Another round-up from the World Series of Poker Europe in the King’s Casino, Rozvadov, focusing on a fourth near miss by Allen ‘Chainsaw’ Kessler.
In 2005, Allen Kessler came within a flies foot from winning a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet when he lost to Todd Brunson in a $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) Hi-Lo event. Five years later, it happened again, this time losing in heads-up action to Frank Kassela in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship, and he made it a trio of close shaves in 2011 when he failed against Brian Rast in the final leg of a $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em event.
So when Kessler entered the final table of Event #6: €2,200 Pot-Limit Omaha he would have been glad the ilk of those three titans weren’t sharing the same oxygen as he attempted to win his first WSOP bracelet in a career that spans two decades.
The Chainsaw began the day with the second shortest stack at the final.
Final Table Starting Stacks
1. Krasimir Yankov – 1,680,000 chips
2. Liran Twito – 1,654,000
3. Pim van Holsteyn – 1,300,000
4. Georgios Koliofotis – 1,011,000
5. Sergej Barbarez – 721,000
6. Lukas Zaskodny – 653,000
7. Allen Kessler – 336,000
8. Willm Engelke – 275,000
Kessler hustled and bustled his way into the final three positions but still found himself with the shortest stack. By this time Lukas Zaskodny from the Czech Republic was in the lead with the starting day chip leader, Yankov in the middle.
The American pro put his foot down and moved through the gears eventually picking up the chip lead, but he wouldn’t hold it for long with the top spot belonging to all three players until Kessler eliminated Yankov in third place to take the chip lead into the heads-up phase.
With the chips, momentum, and experience, all the stars seemed to align for a Kessler win, but the Poker Gods had other ideas. The coverage of the final few hands was spoiled when the live stream failed, and by the time of the resurrection, Kessler was all-in on the turn hoping for one out to avoid losing heads-up at a WSOP final table for the fourth time.
Kessler held bottom set.
Zaskodny held top set.
The deuce Kessler needed didn’t arrive, and The Chainsaw had to settle for the second spot.
It was a fantastic result for Zaskodny who despite winning a World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring in this same venue last year, had never experienced anything like this.
It’s the second Czech bracelet of the series after Martin Kabrhel took down the Turbo Bounty Hunter.
Final Table Results
1. Lukas Zaskodny – €93,677
2. Allen Kessler – €57,897
3. Krasimir Yankov – €40,353
4. Pim van Holsteyn – €28,702
5. Sergio Barbarez – €20,842
6. Liran Twito – €15,458
7. Georgios Koliofotis – €11,715
8. Willm Engelke – €9,076
Other players who got close to the bones of this eaten fish were bracelet winners Dario Alioto (9th) and Sebastian Langrock (10th), and the WSOP Player of the Year (POY) contender John Racener (19th).
WSOP Player of the Year Update
As stated yesterday, Chris Ferguson continued his spectacular run of form by cashing in the PLO event in 29th place, leaving the table looking like this:
1. Chris Ferguson – 1,046.56
2. Ryan Hughes – 961.23
3. John Racener – 914.32
4. John Monnette – 865.21
5. Alex Foxen – 786.76
Hughes made money in Day 1G of the COLOSSUS so that he will pick up at least 11 points for that. Ferguson currently has a decent stack in Day 1H so you can expect him to at least make money, to keep his distance from his primary contender.
