Coming back today most of the eyes, and probably a lot of money in the Rio Sportsbook, were on first-time bracelet hunting David Baker and Shawn Buchanan. Layne Flack and Josh Arieh have enjoyed their spills; surely one of these two renowned players would close the deal. It wasn’t to be as Benjamin Lazer and Randy Ohel were the ones to make it to head-up.
Then began one of the most epic duels in World Series of Poker History. Their battle lasted for six and a half hours including a dinner break. The chip lead changed sides so many times we lost count. Both players had 90% of the chips in play at least twice each, but both somehow managed to fight their way back from fumes on each occasion. Something, or someone, had to give and it turned out to be Lazer. He got down to less than one big blind at nearly 2:00 AM and that situation, even for him, was too much to come back from. Ohel had a rail full of fans with him for hours upon hours and they, as he, were just as full as relief, as well as joy, come the end of the match.
He takes over the championship mantle left by these esteemed fellows:
Year
Player
Prize
# of Entrants
2007
Rafi Amit
$227,005
209
2008
Bon Phan
$151,911
238
2009
Abe Mosseri
$165,513
258
2010
Peter Gelencser
$180,730
291
2011
Lenny Martin
$189,818
309
Back to the beginning of the day and nine players returned. One was a lot shorter than the rest, and it came as no surprise to see Arieh first out. He got to showdown all-in versus Buchanan who fanned an eighty-six, and Arieh mucked his hand before heading to the rail. He was followed soon after by Flack who was called all-in on the last betting round versus Von Altizer, who opened . Flack mucked and looked very disappointed in defeat.
The remaining seven players all joined together on the secondary feature table in the Pavilion room and it didn’t take long for official final table of six to be set. Altizer had played this whole tournament with a big smile on her face and she continued to smile even when she fell to Lazer’s smooth eighty-five.
There was a lot of chip movement after this as most of the remaining players were keen to be in the action. None more so that Buchanan but his up-and-down day ended when he paired on the last draw when all-in to lose his chips to Lazer. It was Ohel who pushing a lot of the action at this pot and that helped him into a clear chip lead. That being said it was Lazer who took another scalp, that of the quiet Jason Lavallee. Lazer fanned a seventy-six, besting Lavallee who called all-in for just a few chips with .
Baker and Farzad Bonyadi were, by far, the two short stacks at this stage but they continued to play a brave and aggressive game with their eyes seemingly on the gold rather than the money jumps. The cards didn’t fall for them though, and it was Bonyadi who went in fourth when his eighty-six was beaten by Baker’s . That was the last thing that went right for Baker and the final nail in his coffin came when his caught a pair on the final draw to lose out to Ohel’s .
On a final note, here’s how much all today’s players took home for three days, or less, work:
Benjamin Lazer was very short entering the last hand, and got the rest of his stack in the middle. Randy Ohel quickly called.
On the first draw, Lazer drew two cards, and Ohel two. On the second draw, Lazer stood pat, and Ohel drew one. There was a little bit of confusion on the third draw, and both players knuckled the felt, indicating a pat, but Lazer actually drew one card. Ohel fanned , and Lazer showed .
He paired his five in the end, and Ohel is your winner!
Randy Ohel had the button, and raised. Benjamin Lazer three-bet, Ohel four-bet, and Lazer called. Both players drew one card, then checked. Both players drew one card again, and Lazer check-called a bet. On the final draw, Lazer took one card, and Ohel stood pat. Lazer check-folded, leaving himself with just 225,000 chips.
The clock read 00:43, and the tournament director asked how long the players wanted to break for.
"As long as possible," Lazer joked. He then sweated his cards and raised. "We might not need it though."
Ohel three-bet, Lazer four-bet, and Ohel called. Ohel drew one card, and Lazer two. Ohel led out, and Lazer raised all in for an extra 25,000-chip. Ohel called. Both players drew one card, and then Ohel drew one more. Lazer stood pat.
Randy Ohel had the button, and raised. Benjamin Lazer three-bet, and Ohel called. Both players drew on card on the first draw. Lazer led out, and Ohel called. On the second draw, both players drew one card again, and Lazer slowed down, check-calling a bet from Ohel.
On the final draw, Lazer drew one, and Ohel stood pat. Lazer check-folded, and Ohel raked in the pot.
The next hand, Lazer had the button and raised. Ohel called. On the first draw, both players took two cards, and Ohel led out. Lazer raised, and Ohel called. On the second draw, Ohel took one card, and Lazer stood pat. Ohel checked, Lazer bet, and Ohel check-raised. Lazer called.
On the final draw, Ohel stood pate, and Lazer drew one. Both players checked, and Ohel's was good enough for another pot, giving him a big chip lead once again.
[user101598]
Benjamin Lazer is inching closer to a bracelet.
Benjamin Lazer had the button, and raised, and Randy Ohel three-bet. Lazer called.
Ohel drew two cards, Lazer drew three, and Ohel check-called a bet. On the second draw, Ohel took two again, and Lazer drew one. Again, Ohel check-called a bet.
On the final draw, Ohel drew one, and Lazer stood pat. Ohel check-called one last bet, and mucked when Lazer tabled .
Randy Ohel had the button, and raised. David Baker tanked for quite some time, then committed nearly half of his stack.
On the first draw, Baker discarded three, Ohel two. Baker bet, Ohel raised enough to put him all in, and Baker called.
On the second draw, Baker drew one, Ohel two. On the final draw, both players called for one card, and Baker fanned . Ohel tabled , and his final card was a . The crowd groaned.
"That's a pretty good card," Baker said.
Baker turned over a , giving him a pair of fours, and eliminating him from the tournament.
After tripling, Farzad Bonyadi lost most of his stack again, dipping down to 16,000 chips. He then quadrupled up, and was all in again the very next hand.
Bonyadi raised out of the small blind, and his neighbor David Baker called from the big. Bonyadi drew two, Baker one, and Bonyadi bet out. Baker called.
On the second draw, Bonyadi drew one, Baker stood pat, and Bonyadi check-called all in for exactly one bet. Both player stood pat.
Baker fanned , and Bonyadi flashed an eighty-six before mucking. Bonyadi is our fourth-place finisher, and will take home $40,987.
Jason Lavallee raised with the button, and Benjamin Lazer called out of the big blind. Lazer discarded two, Lavallee one, and Lazer led out. Lavallee called.
On the second draw, Lazer drew two, and Lavallee stood pat. Lazer check-called a bet, and drew one more card. Lavallee stood pat again.
Lazer bet 20,000, and Lavallee called all in for just 5,000. Lazer fanned for a seventy-six, and Lavallee showed a before mucking, and hitting the rail.
Von Altizer was down to her last 11,000 when she called all-in from the button after a Benjamon Lazer raise.
He drew two cards to her one. The next round he drew one and Altizer stood pat. Both players stood pat the last round and the cards were on their backs.
Altizer: .
Lazer: for an eighty-five perfect and the pot.
Altizer wasn't upset at all and said she had a great time.
The players are on a short break before the official final table begins at 3:50 PM.
. Flack mucked and looked very disappointed in defeat.
.
. That was the last thing that went right for Baker and the final nail in his coffin came when his 
