2014 WSOP Day 26: Mizrachi Wins Second Bracelet; Dempsey, Suriano Grab Their First

June 22, 2014

It was a busy afternoon at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas as three World Series of Poker events played down to a conclusion. Among the winners was Robert Mizrachi, who took down the inaugural Dealer's Choice event to claim his second career bracelet and surpass the $5 million mark in career cashes.

Also landing in the winner's circle were Sean Dempsey and Davide Suriano, who outlasted a pro-heavy field to win the prestigious $10,000 Heads-up Championship.

Here’s a rundown of how things went in all five of the events that were in action on Saturday:

Event #39: $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em

Sean Dempsey considers Omaha his primary game, but it was no-limit hold’em that he mastered over three and a half days in Event #39. Dempsey outlasted a field of 992 in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em event, eventually defeating Ryan Jaconetti heads-up to claim the $548,460 top prize and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

The scheduled three-day event had to take to a fourth day to settle things and three players returned on Saturday to fight it out. Jake Schindler came in holding a slight chip lead over Jaconetti, but he was the first go even after his A♥J♥ flopped big versus the A♣Q♠ of Jaconetti on a 6♥K♥K♠ board. The J♠ turn was even bigger, but the A♦ on the river counterfeited his two pair and Jaconetti had him outkicked.

Jaconetti went into heads-up play with more than a 2-to-1 chip lead, but Dempsey remained patient. The two players traded jabs and double ups until the last hand when Dempsey’s pocket jacks held against the queen-ten of Jaconetti.

With the win, Dempsey took home his second six-figure payday from the WSOP, but this one is nearly five times his previous at $548,460.

Final Table Payouts

Event #40: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship

Event #40: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship began with 136 players on Thursday. After 135 matches in eight rounds, only one emerged with an undefeated record. 25-year-old Davide Suriano outlasted the field, capturing his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet and a $335,553 payday by beating Sam Stein in the championship match. While Suriano was not among the elite names at the start of the event, he beat his fair share of the game's best to capture the title.

Suriano received a bye in the play-in round, automatically sending him to the round of 128 where he faced Scott Seiver. A short-stacked Seiver got his chips in with A♦2♥ against Suriano's K♦3♦. A king on the river fell to give Suriano the victory, setting up a match against Dan Cates in the Round of 64. The chips went in very early and Suriano trailed with J♠J♥ against Cates' K♠K♦, but the board ran out A♦J♣4♠6♣9♦, giving Suriano a set to earn a seat against Shane Moran in the Round of 32. After gaining the upper hand, Suriano locked up the min-cash when his 7♠7♦ held up against Moran's A♦9♦.

With Day 1 in his rearview mirror, Suriano began Day 2 by facing Serkan Kurnaz. In what turned out to be the longest match in the Round of 16, Suriano closed it out when Kurnaz shoved the river of a K♣J♣10♣10♠A♥ board with Q♠7♣. Suriano called with K♠K♥ for a full house to advance to the Round of 8 for a date with online heads-up specialist Ankush Mandavia. Suriano made relatively quick work of Mandvaia, sealing the deal when his K♣7♦ held against Mandavia's K♦3♠. The next round brought another heads-up phenom in Daniel Colman, but once again Suriano controlled the pace of the match. He locked up the victory when his 8♥8♣ topped Colman's A♣5♦. Suriano flopped a set, turned a full house and was on his way to the final for a match with Stein.

In what many expected to be a slow, long and drawn out heads-up duel, Suriano put the pedal to the medal immediately. He never once surrendered the chip lead and closed it out against Stein in just 36 hands.

"This victory is going to change my life," Suriano told PokerNews' Remko Rinkema after the match.

Here is complete look at Suriano's path to victory:

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Event #41: $1,500 Six-Handed Dealer’s Choice

Robert Mizrachi began the day as the chip leader and just seven and a half hours later he was awarded his second career World Series of Poker bracelet. Mizrachi overcame a severe chip deficit and bested Aaron Schaff during heads up play to earn $147,092 in first-place prize money as well as the prestige of being the champion of the first-ever dealer's choice event.

The day began with 10 players returning to the felt with hopes of claiming the aforementioned title. The day was filled with potential storylines including those of two-time bracelet winner Jen Harman and Melissa Burr. Not only were these two the last women standing in the event, but both were on the hunt for number three. For Harman, it was potentially a day to win her third bracelet. Burr, on the other hand, was looking for her third final table of the 2014 WSOP. Unfortunately for both ladies, these goals were dashed early on as they became the first casualties of the day with Harman busting in tenth and Burr falling in ninth.

Soon after Burr's elimination, Arthur Morris was sent to the rail in eighth place, allowing the rest of the field to combine to the unofficial final table of seven. Marco Johnson came into the unofficial final table as the short stack and despite an early double up, he was ultimately unable to gain further momentum. Johnson was eventually eliminated by Mizrachi in 2-7 triple draw and the official final table was set.

The final table had interesting shifts in dynamic with players slowly chipping away at each other's stacks in limit games one moment and suddenly changing pace by playing large pots for entire player's stacks in primarily pot-limit Omaha. The first large confrontation and eventual elimination did indeed come in PLO, and unfortunately for 2010 WSOP Player of the Year Frank Kassela, his quest for bracelet number three was cut short when he was eliminated from play in sixth place.

The next key hand saw not one, but two players hit the rail as Schaff made top two pair which was good enough toeliminate both Daniel Idema and Bill Chen. Schaff held a commanding lead and was suddenly two eliminations away from his first bracelet.

Shane Abbott had been riding a short stack for a good portion of the day and had survived three all in confrontations, but his demise came after an ill-timed decision when he shoved K♦5♦ into Mizrachi's A♦A♠, sending him out the door in third place.

Despite his victory over Abbott, Mizrachi was still at a severe chip disadvantage against Schaff. That, however, did not stop the bracelet-winner from grinding his opponent in limit games to quickly increase his stack. Mizrachi seized the chip lead not too long into the heads up bout and never relinquished it for the rest of the match.

On the final hand of the tournament, Mizrachi had worn Schaff down to about 3.5 big bets in the draw games. Mizrachi had the game selection and chose A-5 triple draw. The two got it all in for Schaff's tournament life before the second draw. Mizrachi stood pat for the final two draws while his opponent opted for one card on each pull. To clinch the match, Mizrachi tabled his made 6♠5♦3♦2♠A♠ and saw that Schaff's 7x5x3xAx left him drawing dead. Mizrachi jumped up from the table and greeted his rail, which included his brother and three-time bracelet winner Michael Mizrachi. Schaff, on the other hand, was forced to settle for a runner-up finish and $90,854 in prize money.

Final Table Payouts

Event #42: $5,000 Six-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha

Day 2 of the 2014 World Series of Poker Event #42: $5,000 Six-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha saw the surviving 96 players of a 452-player field return to the Rio All-Suite Casino & Hotel for ten more one-hour levels of play. During that time the money bubble burst – ensuring the top 48 a piece of the $2,124,400 prize pool – and the field was whittled down to the final 13.

Sitting atop the counts with 1.087 million is Phil Laak, who finds himself best equipped to make a run at the $541,747 first-place prize. However, in order to capture it he’ll have to get through some other big stacks including Joseph Leung (818,000), Sorel Mizzi (735,000) and Ryan Schmidt (720,000).

Also making it through the day was David "Bakes" Baker (308,000), who dealt a rather nasty beat to Phil Hellmuth on Day 2. It happened when Laak opened the action with a raise to 2,400 from the cutoff. Hellmuth then called from the small blind, and Baker three-bet it to 9,600 from the big. Laak got out of the way and Hellmuth made the call to see a flop of 2♦9♥3♦.

Hellmuth checked, Baker continued for 20,000, and Hellmuth shoved all in for roughly 60,000. Baker made the call and Hellmuth was in a dominating spot.

Hellmuth: 9♣9♠J♥10♠
Baker: A♥A♦3♥K♣

Hellmuth had flopped top set, which was well out in front of Baker's aces. The 2♠ turn gave Hellmuth a full house, and that meant all he needed to do was dodge an ace on the river to stay alive. That proved easier said than done though as the A♠ spiked to eliminate Hellmuth and throw him into one of his trademark fits.

While dozens of other notables fell, a few managed to make it through the night including Brant Hale (583,000), Richard Ashby (426,000), Kory Kilpatrick (333,000), and Brandon Crawford (214,000).

The third and final day of action is set to kick off at 1 p.m. local time on Sunday. Who will walk away with the $541,747 first-place prize and WSOP gold bracelet? Join us then as the PokerNews Live Reporting Team brings you all the action and eliminations on the way to crowning a champion.

Event #43: $1,500 Limit Hold’em

Dan Kelly will return Sunday as the chip leader of Event #43, having bagged up an impressive 734,000 chips. His quiet demeanor coupled with a relentless focus helped him pick up those extra bets whenever possible and saw his stack steadily grow throughout the day.

Hoping to stop Kelly from earning his second bracelet will be David Chiu in second place who finished on 473,000 and Sean Berrios with 373,000 in third.

Out of a starting field of 657 on Day 1 a total of 118 would return at the start of the Day 2, and by the end of 10 levels of play the official final table of nine was set in the very last hand of the night as Steven Wolansky was eliminated by Brandon Shack-Harris to leave Shack-Harris on 269,000.

Join the PokerNews Live Reporting team on Sunday at 2 p.m. as we follow all the action until a gold bracelet and $195,167 is awarded to the champion.

Event #44: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em

Day 1 of Event #44: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em 1,914 players who coughed up the buy-in to create a prize pool of $2,583,900. The top spot pays $478,102 to go along with the enviable gold bracelet that will be awarded to the champion.

Day 1 came to a close very close to the money as only 212 survived. Standing on top of the field going into Day 2 is Jason Johnson, who already made a final table in the Millionaire Maker this summer. Johnson and his 150,900 in chips hold a substantial lead over Louis Laxineta with the second-largest stack of 111,600. Only five players managed to creep past the 100K mark and Johnson is the one the catch.

Play will resume at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Amazon Room, and it won’t take long for the money bubble to burst at 198 players.

On Tap

Five events will be in action Sunday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Champion will be crowned in Event #42: $5,000 Six-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha and Event #43: $1,500 Limit Hold’em, while Event #44: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em will work its way into Day 2. A $1,000 no-limit hold'em event will kick off at noon, and then the always anticipated $50,000 Poker Players Championship will begin at 4 p.m.

Here’s the full schedule of bracelet events for today (all times PDT):

• 12:00 p.m. — Event #45: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em (Day 1 of 3)
• 1:00 p.m. — Event #44: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em (Day 2 of 3)
• 1:00 p.m. — Event #42: $5,000 Six-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha (Day 3 of 3)
• 2:00 p.m. — Event #43: $1,500 Limit Hold’em (Day 3 of 3)
• 4:00 p.m. — Event #46: $50,000 Poker Players' Championship (Day 1 of 5)

Video of the Day

Poker isn't the only competition taking place between players in Las Vegas this summer. Basketball games have been forming all over the city between many of poker's top talents. Sarah Grant spoke with Jason Koon and JC Tran about a seven-game series that took place between their two teams this week.

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