Jeff Carris wins 2009 WSOP Event 22

Two years ago (at age 21) Jeff Carris moved to Las Vegas to pursue a career as a professional poker player. At the time it was about the cash / making a living. Well last night it became much more than that as he joined the exclusive club of WSOP bracelet winners while picking up $313,673 first place prize money. This victory came in 2009 WSOP Event 22 – $1,500 No Limit Hold’em shoot out after he successfully won three ten player tables to seal the deal.

Several members of Carris’ family caught last minute flights to Vegas and were there first hand to see his victory. During his post match interview Carris commented:
“Before the final table, I didn’t even realize I wanted a bracelet, but when you get that far, it’s all you think about.”

Here is how the final table unfolded:

2009 WSOP Event 22 Final Table Report

Ten players returned to the Rio today to play the third and final round of 2009 WSOP Event 22, No Limit Holdem Shootout. The most accomplished players at the final table were Eugene Katchalov who came into the event with a WPT title and over $3 million in career tournament cashes and former Wynn Classic winner Chris Moore who came into this event with over $1 million in career tournament cashes.

It didn’t take long for the action to get under way as Jason Somerville took an early pot off of Josh Tieman with pocket queens against Tieman’s AcKh and Jeffrey Carris made the higher end of a straight against Mike Shannon which set up the table’s two big stacks and short stacks. With just 117K chips remaining, Mike Shannon tossed them in with Ks Qh and was eliminated receiving $13,069 after Caris snap called with pocket Kings.

Next to go was Josh Tieman ($17,045) when his AK failed to out race Jason Somerville’s pocket tens. He was followed to the rail by Michael McNeil (8th – $12,981) when he flopped top pair with QT on a board of Q46 only to discover Andrew Margolis had flopped a set of sixes.

Eugene Katchalov was severely crippled when his AK was out flopped by Joseph Cutler’s AT. He was finished off a few hands later when his pocket queens were cracked on the river by Jeffrey Carris’ K9. Katcholov received $21,981 for his seventh place finish.

The next player voted off the island was Brandon Wong when he pushed his final 289K chips into the pot with AQ and was called by Andrew Margolis who held AhJd. The streak of tough beats continued when a jack appeared on the flop and Wong collected $39,968 for his sixth place finish.

Joe Cutler picked the wrong time to play back at Margolis, who had been aggressive through out the final table, when he pushed all in with Kh Qh only to find himself dominated by Margolis’ AcQc. The board brought Cutler no help and he was the fifth place finisher receiving $56,440.

With four players remaining there was a break that ended with the start of level 7. Much to the delight of the tables short stacks the two chip leaders got tangled in a massive pot. Here Jeffrey Carris raised to 85K UTG, Margolis reraised to 140K,Carris called and the flop came 9d 5s 6s. Both players checked the flop, the 10h came on the turn, Carris led out with a bet of 200K and Margolis called. When the 3d came on the river, Carris led out again with a bet for 440,000. Margolis thought for several minutes, eventually making the call. Carris then turned over the nuts 8d7d for the flopped straight, sending him to nearly a 2.5 million chip count while Margolis slipped to just 750,000.

Margolis would drop down to just 320K chips when he called an all in made by Jason Summerville with pocket tens. Somerville turned up Kh Jh to reveal it was a race. A jack on the flop was good enough to give Sommerville the pot as he increased his chip stack to over 1.2 million.

It didn’t take long for the tournament to get from four handed to a champion, as first Christopher Moore pushed his remaining 350K into the pot with Kc Jd and was called by Carris who held As 9s. When the board ran out Carris’ Aces were best sending Moore out in fourth to collect $82,322. He was followed to the rail by Andrew Margolis who pushed in with Ks 8s and was called by Carris who held Ac Qd. Once again when the board was out it was a pair of Aces held by Carris good to win the pot as Margolis was out in third to collect $124,158.

Going into heads up play Jeffrey Carris held a 3-to-1 chip lead over Jason Somerville. It took just 20 minutes for the match to be over. On the final hand Somerville shoved from the small blind with Qs 6d and Carris called with Kc 5d. The board ran As 7d 8c 3s Jc and Jason Sommerville was the runner up finisher receiving $194,004 as Carris took home the $313,673 top place prize money and a shiny new WSOP bracelet.