Scott Clements Wins Venetian Deep Stack

American players dominated The Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza IV $2,500 buy-in Texas Hold’em main event in Las Vegas, filling the top 17 spots as Washington’s Scott Clements collected the $145,775 top prize for his tournament triumph.

Three days’ play at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino saw Clements defeat Zachary Fahmie, of Henderson in Nevada, in a heads-up clash that ended with the latter leaving $89,892 richer for his runner-up spot.

Portland’s Ryan Welch, who collected a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in 2010 for winning a $3,000 buy-in Triple Chance No-Limit Hold’em event, was eliminated in third spot for $60,738.

Clements has enjoyed a great career with successes at the WSOP $3,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Split 8 or better in 2006 for $301,175, as well as a $194,206 pay day for collecting a $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Poker event as the series a year later.

That’s not all, though, as the 30-year-old also has 19 other WSOP cash finishes for a series total of $1,551,759, while he has been able to add two World Poker Tour (WPT) titles with victory at the CAN$2,500 Canadian Poker Open at the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort for $222,051 in 2006 and the CAN$10,000 No-Limit Hold’em championship event for $1,505,312 the following year at the same Ontario venue.

He now sits on almost $5.5million for his tournament career after taking the biggest share of a prize pool of $607,380 after a healthy 265 players paid the buy-in.

Meanwhile, Texan Larry Wright left with $43,124 in fourth, and Las Vegas resident Jeff Finkelstein took home $33,406 with his fifth-place finish.

Other notable players to make deep runs included New York State’s Kevin Calenzo (ninth for $15,792), Vegas-based Thong Tran (10th for $12,451), Nevada’s Cody Slaubaugh (16th for $7,592), Vegas players Matt Berkey (17th for $7,592) and Jeff Sluzinski (20th for $6,681), Nevada’s Ted Lawson (21st for $6,681), Benjamin Palmer (22nd for $6,681), of Gainsville in Florida, Japanese Motoyuki Mabuchi (24th for $6,681) and Montana’s Tyson Marks (26th for $6,681).

The highest-placed non-American was Germany’s Yunas Jamal, the Berlin player collecting $7,592 for ending the tournament in 18th.

Jamal was closely followed by 19th-placed Canadian Gavin Smith, with the Nevada-based Ontarian entrant picking up $6,681.

Smith’s best career finish still remains his $2,500 Mixed Hold’em (Limit/No-Limit) event success at last year’s WSOP for $268,238.

Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza IV Top 10 Placings and Payouts

1. Scott Clements (USA) – $145,775

2. Zachary Fahmie (USA) – $89,892

3. Ryan Welch (USA) – $60,738

4. Larry Wright (USA) – $43,124

5. Jeff Finkelstein (USA) – $33,406

6. William Holt (USA) – $27,332

7. Daniel Colinge (USA) – $22,777

8. Michael McTernan (USA) – $19,132

9. Kevin Calenzo (USA) – $15,792

10. Thong Tran (USA) – $12,451