2013 World Series of Poker

Event #16: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info

2013 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k9
Prize
$331,190
Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Level Info
Level
6
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
0

Event #16: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em

Day 3 Started

Weclome to the Final Four of Event #14, the $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship!

Ben Sulsky is Looking to Add a WSOP Bracelet to His Impressive Poker Trophy Case Here in the Semifinals of Event #14
Ben Sulsky is Looking to Add a WSOP Bracelet to His Impressive Poker Trophy Case Here in the Semifinals of Event #14

Today four of poker's young guns will take their seats in the Amazon Room to compete for one of the WSOP's most coveted titles, as the $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship comes to a thrilling conclusion. A total of 162 players ponied up ten stacks of high society for the chance to take the heads-up crown, including defending champion Brian Hastings, who fell short in his quest for back to back heads-up bracelets.

The field was a star-studded affair, with the likes of Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Vanessa Selbst, Michael Mizrachi, Phil Galfond, Sam Trickett, and a host of prominent professionals sitting across from one another to compete in intense heads-up duels. Eventually the field was pared to 32, and on Day 2 of the event they played three more rounds to reduce the amount of runners to a final four.

Today's matchups can be found below, and each of our remaining four players had to overcome talented, tough pros to put themselves on the brink of poker's premier prize: the glittering gold WSOP bracelet.

Justin Bonomo defeated Jonathan Kantor, Warwick Mirzikinian, and Russell Rosenblum on his way to the final four, while his opponent today, Canadian pro Mark Radoja, only had to overcome the likes of Phil Hellmuth to earn his ticket to the semifinals.

Our other semifinalists also prevailed over a stacked bracket to advance, as Ben "Sauce123" Sulsky vanquished fellow online legend Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond and PokerStars Team Pro Randy Lew during the first two days of play. His final four opponent, Don Nguyen, bested Ali Eslami, Craig Bergeron, Sean Winter to reach this high water mark in his young poker career.

Semifinals

Playervs.Player
Ben Sulsky-Don Nguyen
Mark Radoja-Justin Bonomo

Play is set to resume here at the Rio at 2:00pm PST, so stick with PokerNews throughout the day for continuous coverage of this prestigious heads-up championship.

Level: 1

Blinds: 8,000/16,000

Ante:

First Three Hands of Sauce vs. Nguyen

Level 1 : 8,000/16,000, 0 ante

Hand #1: Don Nguyen had the button and raised to 32,000. Ben "Sauce123" Sulsky three-bet to 85,000, and Nguyen folded.

Hand #2: Sulsky limped in on the button, Nguyen checked, and the flop came {6-Clubs}{5-Clubs}{2-Clubs}. Nguyen check-called a 25,000-chip bet, and the turn brought the {3-Hearts}. Nguyen checked, Sulsky fired out 60,000, and Nguyen called. The {6-Diamonds} completed the board, Nguyen check-called one last bet - this one was worth 65,000 - and Sulsky showed {q-Hearts}{4-Clubs}. Nguyen mucked his hand.

Hand #3: Nguyen raised to 32,000 on the button, Sulsky called, and the dealer fanned {j-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds}. Sulsky check-called a bet of 25,000, and the turn brought a fourth diamond - the {4-Diamonds}. Sulsky checked, Nguyen fired out 43,000, and Sulsky called. The river was a fifth diamond - the {9-Diamonds} - and both players knuckled. Nguyen showed {10-Diamonds}{2-Spades}, and won the pot.

Both players still have their two lammers.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ben Sulsky us
Ben Sulsky
2,118,000
198,000
198,000
Run It Once
Profile photo of Don Nguyen us
Don Nguyen
1,722,000
-198,000
-198,000

Tags: Ben SulskyDon Nguyen

Nguyen Gets Some Back

Level 1 : 8,000/16,000, 0 ante

Hand #4: Ben Sulsky raised to 42,000 on the button, Don Nguyen three-bet to 105,000, and Sulsky folded.

Hand #5: Nguyen raised to 32,000 on the button, Sulsky defended, and the flop came {9-Spades}{3-Clubs}{8-Clubs}. Sulsky check-called a bet of 25,000, and both player checked on the turn ({8-Diamonds}) and the river ({k-Hearts}). Sulsky showed {9-Hearts}{5-Diamonds} and won the pot.

Hand #6: Sulsky limped in on the button, Nguyen raised to 61,000, and Sulsky folded.

Hand #7: Nguyen raised to 32,000 with the button, Sulsky called, and then Sulsky check-folded to a bet of 25,000 on a flop of {9-Hearts}{j-Hearts}{10-Spades}.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ben Sulsky us
Ben Sulsky
1,985,000
-133,000
-133,000
Run It Once
Profile photo of Don Nguyen us
Don Nguyen
1,855,000
133,000
133,000

Tags: Ben SulskyDon Nguyen

Bite the Bullet

Level 1 : 8,000/16,000, 0 ante
In this Heads-Up Championship, It's All About the Bullets Baby
In this Heads-Up Championship, It's All About the Bullets Baby

For today's semifinal matches, each player holds a starting stack of 640,000 chips, in addition to a pair of lammers which can be exchanged for the same amount. In total, the players have 1.92 million chips at their disposal, and each can elect to use their lammers at any time in the match.

We will let you know how Mark Radoja and Justin Bonomo decide to utilize their extra bullets as the contest progresses.

Raojda Takes Early Lead

Level 1 : 8,000/16,000, 0 ante

Hand #1: Mark Radoja had the button. He raised it up to an unknown amount and Justin Bonomo folded.

Hand #2: Bonomo made it 32,000 from his button and Radoja let it go.

Hand #3: Radoja raised to 32,000 and Bonomo called. The flop brought {8-Clubs}{J-Clubs}{8-Hearts} and Bonomo checked. Radoja continued for 32,000 and Bonomo stuck around.

Fourth street was the {7-Spades} and Bonomo checked again. Radoja fired 71,000 and Bonomo flat called once again to see the {3-Clubs} finish off the board. Bonomo checked and Radoja announced 162,000. Bonomo took about fifteen seconds before dropping in a call.

Radoja showed {A-Diamonds}{8-Spades} for trips and Bonomo tossed his hand to the muck. After the hand, Bonomo cashed in one of his lammers to have an additional 640,000 added to his stack.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mark Radoja ca
Mark Radoja
2,210,000
290,000
290,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Profile photo of Justin Bonomo us
Justin Bonomo
1,630,000
-290,000
-290,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Run It Once

Tags: Justin BonomoMark Radoja

Nguyen Folds to a River Shove; Then Doubles

Level 1 : 8,000/16,000, 0 ante
Don Nguyen
Don Nguyen

Hand #8: Ben Sulsky limped in on the button, Don Nguyen checked, and the flop fell {a-Spades}{k-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}. Nguyen led out for 20,000, Sulsky called, and the turn was the {8-Diamonds}. Nguyen led out again - this time for 50,000 - and Sulsky again called.

The {3-Hearts} completed the board, Nguyen fired a third and final bullet worth 120,000, and Sulsky moved all in for effectively 489,000. Nguyen tanked for quite some time, then folded the {a-Clubs} face up.

Hand #9: Nguyen raised to 32,000 on the button, Sulsky pushed out a stack of green T25,000 chips, putting Nguyen all in for 369,000, and Nguyen called.

Nguyen: {a-Hearts}{10-Hearts}
Sulsky: {k-Spades}{6-Hearts}

The board came {7-Spades}{10-Clubs}{3-Hearts}{q-Diamonds}{10-Spades}, and Nguyen doubled to 738,000 chips plus two lammers. Sulsky has 542,000 chips and his two lammers.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Don Nguyen us
Don Nguyen
2,018,000
163,000
163,000
Profile photo of Ben Sulsky us
Ben Sulsky
1,822,000
-163,000
-163,000
Run It Once

Tags: Ben SulskyDon Nguyen

Level: 2

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Ante:

Nguyen Extends His Lead Over Sauce

Level 2 : 10,000/20,000, 0 ante

Hand #10: Ben "Sauce123" Sulsky limped in on the button, Don Nguyen checked, and both players rapped the table on a flop of {j-Hearts}{5-Spades}{2-Spades}. The turn was the {k-Spades}, Nguyen led out for 20,000, and Sulsky folded.

Hand #11: Nguyen raised to 32,000 on the button, Sulsky three-bet to 80,000, and Nguyen folded.

Hand #12: On the first hand of the new level, Sulsky called on the button, Nguyen raised to 60,000, and Sulsky called. Nguyen led out for 70,000 on a flop of {10-Spades}{5-Hearts}{8-Spades}, and Sulsky folded.

Hand #13: Nguyen raised to 40,000 on the button, and Sulsky folded.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Don Nguyen us
Don Nguyen
2,082,000
64,000
64,000
Profile photo of Ben Sulsky us
Ben Sulsky
1,758,000
-64,000
-64,000
Run It Once

Tags: Ben SulskyDon Nguyen