Neil Willerson Wins Event #50 of WSOP
Neil Willerson emerged victorious in the No Limit $1,500 buy-in Hold’em WSOP event in the early hours of July 3. The play was actually scheduled to be completed on July 2, but tournament organizers were forced to end the heads-up round because of a hard-stop policy introduced recently. A visibly upset Willerson still kept his head on as he returned early on the next day to finish off his opponent and win a bracelet along with his substantial winnings, which amounted to $737,248.
Ryan Huges Was the First Player to be Eliminated From the Final Table
Hugh Henderson had caused substantial damage to Ryan Huges’s prospects when he had won more than 50% of Huges’s stack. Henderson’s pocket queens had trumped Huges’s A-Q, leaving him with only half of what he had in the beginning of that hand.
Henderson tried to up the ante by taking a risk and going all-in on the next hand, he lost more than half his chips. He was up with an A-J against Vladimir Mefodichey, who was holding an A-K. Huges’s prospect looked bright as he had the better hand with the board reading A-J-T on the flop. The turn however, changed fortunes as a Q gave Mefodichey’s set a nut straight. The river turned out to be a brick as Huges was eliminated before he could comprehend what was happening.
Henderson, Willerson and Mefodichey Make It to the Final Table
The play was brutal as most people in the final table were pretty aggressive with their strategies. There were huge wins and consequently, huge losses as people left the table at regular intervals. Willerson was yet to make a substantial play as he slowly but steadily accumulated chips. Mefodichey was involved in a couple of eliminations.
Willerson was quick to make a move and eliminate Henderson, a short while into the three-handed play. They both had got all their chips in on a pre-flop, with Henderson in the lead holding against Willerson, who was holding an A-5. But the flop came out J-9-2 making Willerson’s set a flush draw with an additional overcard. Though the turn came out as a brick, the river gave Willerson a shot at heads-up play against Mefodichey, with a 7.
Willerson Emerges Victor after the Tug-Off War
Chips were exchanged back and forth as both Willerson and Mefodichey did not allow the other to dominate the proceedings. But Willerson slowly, but steadily, started to make some progress by accumulating a chip lead.
The final hand was a testament to this style of play from Willerson, when he was frazzled by a Mefodichey double on the penultimate hand. The flop read 8-4-3, after which there was an outbreak of raises and bets. That ended with both the players being all-in, with Mefodichey’s K-5 facing off against Willerson’s J-6. The turn (6) gave Willerson a pair and the river (T) sealed his first WSOP bracelet win.
Joey Weissman was another player who won his first WSOP bracelet by winning event #46 in WSOP 12. Click here to read more about it.