2021 World Series of Poker

Event #42: $1,500 Razz
Day: 3
Event Info

2021 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Bradley Ruben
Winning Hand
8x5xqx9x3x6x5x
Prize
$99,188
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$415,185
Entries
311
Level Info
Level
32
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
0
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
8
Players Left
1

Bradley Ruben Wins Third Career WSOP Bracelet in Event #42: $1,500 Razz

Level 32
Bradley Ruben
Bradley Ruben

In what appears to be a year of thirds at the World Series of Poker 2021, Bradley Ruben has earned his third career WSOP gold bracelet in Event #42: $1,500 Razz for $99,188. He defeated a final table including Charles Sinn, Yuri Dzivielevski, David "ODB" Baker, and Matt Grapenthien. He conquered a field of 311 entrants on his way to victory.

Ruben's first bracelet came in 2020 when he won the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha GGPoker Online Event #63 for $220,160, while his second came earlier this year when he won the WSOP Online Event #21: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha for $69,148. This victory represents Ruben's first bracelet captured on the live felt, as well as his first victory not in Pot-Limit Omaha.

Event #42: $1,500 Razz Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1Bradley RubenUnited States$99,188
2Charles SinnUnited States$61,303
3Matt GrapenthienUnited States$41,758
4Yuri DzivielevskiBrazil$29,089
5David "ODB" BakerUnited States$20,732
6Brett FeldmanUnited States$15,127
7Alex LivingstonCanada$11,305
8Hassan KamoeiUnited States$8,658

Razz Natural?

Ruben claimed victory in the tournament despite saying it was probably only his third ever live Razz tournament. One of those was in 2017, when he finished third in this very event. While he said he has played some Razz and other mixed games online, he recognized his achievement is special.

“My theory is, if you play a game that you haven’t played much before, it’s more enjoyable. You’re kind of like a kid, you’re in awe of it. That’s helped me a lot in this tournament, and the one I got third in, in 2017.”

Ruben the Comeback Kid; Sinn Falls Just Short

Charles Sinn
Charles Sinn had to make do with a runner-up finish

Ruben’s path to the title was far from easy, as he spent a lot of the day on a short stack chasing Sinn, who held the chip lead most of the day.

“I think I had like 300K in chips, and I just ran like God pretty much from then on, doubled up a couple of times, so it’s really just running good at the end.”

While skill is obviously a factor, in a game like Razz, timely card-catching is crucial, and Ruben had no reservations in saying he caught more than his fair share at key points of the final table.

“It’s a lot of it. Getting big hands, a lot of times equities run close, so it’s who catches better. But it’s also a lot about picking your spots and waiting and being patient when you’re short-stacked and getting it in okay, so there’s a skill in that, but a lot of it is catching.

David "ODB" Baker
Yet another WSOP final table for David \"ODB\" Baker

As mentioned, Sinn’s aggressive style propelled him into heads-up play, as the rest of the final table fell throughout the day. A pair of key back-to-back hands rendered Matt Grapenthien short, and he ended up finishing in third place for $41,758, while Yuri Dzivielevski (4th place - $29,089), and David “ODB” Baker (5th place - $20,732), rounded out the top five.

As for Ruben, we can expect to see him in the $10,000 Razz Championship in a couple of weeks, but for now, he’ll be jumping into Event #45: $10,000 8-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha, the game in which he won his first two bracelets in WSOP online events. That said, neither of these games is where his ultimate motivation lies for bracelet number four.

“I’ve always had the motivation, like after winning the first one, I wanted to win a second one to legitimize it, and then I’m like all right, I’ve gotta win a third one, and I need to win my first live one, so I always had that motivation, and I’ll keep finding ways to motivate myself. I haven’t won a Hold’em one, so that’s next."

Congratulations to Bradley Ruben on his victory, and best of luck on his quest for bracelet number four.

That brings an end to our coverage of Event #42: $1,500 Razz. Stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage of all the World Series of Poker Action from the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

Check out our 2021 WSOP Hub here!

Tags: Bradley RubenCharles SinnMatt GrapenthienYuri Dzivielevski