Event #9, the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout, began with 477 players. Ten players made it to Day 3 with a chance to claim a World Series of Poker gold bracelet. It wan an impressive bunch that included four bracelet winners, but only one would emerge from the tournament with three single-table wins. That man was Cliff Josephy, now the proud owner of two WSOP bracelets (the first coming in 2005 in a $1,500 Stud tournament for $192,150).
Each final table participant began with a similar chip stack of about 71 big blinds to begin the final table. Despite jumping out to an early lead, Bulgarian Simeon Naydenov was the first to fall. After he doubled up David "Bakes" Baker on Hand #20, Naydenov fell on Hand #34 when he lost a race against Evan Silverstein. The next player to fall was Ryan Hughes when he lost a coin flip against Chris Klodnicki 34 hands later to exit in ninth place.
In a five-hand span, Josephy dispatched of Alessandro Longobardi and Tim West in fifth and fourth place, respectively to enter the dinner break with 65% of the chips.
Heads-up play began with Josephy holding a slight lead over Silverstein and 46 hands later, Josephy sealed the deal and captured his second WSOP bracelet.
We hope you enjoyed our hand-for-hand coverage of this final table, and urge you to follow our coverage for the remainder of the summer as more bracelets are awarded. For now, good night from Las Vegas!
Hand #217: On the last hand of heads up, Cliff Josephy raised to 60,000 from the button. Evan Silverstein raised all in. Josephy asked for a count, then made the call for 680,000 total.
Josephy:
Silverstein:
The flop was huge for Silverstein, making him the favorite. According to the PokerNews Odds Calculator Silverstein was a 66% favorite to win the hand. The on the turn was not one of those outs though, and Silverstein was still looking to catch up. It was the on the river that sealed the deal and gave the victory to Josephy.
Fresh off of his first career WSOP bracelet win, Matt Waxman joins the PokerNews Podcast to talk about his win, playing Eric Baldwin heads up, and his poker career. Then, Danny Suied, AKA "The Miami Boss," joins the podcast to talk about swagger and $500 bills.
Hand #152: For the third hand in a row Steven Silverman raised to 40,000. Time West moved all in for 320,000 from the button. Then Cliff Josephy moved all in over the top from the small blind. Silverman folded and the two players went to a showdown:
Josephy:
West:
The board ran out and Josephy's jacks held up to eliminate West from the tournament.
Hand #148: Steven Silverman raised to 40,000 from under the gun. He was called by Cliff Josephy from the button. Longobardi then moved all in from the small blind for 216,000. Silverman folded. Josephy tanked then called showing . Longobardi was ahead with .
The board of brought Josephy a full house and eliminated Longobardi from the tournament.
Hand #110: Max Steinberg raised from early position. Cliff Josephy called from the big blind. On the flop, Josephy checked. Steinberg bet 55,000, Josephy raised to 150,000, Steinberg moved all in for about 420,000, and Josephy quickly called.
Josephy:
Steinberg:
The turn was the and it left Steinberg drawing dead. The dealer put out the on the river but it didn't matter and Steinberg was eliminated in 7th place.
Hand #102: Under the gun, Cliff Josephy raised to 28,000. Chris Klodnicki made a reraise to 65,000. With the action back on Josephy, he moved all in with a covering stack. Klodnicki called for 348,000 total and the players turned their hands over.
Klodnicki:
Josephy:
The dealer put out the board of giving Josephy two pair and the winning hand, eliminating Klodnicki in 8th place.
Hand #68: Action folded to Ryan Hughes on the button who raised to 100,000. In the small blind, David Baker moved all. Chris Klodnicki folded his big blind. Ryan Hughes called all in for 155,000 and showed , Baker showed . The board ran out and Baker's pair of jacks eliminated Hughes from the tournament.