Daniel Alaei Tops Negreanu and Clements to Win WSOP Event 18

26-year-old poker pro Daniel Alaei captured his second career WSOP bracelet night and his first world championship title as he bested a tough field in the $10,000 buy-in Omaha Hi/Lo championship. To do so he needed to get through a tough final table that included fan favorite Daniel Negreanu who was competing for his fifth WSOP bracelet, the infamous Annie Duke who recently finished runner up on celebrity apprentice, one of Australia’s top pros Sam Khouiss, and his eventual heads up opponent Scott Clements who has two WSOP bracelets both from Omaha Hi/Lo Events.

And here’s how the day’s action played out:

2009 Omaha Hi/Lo Championship, $10K Buy-in WSOP Event 18 Report

The events original field of 179 players had been narrowed to seventeen a night earlier as these remaining players took to the felt for day three where a bracelet would be decided. Remaining in the field where several big names in poker including Daniel Negreanu, Scott Clements, Daniel Alaei, Annie Duke, Alex Kravchenko and upcoming star Ville Wahlbeck as well as other players who might not be household names, but are known and respected by their peers in Jacobo Fernandez, Greg Jamison, John Monnette, Thomas Koral, Rich Zhu, Sam Khouiss, Ted Lawson and Toto Leonidas.

It did not take long today for their to be casualties as Toto Leonidas (17th), Alex Kravchenko (16th), Pat Pezzin (15th) and Ted Lawson (14th) all busted before the first break.

Coming into this event all eyes were on Ville Wahlbeck who recently finished third in the $10,000 Stud Championship and days later won the $10,000 Mixed Event Championship. While still an amazing run cashing in this championship as well, he’d need to settle for 13th place when shortly after the break he got all his chips in on a pot that was chopped by John Monnette and Sam Khouiss.

Despite winning half the pot that sent Wahlbeck to the rail, Sam Khouiss was next to go. On his final hand he got all his chips in with AdAc2c4c against Ben Boyd and John Monette but with a board of Qh2s6dJc4h his low draws were counterfeited and Boyd and Monnette both made queens up with no low to chop the pot.

When Jacobo Fernandez busted out in eleventh all players where consolidated to a single table where one more elimination was needed for it to become the official WSOP final table. It was Cameron McKinley who claimed the undesirable roll of final table bubble boy when Ben Boyd flopped bottom set on the AcKsQs board, and his hand held up to send McKinley out in tenth to collect $39,709.

When final table play began the chip counts and seat assignments were:

Seat 1: Scott Clements – 1,445,000
Seat 2: Annie Duke – 225,000
Seat 3: Daniel Alaei – 540,000
Seat 4: Greg Jamison – 350,000
Seat 5: John Monnette – 940,000
Seat 6: Yueqi Zhu – 170,000
Seat 7: Tom Koral – 220,000
Seat 8: Ben Boyd – 855,000
Seat 9: Daniel Negreanu – 635,000

Rich Zhu’s final table run in this event was short lived and he was out in ninth place on a hand where Zhu raised preflop with A-K-J-7, and Jamison and Daniel Alaei both called. On a flop of 9c Kh 9h Alaei bet out, Jamison called, Zhu raised all-in and both Alaei and Jamison called. Jamison put his remaining chips in as well when the turn came the Qd and Alaei folded. Jamison showed A-J-9-2 for trip nines, and when the river came down the 5c, Zhu was out in ninth place collecting $54,179.

Much to the delight of those robbed/cheated by Ultimate Bet Annie Duke’s run finally came to an end in eighth place. On this hand she got all her money in preflop with Ad Kd Qd 2d against Greg Jamison (also all in) who held As Js 5c 3c and John Monette who had 7h 8h 9d 3d. The board ran 2c 3s 6h 6d 7c and Jamision picked up the low and Monnette the high as Duke headed to the rail to pick up her $58,049 eighth place prize money.

In a three way pot with Daniel Negreanu (Ah Qs Js 3c), John Monette (Ac Kc Td 2h) Tom Koral got his money all in preflop with K-K-4-4 and watched his opponents check down a board of Ad 5h 6s 6c 9h. Monnette’s hand was good enough to scoop the pot as Negreanu’s low draw had been counterfeited and his queen kicker was out kicked for high. Tom Koral finished in seventh collecting $65,453.

Daniel Negreanu won a significant pot that sent Greg Jamison out in sixth ($77,736). On this hand Jamison raised preflop, Negreanu called and the flop came Kc 3c 2h. Jamison led, Negreanu raised and this continued until all Jamison’s chips were in the pot. Jamison showed Ah Kc 5s 3h for top two pair, but Negreanu tabled Js4s2s2d for bottom set. The turn and river were no help and Jamison’s tournament was over.

A short stacked John Monnette made his final stand all in from the small blind as Daniel Alaei and Ben Boyd stuck around and both checked a flop of 4d As 5h. When the turn was a 6d Alaie bet and Boyd called. The river was Jc and Alaei again bet, Boyd called and showed 2-4-7-8 which was good for a scoop as Alaei mucked and Monnette did as well before heading to the rail to collect $97,422 fifth place prize money.

Fan favorite Daniel Negreanu was at his second final table in a matter of days, however his quest for a fifth bracelet once again fell short. On his final hand he called a preflop raise with (2h 4d 9s Th) made by Scott Clements and then bet all in on a flop of 3s 4h 4c. Clements called with 2s 3c 5s 5c for an open-ended straight draw and made a wheel when an Ace laded on the turn. The jack of spades was no help to Kid Poker as he picked up $130,401 for his fourth place finish.

All three remaining players were in an unraised pot where the flop came 5h Js 2c. Here Daniel Alaei bet, Ben Boyd raised all in, and both Scott Clements and Alaei called. The turn Kh was checked and when the river 3c came, Alaei bet, Clements folded and Alaei showed Ks 10d 4s 6s for the six-high straight which was good enough to scoop the pot against Boyd’s 4h 8d 9d Jh. Ben Boyd earned $182,730 for his third place finish.

Daniel Alaei had a big chip lead heading into heads up play and would win the tournament two hands into the match. On the final hand All the chips went in preflop with Alaei showing Ad Kc Kh 4c and Clements Ah 5h 3c 2h. The board ran 9s Qc 7c 10s Ks to make top set for Alaei finish off Clements in second place ($275,946). Alaei captured $445,898 to go along with his second career WSOP bracelet.