WSOP

WSOP

Australian Jarred Graham just shipped his first WSOP tournament last night in Event #31, a $1,500 PLO Hi-Low tournament. The event drew 936 competitors, generating a prize pool greater than $1 million, of which Graham took home $255,942.

Among the entrants were Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow and Phil Hellmuth, but none of them survived to day three, which saw only 14 players return to complete the event. Among the finalists were Barry Greenstein, a three-time champion. Perry Green, the 77-year-old chip leader at the start of play Wednesday, has also won three bracelets – but the most recent one was from 1979!

Jarred Graham started the day as the shortstack; he only had 129,000 chips or 8 big blinds. He got to work quickly, steadily increasing his stack to 605,000 by the time the final table started. The players at the final table were:

1. Barry Greenstein – 783,000
2. Jarred Graham – 605,000
3. Marco Johnson – 541,000
4. Gabriel Blumenthal – 512,000
5. Perry Green – 475,000
6. Eric Rodawig – 438,000
7. Loni Harwood – 357,000
8. Joao Simao – 336,000
9. Noomis Jones – 126,000

Jarred Graham, Winner of WSOP Event # 31

Jarred Graham, Winner of WSOP Event # 31

Final table play began with some quick action and all-in pots. Coming up on the losing end of these big pots was Perry Green, who was quartered by Greenstein and then lost his few remaining chips also to Greenstein. Perry Green ended the day in 9th place with $18,233.

The next one eliminated was Brazilian Joao Simao, whose KJ32 was no good against Marco Johnson’s
AT42. Simao took home $23,338 for his 8th place finish. Next, Noomis Jones and Eric Rodawig got it in preflop. Rodawig showed the A26Q, while Jones held the AKJ4. The board came down
K83 9 K, and Rodawig was sent packing in 7th place, with $30,275 in winnings.

Noomis eliminated another player only a couple of hands later when he got it in against Loni Harwood on a flop of T63. Harwood revealed the A257 for the nut low draw, while Jones had AKJT for top pair, top kicker and the nut flush draw. The turn was the 3, and the river came the Q. No help for Loni Harwood, who busted out in 7th place, earning $39,803.

Marco Johnson and Gabriel Blumenthal then got all in preflop with the following hands:

Johnson: AQ72
Blumenthal: AK98

The board was Q52 3 8, making Johnson the winning hand in both directions. Gabriel Blumenthal was knocked out of the tournament in 5th place, receiving $53,096 for his efforts.

Noomis Jones, who had eliminated a couple of players, then saw his luck change suddenly for the worse. He was able to get all his chips in against Jarred Graham while holding the nuts: 4332 on a board of
A53Q. Noomis had the nut straight and the nut low and a set of treys giving him a full house re-draw. However, Graham revealed the 64T2, for the same nuts in both directions and a different re-draw! Graham had a slight 52% equity edge, and his card came in when the 7 river made him a better straight. Noomis Jones had to leave the table in 4th place, taking home a prize of $71,924.

Graham and Johnson then got involved in a huge pot with each other. Jarred Graham opened on the button to 80,000, and Johnson defended his big blind. The flop was 76T and Graham made a c-bet, which Johnson called. The turn was the A, and the action went check, check. The 7 came on the river. Johnson made a pot-sized bet of 420,000. Graham fiddled with his chips for a bit before declaring, “All-in.” Johnson looked pained and wondered aloud, “Why didn’t I just check?” After a few minutes in the tank, Johnson made the call. Graham had the AA52 for top boat and a 7-6-5-2-A low, while Johnson revealed the
A749 for a worse full house and no low. Johnson had begun the hand with more chips than Graham, so he was still alive, but was crippled with only 400,000 chips.

Incredibly, Johnson was then able to double up, hit some lucky cards and build his stack back up to over a million chips. PokerStars pro Barry Greenstein was not so fortunate, and steadily bled chips to the other players. He got it in against Graham with the AA64 on a KQ3 board. Graham held the
AQ73 for the best hand, two pair. The turn and river came 8 and J, so Barry’s one pair did not improve. Barry Greenstein exited the tournament in 3rd place with $99,091.

The stacks going into heads-up play were:

Jarred Graham – 3,395,000
Marco Johnson – 825,000

Heads up play did not last long, as the players got into an all-in pot almost immediately. Johnson open-raised, and Graham three-bet. Johnson pondered his decision, then made the call. The flop was 9T3, and Graham quickly bet pot, which was more than Johnson’s remaining chips. Johnson again thought about his decision for a while, and finally said, “I have a pair. I have to call.” The cards were revealed:

Johnson: 473A
Graham: AK5K

Graham was a 62% favorite with his pair of Kings, but Johnson was not dead yet by any means. He could pair any of his cards to take the lead, or catch runner-runner for low. The turn was the K, giving Graham an uncrackable set of kings, and the anticlimactic Q on the river sealed Marco Johnson’s fate. His 2nd place showing, good for $158,379, increases his total to three 2nd place finishes at the WSOP without winning any events.

Jarred Graham worked his stack up steadily, from being the short stack at the beginning of day 3 to being the only player with chips left at the end. For his tenacity and resolve, he was rewarded with $255,942 and a WSOP gold bracelet, the first of his poker career. The complete final table payouts were as follows:

1. Jarred Graham – $255,942
2. Marco Johnson – $158,379
3. Barry Greenstein – $99,091
4. Noomis Jones – $71,924
5. Gabriel Blumenthal – $53,096
6. Loni Harwood – $39,803
7. Eric Rodawig – $30,275
8. Joao Simao – $23,338
9. Perry Green – $18,233