California-based Max Steinberg has won event #33 at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas for $440,238 after besting a 2,795-player field.
California-based Max Steinberg has won event #33 at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas for $440,238 after besting a 2,795-player field.
California-based Max Steinberg has won event #33 at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas for $440,238 after besting a 2,795-player field.
The third and final day of the $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino started with just 14 survivors, but it was 23-year-old Steinberg who emerged triumphant – and with his first gold bracelet – after beating Swiss player Samuel Gerber in their heads-up clash.
It didn’t take long for the eliminations to arrive during the first level of play, while the nine-handed final table was set when Dutch player Vincent van der Fluit (11th for $25,331) and Russian Mikhail Timoshin (10th for $25,331) exited at the same time but on different tables.
North Carolina’s Christopher Shaw was the first to hit the rail from the final table, exiting in ninth place for $32,702 after just 20 minutes when his Jh-Jc were beaten by the Ad-Qd of Arizona’s Dylan Hortin after an ace arrived on the flop.
Play did, however, slow down for quite a while after Shaw’s exit, with pre-flop raises taking the blinds and antes. But, suddenly, a spate of eliminations arrived in quick succession as Russian Vitaly Meshcheriakov (eighth for $42,688) saw his A♠ K♦ bested by the 6♥ 6♦ of Gerber when the Swiss player hit his hearts flush on the river; Minnesota’s Ryan Laplante exited in seventh for $56,372 after his A♠ Q♠ failed to improve against Hortin’s J♦ J♣; Mississippi’s David Nicholson left in sixth for $75,314 when his A♥ 3♣ was beaten by the A♠ 6♥ of Hortin on a flop of 7♣ 6♠ 4♥; and Canada’s Joseph Marzicola was knocked out in fifth spot for $101,802 when his 2♣ 2♦ lost out to Vegas-based Matt Stout’s K♥ 7♥ when a king fell on the flop.
The aggressive Hortin was next to hit the rail in fourth place for $139,258. On the button, Steinberg raised to 110,000 and small blind Hortin shoved all-in for his last million. Big blind Stout folded and Oakland-based Steinberg took his time before calling.
Steinberg – who was born in Washington, DC – showed A♣ 5♠ to lead Hortin’s K♦ 7♦, and the latter received no help as the eventual champion picked up two pair, aces and fours, on a 3♦ A♠ 4♣ 9♠ 4♠ board.
Now down to just three players, Stout – who had enjoyed something of a rollercoaster day – was next to hit the rail in third place for $192,813. Stout, who had been left crippled from the previous hand, shoved all-in for his last 210,000, small blind Gerber called and big blind Steinberg raised.
Gerber folded as quickly as he could to allow Stout to reveal J♥ 8♥ and Steinberg to table A♦ Q♠ ahead of a board that read 2♠ 5♠ 4♣ 10♣ 5♣, which resulted in Steinberg’s ace high securing the knockout.
Both heads-up players had previously finished as runners-up in WSOP events back in 2010, so weren’t new to this tense finale. Additionally, Gerber held only a slight advantage in chips of 4.4 million to Steinberg’s four million, ensuring we were in for a real battle.
Steinberg, though, edged clear of his opponent after only a few hands to set up his triumph that arrived about 90 minutes after their first head-to-head hand. The final hand saw Steinberg limp in from the button and big blind Gerber check his option.
The flop came down 4♣ 3♣ K♦ and Gerber checked, only for Steinberg to bet 100,000. However, Gerber then shoved all-in for 1.7 million with his 4♥ 10♠ and Steinberg made the call to show the hugely dominating 10♦ 10♥.
An obviously disappointed Gerber quickly realised he was drawing to only two outs – one of the remaining fours – but was left even more frustrated when the A♠ turn and 9♣ river sent him out in second place for $273,385.
Day 2 also saw some well known players exit in the money, including Faraz Jaka (34th for $10,213), Tim Duckworth (47th for $6,918), Thiago Nishijima (61st for $5,786), Amanda Baker (79th for $4,176), Sunny Chattha (81st for $4,176), Daniel Idema (134th for $2,767), Mark Radoja (139th for $2,465), David Vamplew (140th for $2,465), Humberto Brenes (148th for $2,465), Andrew Teng (152nd for $2,465), Erik Seidel (153 rd for $2,465), Andy Frankenberger (165th for $2,465), Anton Makiievskyi (176th for $2,214), Zimnan Ziyard (195th for $2,214) and Martins Adeniya (215th for $2,012).
1. Max Steinberg (USA) – $440,238
2. Samuel Gerber (Switzerland) – $273,385
3. Matt Stout (USA) – $192,813
4. Dylan Hortin (USA) – $139,258
5. Joseph Marzicola (Canada) – $101,802
6. David Nicholson (USA) – $75,314
7. Ryan Laplante (USA) – $56,372
8. Vitaly Meshcheriakov (Russia) – $42,688
9. Christopher Shaw (USA) – $32,702
10. Mikhail Timoshin (Russia) – $25,331