dollars in the process.
Hang defeated the former WSOP-APAC bracelet winner, Jim Collopy, in heads-up action to take the first prize of $230,744. It’s the second time that Collopy has fallen at the final hurdle in a bracelet event, after losing to Gus Hansen in the £10,350 NLHE High Roller Heads-Up contest at the WSOPE event in London back in 2010.
That victory for Hang takes his total live tournament earnings over the $1.35m mark.
Final Table Standings
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. Chris George – $34,725
7th. Stewart Yancik – $25,668
8th. David ‘ODB’ Baker – $19,338
Alex Bilokur Wins Event #28: $10,000 PLH Championship
The Russians have taken their first bracelet of the series, and it’s the man who lies sixth in the all-time Russian money list, Alex Bilokur, who has the gold.
Bilokur is no stranger to life in the fast lane after winning the $25,500 NLHE High Roller at the PCA back in 2012, overcoming quality players such as Jonathan Duhamel, Isaac Haxton, Jason Koon and Michael Telker.
The Russian had an equally treacherous route to the summit of this one with Chino Rheem, Todd Brunson, Pratyush Buddiga, Barny Boatman, Dan Shak and Erik Seidel all going deep in the contest.
Bilokur defeated Matt O’Donnell, in heads-up action, to take the first prize of $398,567.
Final Table Standings
1st. Alex Bilokur – $398,567
2nd. Matt O’Donnell – $246,310
3rd. Alexander 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
The Best of the Rest
Jamie Armstrong leads the final 20 players in Event #29: $2,500 NLHE.
1,165 players entered the event and Barry Hutter, Sam Cohen, Rep Porter and Matt Salsberg all have chips in that one.
588 players entered Event #30: $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low, and Eric Kurtzman leads the final 12-players with 490,000 chips. The red hot Calvin Anderson has second spot; Jimmy Fricke is still in the mix, as is Joe Tehan and Ted Forrest.
Event #31: $1,500 NLHE welcomed 1,631 players into its arms and 187 survived day one. The Aussie Jason Pritchard in the lead, with 142,400 chips. Bart Hanson and Seth Berger have stacks in that one.
And finally, Event #32: $10,000 Six-Handed NLHE attracted a compact and bijou field of 264 players, and 92 survived day one. Leonid Markin leads the way with 206,800 chips; Ashton Griffin, Scott Clements and Doug Polk also occupy the top five.
