What a long day that was! We came back at 1pm yesterday afternoon and after nearly 14 hours of play we've finally crowned a winner. Herbert Tapscott from Birmingham, Alabama defeated the formidable Gavin Griffin after a two-hour heads up battle. There was just six minutes left of today's allotted play when the decisive hand (explained below) played out. The 71-year old Tapscott prize is more than ten times that of his previous win.
Not only did he have to get past Griffin, he had to navigate his way past the talents such Allen Bari, Dutch Boyd, and John Racener. A lot of players would had bets on those three in the sports-book this morning.
Griffin will be hugely disappointed as the Triple Crown holder was desperate to add to the first bracelet he won as a 22-year old. Tapscott was nearly 50 years older when he managed the same fete.
This is PokerNews signing off another event here at the Rio. We're absolutely shattered and are heading straight to bed. Be sure to tune in to out colleagues tomorrow where others will be looking to make their own poker history. Here at nearly 3am Herbert Tapscott made his own, and in the fall of his life. Many congratulations from us all.
And then it was all over! Within a couple of hands Herbert Tapscott found a way to end Gavin Griffin's resistance and we've got ourselves a winner. Griffin raised to 200,000 from the button and Tapscott made the call. The flop came down and Griffin was all in blind for his final 65,000 chips. Tapscott made the call and showed against Griffin's . The turn was the and the river the giving Tapscott the winning hand and the gold bracelet!
The end has come for the very pleasant mannered Ashly Butler from New Orleans.
Gavin Griffin called on the button before Herbert Tapscott raised to 160,000 and Butler called all-in for 150,000. Griffin called as well, and then the two checked the board all the way down.
Butler opened .
Griffin tabled .
Tapscott showed the winning and scooped.
Can Kim Hua started off the action in his final hand by raising to 120,000 under the gun. The action got folded to Griffin who called from the big blind. The flop brought out and Griffin lead out for 60,000, Hua called. The turn was the and Griffin put Hua all-in for his final 45,000 chips. Hua called and showed his for a pair of fives. Griffin showed for the nut straight and the river was the ending Hua's tournament in 4th place.
We are now down to just three players and Gavin Griffin has a commanding chip lead.
Michael "Boonie" Kleist is the latest player to be go after he was eliminated over the course of two hands by Gavin Griffin.
Boonie opened and called Griffins's three-bet to see a flop. He checked called a bet here and on the turn before both players checked the river. Griffin opened the lowly but managed to scoop.
That left Boonie with just 50,000 chips in the big blind. Griffin isolated him by raising and the cards wee on theit backs.
From the cutoff Gavin Griffin raised to 100,000 and John Racener called from the small blind. Herbert Tapscott was in the big blind and decided to call as well. The flop was and Racener lead out for 50,000 getting both his opponents to call.
The turn was the and Racener was all-in for his final 10,000 chips. Both his opponents made the call. Racener showed against Griffin who had . Tapscott tabled and the river was the .
Griffin picked up the low half of the pot with the nut low and the high went to Tapscott who had made two pair, eights and deuces. Racener was left with two pair, deuces and sixes, and he got eliminated from the tournament in sixth place.
Thayer Rasmussen just raised all in for 95,000 and he got called by Gavin Griffin who was on the button and Can Kim Hua who was in the small blind. John Racener was in the big blind with just 105,000 chips left behind and after giving it some thought he opted to fold.
The flop came down and both players checked. The turn was the and Hua bet 100,000, Griffin called. On the river the hit and Hua bet another 100,000. Griffin immediately threw in 200,000 and the pressure was back on Hua. He gave it some thought before making the call leaving himself with just 45,000 chips left behind.
Griffin showed for the nut straight and Rasmussen was done, he showed and had failed to improve. Hua was frustrated and didn't want to show his cards, but since this was an all-in showdown the dealer tabled his . We are down to six players with two players in dire need of a double up.
Thayer Rasmussen has taken care of Raymond Davis in 8th place.
Davis called all-in for his last 10,000 after Rasmussen raised to 80,000. Michael "Boonie" Kleist came along for the ride but folded when Rasmussen led for 40,000 on the flop.
Rasmussen: for the nut flush.
Davis: for top set.
"Wow, I'm in better shape than I thought!" said Davis.
He needed the board to pair but it failed to do so as it ran out .
Can Kim Hua had the best of Bryan Jolly all day and he just busted him in 9th place. First Jolly limped for 30,000 and Hua called from the button. Tapscott folded his small blind after which Butler checked his option in the big.
The flop came down and Butler checked to Jolly who bet 30,000 and both his opponents called. The turn was the and both Butler and Jolly checked. Hua bet 60,000 and Butler went in the tank. After a good minute he folded and as soon as Jolly released his hand Butler said, "I made a big lay down. I had queen-nine of spades". Jolly was left behind with very little chips and a few hands later those went into the middle.
On a flop Jolly bet 30,000 with 10,000 left behind, and Hua put him all in. Jolly made the call and showed for a pair of aces and a back door flush draw. Hua turned over for a pair of kings, the nut flush draw and a straight draw. The turn was the completing Hua's flush and the river was the . That's was it for Jolly who got to take $18,837 home for his efforts.
From middle position Michael "Boonie" Kleist raised to 40,000 and Can Kim Hua called from the button as did Self from the big blind. The flop came down and Self lead out for 20,000 after which Kleist raised to 40,000. Hua folded his cards and Self made the call.
On the turn the hit and Self moved all in for his final 15,000 chips. He showed and was up against . Kleist had already made a straight and Self was looking for a king or a queen to make a full house in order to stay alive. The river was the and that ended things for Wes Self. We are down to the final table and will get back to you shortly with the official chip counts.
and Griffin was all in blind for his final 65,000 chips. Tapscott made the call and showed 
against Griffin's 
. The turn was the 
and the river the 
giving Tapscott the winning hand and the gold bracelet!
.
and Griffin put Hua all-in for his final 45,000 chips. Hua called and showed his 
ending Hua's tournament in 4th place.
flop. He checked called a bet here and on the 
and Racener was all-in for his final 10,000 chips. Both his opponents made the call. Racener showed 
and the river was the 
and had failed to improve. Hua was frustrated and didn't want to show his cards, but since this was an all-in showdown the dealer tabled his 
and Butler checked to Jolly who bet 30,000 and both his opponents called. The turn was the 
