This year’s version of the Razz Championship saw a field of 139 buy in and create a prize pool of $1,165,625. only 13 of those starters made it through to Day 3, and after 12 hours of play on Day 3, it was Julien Martini that captured his fourth WSOP bracelet in this star-studded event. Martini secured the first-place prize of $328,604 in Event #79: $10,000 Razz Championship for a career-best WSOP cash.
“I know it’s very late, but I don’t feel tired at all,” said the newly crowned Razz champion “I just feel very excited. What a final table, what a feeling.” The French poker pro was supported by a full rail of friends and fans the whole day. He sits in ninth place on the French all-time money list, but first place for the number of bracelets, being the most decorated French poker player.
“I was very close in 2018,” Martini said, referencing his third-place finish in the 2018 $10,000 Razz Championship, “This year I felt like it could be possible and thankfully I ran well and things went my way.”
It took slightly under two levels to get to the final table. Laith Salem (13th - $20,746), David Benyamine (12th - $20,746), and Chance Kornuth (11th - $25,375) all fell prior to the final table. The final player to be eliminated before the final table was Joao Vieira whose jack-nine could not best the eight-six of Yueqi Zhu; Vieira left the tournament in tenth place for $25,375.
Final Table Action
Ziya Rahim came into the final table as the shortest stack after a bluff gone wrong against Martini. Rahim got all of his chips in against Zhu with a ten-eight, but it was no good against the nine-seven of Zhu, and Rahim exited the tournament in ninth place for $31,456.
Shortly after Rahim, it was the start of day chip leader Brandon Shack-Harris following him to the door. Shack-Harris could not get any momentum going throughout the day and ended up getting all of his chips in against Zhu with a ten-seven against a nine-eight and bowed out in eighth place for $39,561.
The other start-of-day big stacked player, Brian Hastings, found himself on the wrong end of pots with Martini with two tables left and was one of the short stacks at the final table. Hastings got his remaining chips in with king-nine against Martini who had made a wheel and he left the tournament in seventh place for $50,295.
Max Pescatori
After that, it would take some time before another player fell, but after much chip jockeying, Italy’s Max Pescatori found himself all-in and at risk with the shortest stack at the table up against Martini. Martini made a perfect ten to beat Pescatori’s ten-seven and Italy’s five-time bracelet winner exited the tournament in sixth place for $64,847.
Brazil’s Felipe Ramos saw himself vying for the chip lead with six players left, but after a few pots did not go his way, he found himself nursing one of the shorter stacks. He eventually got all of his chips in on a seven draw, only to run into the wheel of Martini. Ramos busted in fifth place for $84,683.
Koray Aldemir
Some time passed before the next player fell as three of the four players each fell to the shortest stack at the table. Eventually, it was WSOP Main Event champion Koray Aldemir who crashed out when he committed his short stack with a nine-eight against Hal Rotholz’ seven-five, and Aldemir headed to the cashier to collect fourth place prize money worth $111,991.
Martini then took a huge chip lead, putting both Zhu and Rotholz at below three big bets. Despite holding a big stack most of the final table, Zhu was left with just one ante and was eliminated when his king-nine could not beat the nine-seven of Martini. Zhu scooped $149,958 for his third-place finish.
Rotholz began the final table as one of the shortest stacks but managed to ladder up to a heads-up match for the bracelet. Sitting at a twelve-to-one deficit, it seemed probable that the chips would go in quickly and they did. Rotholz found himself drawing to an eight against the nine-seven of Martini and he did not make it, leaving Martini with the bracelet and Rotholz with a career-best score of $203,281 for his runner-up finish.
Congratulations to Julien Martini for winning his fourth bracelet in Event #79: $10,000 Razz Championship. Thank you to all who played and thank you for reading along. Stay tuned to PokerNews for all updates regarding the 2022 World Series of Poker.
