The Event #18: $10,000 Seven-Card Razz Championship has finally come to a conclusion with Germany's George Danzer being crowned the Champion after besting a 112-player field for his first World Series of Poker bracelet!
On Friday evening, 112 players took to the felt for the biggest buy-in Razz Championship of all time - besting the $5,000 buy-in won by Huck Seed in 2003. Not only was this tournament the biggest of all time, but it was also the first time since 1977 that more than two Razz tournaments have been on the WSOP schedule.
With such a small field, unique game and big buy-in, an all-star field took a seat in this tournament, and as multiple bracelet winners and big name poker players were bounced to the rail throughout Day 1, just 74 players survived. Day 2 would be filled with a flurry of eliminations as play was fast-paced leading up until the bubble period which eventually saw Jesse Martin earn the moniker of bubble boy. Scott Clements, Nick Schulman, Hoyt Corkins and Paul Volpe would round out the in-the-money eliminations as just 12 players would return to battle it out today.
Action began with Day 1 chip leader Thomas Butzhammer (12th) and Roland Israelashvili (11th) falling to the rail before a string of bad cards ended Daniel Negreanu's run at a seventh WSOP bracelet and second final table in 10th place. Play would then slow down on the unofficial final table before Dan O'Brien and his short stack hit the rail to leave just eight players eyeing WSOP gold. One of those players was David Bach who has made the previous two Razz final tables, but unfortunately for the 2009 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E Champion, he would bow out in 8th as fellow WSOP bracelet holder Naoya Kihara followed him in 7th.
Todd Dakake (6th), Brian Hastings (5th) and Yuval Bronshtein (4th) would all be next out the door before a long three-handed battle would follow as Brandon Shack-Harris - who won a bracelet in Event #3 - looked in complete control with more than 70% of the chips in play. Short-stacked Todd Barlow would then go on a run of doubles before eventually taking 3rd to leave Shack-Harris trailing Danzer by just three big bets.
The two took their turn holding onto the lead, but once Danzer regained it he started to apply the pressure and pushed it to a greater than eight-to-one advantage that left Shack-Harris with just three big bets. Shack-Harris however wasn't going to quit that easily and doubled three times before the final hand saw Danzer make a against Shack-Harris' ten-seven.
Final Table Payouts
Place
Player
Country
Prize
1st
George Danzer
Germany
$294,792
2nd
Brandon Shack-Harris
USA
$182,155
3rd
Todd Barlow
USA
$114,081
4th
Yuval Bronshtein
USA
$82,602
5th
Brian Hastings
USA
$64,557
6th
Todd Dakake
USA
$51,481
7th
Naoya Kihara
Japan
$41,806
8th
David Bach
USA
$34,500
Although Danzer may have prevented 2014 WSOP history being made with a double bracelet winner, he creates his own history as he captures his first WSOP bracelet from his eighth final table and tenth cash. He also now joins a list of German players that includes Pius Heinz, Dominik Nitsche and Katja Thater as WSOP bracelet winners.
Congratulations to George Danzer for capturing his first WSOP bracelet in the biggest buy-in Razz Championship of all time!
Brandon Shack-Harris had the bring-in and George Danzer completed to 80,000. Shack-Harris responded by raising only to have Danzer re-raise as Shack-Harris committed his 220,000 total.
Shack-Harris: /
Danzer: /
With Shack-Harris having a made ten-seven, Danzer was drawing to a six, and when he sweated his final down card he slammed down the in celebration.
Shack-Harris could only pair up with the and would have to settle for a 2nd place finish for $182,155 following his first bracelet just a few days ago.
George Danzer completed and Brandon Shack-Harris raised. Danzer called and bet fourth with Shack-Harris calling before he bet fifth and sixth with Danzer calling.
Danzer: (X-X) / / (X)
Shack-Harris: (X-X) / / (X)
On seventh, Danzer bet out and Shack-Harris made the call.
Danzer tabled his in the hole for an eight-seven and Shack-Harris mucked to be left with just 360,000 in chips.
Brandon Shack-Harris completed and George Danzer raised with Shack-Harris calling. Danzer bet on fourth and fifth with Shack-Harris calling one time before folding.
George Danzer had the bring-in and Todd Barlow called all in for his last 10,000. Brandon Shack-Harris called and the two active players checked it down.
Yuval Bronshtein completed and Brandon Shack-Harris called before he called on fourth street also. On fifth, Bronshtein bet out 80,000 and Shack-Harris raised to 160,000. Bronshtein pushed in the last of his chips and Shack-Harris dropped in a stack of 25,000-denomination chips to signify a call.
Bronshtein: /
Shack-Harris: /
On sixth street, Bronshtein improved with the while Shack-Harris improved also catching the .
Shack-Harris' final card changed nothing with the , while Bronshtein was only able to squeeze out the to see him eliminated in 4th place for a $82,602 payday.
Brandon Shack-Harris completed and Brian Hastings raised with Shack-Harris making the call before leading on fourth with Hastings calling. Hastings then led fifth and sixth with Shack-Harris calling each time.
On seventh, Hastings bet out 80,000 and Shack-Harris raised to 160,000. Having only 161,000 total, Hastings pushed his chips into the middle signifying he was all in and tabled his for a six-five-four as Shack-Harris called and tabled his for six-five-three to eliminate Hastings in 5th place for a $64,557 payday.
Todd Dakake completed and George Danzer called before Brian Hastings raised. Dakake responded by re-raising as Danzer called and Hasting capped it at 120,000 and both players called. On fourth street, Danzer bet 30,000 and Hastings called before Dakake moved all in for 40,000. Both players called before a bet on sixth from Danzer forced Hastings cards into the muck.
Dakake: /
Danzer: /
Hastings: (X-X) / (folded on fifth)
Dakake then caught the as Danzer improved with the to leave Dakake drawing dead. Danzer found the on seventh and Dakake mucked his final card as he headed to the payout booth to collect his $51,481 in prizemoney for his 6th place finish.
Brandon Shack-Harris completed and both George Danzer and Naoya Kihara called. Three bets were exchanged on fourth before Kihara bet fifth and only Shack-Harris called. Sixth street saw Kihara commit his final 45,000 with Shack-Harris calling.
Shack-Harris: /
Danzer: (X-X) / (folded on fifth)
Kihara: /
On seventh Shack-Harris received the to improve to a seven-six-four as Kihara and his seven-six-five saw him hit the rail in 7th place for $41,806.