Coming into 2009 WSOP Event #42, $2,500 mixed game, Jerrod Ankenman had two WSOP runner up finishes under his belt (2006 and 2008). Last night the 32-year old poker pro and co-author of “The Mathematics of Poker” proved he does in fact have what it takes to close the deal, as he navigated his way through a tough group of finalists, including Jimmy “Gobboboy” Fricke, Jon “PearlJammer” Turner, Layne Flack, Blair Rodman, and Dario Alioto to claim his first career WSOP bracelet and the $241,637 top place prize.

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22-year-old Peter Traply became the first Hungarian ever to win a WSOP bracelet last night as he was victorious in the $5,000 buy-in NLHE shoot out, 2009 WSOP Event #41. To win this event he had to win three tables including a five handed table last night. Traply picked up $348,755 for his first place finish.

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2009 WSOP Event 40, $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship had a stacked final table with 5 former WSOP bracelet winners including Barry Greenstein, John Arieh, Richard Austin, Vitaly Lunkin and Matt Graham. In the end it appeared as if Lunkin was on his way to joining Brock Parker, Phil Ivey and Jeff Lisandro as multiple 2009 WSOP bracelet winners, however in the end it was Matt Graham who came from as far as 1 to 9 chip deficit to deny Lunkin his third career bracelet.

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2009 WSOP Event #39 concluded with the usual mix of live high stakes pros, internet wiz-kids, and recreational players. When this event was complete, recreational player Ray Foley, a 37-year-old employee of Chrysler Financial, stood victorious to claiming his first World Series of Poker bracelet and $657,969 top place prize money. While Foley might be an amateur he has quite a WSOP track record having cashed in four of seven events he’s entered.

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Marc Naalden spent 10 years in the business world before quitting his job in 2005 to become a professional poker player. Last night, he became a WSOP bracelet holder after dominating 2009 WSOP Event #38 from start to finish. With seven players left Naalden had more than half the chips in play, and other than a brief hiccup heads up he had the near wire to wire finish which yielded him $190,770 for his victory in this tournament.

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With over two-thirds of the 2009 WSOP in the books, this year’s series has really driven home the point: tournament poker is a game of skill. Jeffery Lisandro was the latest player to exemplify this. Last night he took down 2009 WSOP Event #37, $10,000 buy-in 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo Championship to capture his second bracelet this series (third overall) Lisandro joins Brock Parker and Phil Ivey as players winning two bracelets in the 2009 World Series of Poker. The big question now on everyone’s minds is, will someone win three?

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Jordan Smith (scarface_79) wasn’t sure he’d make it to this year’s World Series of Poker, as he was pretty much bust and looking for backers. After backers turned him down he relied on friends and family to help support him. Managing to get himself a seat in 2009 WSOP Event 36 paid off, as last night he picked up his first career WSOP bracelet and the $586,212 top place prize. Also in this event we seen the first multiple female final table in an open WSOP event so far this series.

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2009 WSOP Event #35, $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha ended in dramatic fashion last night with a double elimination on the tournaments final hand. The winner of the event was Richard Austin from Louisville, KY. At the end of the event he declined all comments from the media, and also declined to be part of the bracelet presentation ceremony, being the first player this summer to do so. With this being his first major tournament victory, little is know about this player, but you can read comments on 2+2 in the Richard Austin declines comment thread, to see how other poker players feel about him.

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26-year old poker pro and Henderson, NV resident Eric Baldwin won his first career WSOP bracelet last night in 2009 WSOP Event #34, $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em. This bracelet should fit nicely in his trophy case which already includes a NCAA Division III National championship in baseball, which came in 2005 while he was a senior and played center field for the Warhawks from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. With multiple six figure cashes under his belt and a $521,932 payday last night, it’s safe to say his poker career is paying off.

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Greg “FBT” Mueller’s name can now be scratched from the best player without a WSOP bracelet debate. Last night he completed a run through a very tough 2009 WSOP Event #30, $10,000 buy-in Fixed Limit Hold’em field to win his first career bracelet and $460,841 top place prize money. Now 37-year-old Greg Mueller retired from hockey in 1999, after 9 seasons with Germany and has been a fixture on the high stakes poker circuit since. Coming into this event he had 17 WSOP cashes, 6 final tables, two runner up finishes, but no WSOP bracelet. With his victory last night his career major tournament winnings now exceed $1.5 million.

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