Max Pescatori Wins Event #41 ($292,158)
Max Pescatori captured his second bracelet of the 2015 World Series of Poker – tying Hastings – by winning Event #41: $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low Championship. He won $292,158 in prize money for coming out atop the 111-player field.
The “Italian Pirate” vaulted into the rarefied air of four-time bracelet winners, joining a club that includes names like Bobby Baldwin and Amarillo Slim. To do so, he had to overcome well-respected British pro Stephen Chidwick and six-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu in a brutal three-handed match.
Pescatori had just a few bets remaining when limits hit 50,000/100,000, and a heads-up match between Negreanu and Chidwick looked inevitable. But with the limits so large relative to stacks – only a little over 3.3 million was in play – as Pescatori said, “if you can hang on, you can come back.”
He did just that, first doubling up with a seven-high straight to scoop against Negreanu's tens in the hole. Then, a huge hand developed again between the two when Pescatori completed showing a 
and Negreanu raised from the bring-in with 
. Pescatori fired back another raise, which Negreanu called.
Negreanu: 
/
Pescatori: /
Negreanu took command of the betting on fourth and fifth, and Pescatori looked very close to folding on fifth. After tanking a bit, he decided to call, and both checked on sixth. Negreanu bet on the end and tank-called Pescatori's raise with 
, saying he missed the steel wheel and backed into trips. Pescatori had better trips with 
in the hole.
He's now considering entering the Poker Players' Championship, which will have registration open until the start of Day 2 on Monday. He said he will look at the GPI standings and see where he stands, making a decision from there. For now, he's savoring this win.
“It's a fantastic feeling to put in the work, and it becomes an amazing result like this.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Pescatori | Milan, Italy | $292,158 |
| 2 | Stephen Chidwick | Deal, UK | $180,529 |
| 3 | Daniel Negreanu | Toronto, Canada | $113,062 |
| 4 | Aleksandr Denisov | Moscow, Russia | $81,865 |
| 5 | Gary Benson | Sylvania Southgate, Australia | $63,981 |
| 6 | Thomas Butzhammer | Wien, Austria | $51,022 |
| 7 | Richard Sklar | Las Vegas, NV | $41,433 |
| 8 | Alan Ledford | Wilmington, OH | $34,192 |