Brent Hanks is the champion of event 2 of the 2012 WSOP.
The poker purists couldn't have dreamed for a better final table for our first top tier WSOP bracelet event of 2012. WSOP bracelet holders Vanessa Selbst, JP Kelly and Andrew Badecker all making sure that our lips remained moist by securing their berths. But after the cards had stopped flying and the chips stopped riffling it was only fitting that Brent Hanks was the man who had to find a security box for his new piece of gold. Hanks has made three previous WSOP final tables, but until today his pan always remained devoid of gold, so our congratulations are with him in his moment of glory.
If you were wondering how to squeeze 2,101 players into three days of poker then Event #2 $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em had all of the secret ingredients. We started Day 3 with 15-players but were down to the final table of 9 within the blink of an eye, and it was all of the inexperienced players who fell by the wayside.
When the final table started all eyes were on the WSOP gold bracelets owners and it was JP Kelly who had the roughest ride of the three. The infamous British rail was back and they hollered and cheered irrespective of whether JP Kelly won or lost! JP Kelly doubled up Abdyl Konjuhi, cracked the aces of Andrew Badecker, was crippled my Michael Kaufman, quadrupled up and then finally left the building after being eliminated by Brent Hanks in 8th place.
Vanessa Selbst was searching for her second bracelet and after eliminating Michael Kaufman in 7th place she became the chip leader. No sooner did everyone think Selbst would go on her usual dominating march, Brent Hanks pulled her back after a blind battle where Hanks hit a full house at the same time that Selbst hit a straight. Not only did Selbst slip from the top spot but also it was a tournament defining hand for Hanks.
Heading into Level 26 and it was Hanks, Selbst and Bazeley who each had over 2 million in chips. Hanks and Selbst were very active but Bazeley seemed somewhat card dead. Brent Hanks then became the first player to reach 3 million chips when he eliminated Abdyl Konjuhi in 6th place, Bazeley found a hand and reduced Selbst to the short stack and Andrew Badecker stepped up to the plate with the eliminations of Ryan Schmidt in 5th place the dangerous Vanessa Selbst in 4th place.
So into three-handed play it was Badecker with all the chips, all the momentum and all the experience of finishing off WSOP final tables. But who cares if you river a boat against an opponent holding a higher boat! Jacob Bazeley holding on a board of against the of Badecker. The dust had still not settled on that hand when Badecker was out in 3rd place. He got it all-in holding and Hanks woke up with to set up the heads-up battle.
It was even-steven going into heads-up and for several hours of heads-up action there was still no separating them. It was always going to come down to one monumental all-in pre flop encounter and when it happened Bazeley was the favourite to take home the WSOP gold. Brent Hanks raised to 160,000, Jacob Bazeley three-bet to 420,000, Brent Hanks four-bet to 780,000, Jacob Bazeley five bet jammed all-in and Brent Hanks made the call. It was Bazeley and his versus Hanks and his . Bazeley was just five cards away from his dream title but the deck had a different destiny in mind. The on the flop handing Hanks the winning hand but he would have to wait a little bit longer for his moment of glory as Bazeley was left with some chip dust. The inevitable ending happened in the very next hand when the of Hanks beat the of Bazeley and Hanks was crowned Event #2 $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em champion!
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Jacob Bazeley eliminated in 2nd place
After making the trek to three WSOP final tables, and coming away empty handed each time, has Brent Hanks finally solved his WSOP final table riddle?
After what had been a very pedestrian paced heads-up encounter it sparked into life in one magical moment of pre flop tension. Brent Hanks raised to 160,000, Jacob Bazeley three-bet to 420,000, Brent Hanks four-bet to 780,000, Jacob Bazeley five bet jammed all-in and Brent Hanks made the call.
Hanks
Bazeley
Bazeley was ahead and he had Hanks covered. The dealer was preparing to reveal the board and the chants were raining down from the rail, "ace, ace, ace, ace, ace, ace!"
Flop:
There was a huge cheer from the rail as the sight of the ace penetrated the eyeballs. The turn and river could not save Bazeley and he was down to less than one big blind.
In the very next hand the cards were turned over and Hanks was just five cards away from WSOP glory, after his were shown to dominate the of Bazeley. The board ran out and Hanks had won his first WSOP bracelet despite being down to as low as two big blinds early on during Day 2. Commiserations to Jacob Bazeley who takes away $322,294 for his runner-up finish.
Brent Hanks raised to 120,000, Jacob Bazeley raised it up to 325,000 and Hanks made the call. The flop was , Bazeley checked, Hanks bet 160,000 and Bazeley made the call. The turn was the and Bazeley checked once more and this time Hanks followed suit. The final card was the and Bazeley checked for the third time. All eyeballs fell on Hanks and he reached into his stack and pulled out a bet of 580,000. Bazeley dwelled for quite a long while before eventually making the call. Hanks turned over for a pair of kings and Bazeley mucked his hand.
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Andrew Badecker eliminated in 3rd place
Brent Hanks raised to 100,000 on the button, Andrew Badecker three-bet to 250,000 in the small blind, Brent Hank four-bet to 540,000 and the pressure was right back on Badecker. How was his state of mind after that huge hand with Bazeley?
"I am all-in," said Badecker.
Hanks called and when Badecker saw the hand of his opponent his face stared up at the heavens.
Hanks
Badecker
Board:
So with the elimination of Badecker the heads up encounter between Brent Hanks and Jason Bazeley means we are going to have a brand new WSOP champion.
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Vanessa Selbst eliminated in 4th place
Vanessa Selbst has just been eliminated by Andrew Badecker, meaning Badecker is the only remaining WSOP bracelet winner left in the field. Selbst was short after losing a significant pot to Jacob Bazeley. She moved all-in from the cutoff holding and Andrew Badecker called in the small blind holding .
Selbst had many fans on the rail including Maria Ho, Tiffany Michelle, Liv Boeree and Kevin MacPhee, but despite all of their hollering the poker gods just weren't listening.
Board:
Selbst is out and Badecker moves into the chip lead with three players remaining.
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Adbel Konjuhi eliminated in 6th place
The action folded around to our chip leader Brent Hanks who was seated on the button, and he made the raise. Andrew Badecker folded in the small blind but Abdyl Konjuhi moved all-in from the big blind for around 500,000. Hanks called very quickly and when Konjuhi saw his hand he didn't like it one bit.
Hanks
Konjuhi
So Konjuhi needed some low cards or hearts. The board ran out and the necessary ingredients for a Konjuhi double up were missing, and he leaves us in 6th place. Hanks extends his lead at the top to 3,000,000.
Ryan Schmidt raised to 50,000 in first position and Michael Kaufman forced him to fold with a 150,000 three-bet from the hijack.
Then Vanessa Selbst raised to 48,000 under the gun and when the action folded to Abdyl Konjuhi he moved all-in for around 280,000. Selbst decided to make the call and we had a showdown with Konjuhi at risk of an elimination.
Konjuhi
Selbst
Board:
No magical eight for Selbst and Konjuhi doubled up.
Brent Hanks put JP Kelly all-in who was still very very short. Kelly called right away and we went to showdown once more.
Brent Hanks
JP Kelly
The board ran out and that was it for JP Kelly. No third bracelet for the Brit who still managed to pick up a very nice payday at the beginning of the WSOP. We are down to seven players.
Andrew Badecker opened up the action with a standard raise and Richard Park moved all-in. Badecker made the call and we had a showdown with Park at risk of elimination.
Badecker
Park
Board:
Badecker removed Park from the final table and JP Kelly gets an unexpected pay jump.
As soon as we reach the final table of nine players will be on a break. All the chips will be moved to the secondary feature table in the Pavillion Room. There will be live streaming but no commentary.
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on a board of 
against the 
of Badecker. The dust had still not settled on that hand when Badecker was out in 3rd place. He got it all-in holding 
versus Hanks and his 
. Bazeley was just five cards away from his dream title but the deck had a different destiny in mind. The 
on the flop handing Hanks the winning hand but he would have to wait a little bit longer for his moment of glory as Bazeley was left with some chip dust. The inevitable ending happened in the very next hand when the 
of Bazeley and Hanks was crowned Event #2 $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em champion!
and river 
could not save Bazeley and he was down to less than one big blind.
and Hanks had won his first WSOP bracelet despite being down to as low as two big blinds early on during Day 2. Commiserations to Jacob Bazeley who takes away $322,294 for his runner-up finish.
and Bazeley checked for the third time. All eyeballs fell on Hanks and he reached into his stack and pulled out a bet of 580,000. Bazeley dwelled for quite a long while before eventually making the call. Hanks turned over 
for a pair of kings and Bazeley mucked his hand.
and Andrew Badecker called in the small blind holding 
and the necessary ingredients for a Konjuhi double up were missing, and he leaves us in 6th place. Hanks extends his lead at the top to 3,000,000.
