Jerrod Ankenman wins WSOP Event 42, $2500 Mixed Games

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.

“Those second-place finishes were bittersweet,” said Ankenman to the WSOP. “It’s really nice to get the prize … In the first one, I had Ian Johns all-in (but lost). Then I lost like 30 hands in a row and finished second (laughing). In the second one, I was down about 3-1 in chips to Rob Hollink and he made a hand at the end and won.”

Ankenman earned $241,654 for first place. This was his ninth cash at the WSOP, but he enjoyed the tournament as the mixed game option changed the pace of the “no-limit friendly” WSOP.

“The WSOP is the last bastion of these kinds of games,” he said. “Most of the other tournaments around Las Vegas and everywhere else it always is no-limit, no-limit, no-limit, no-limit whatever. It’s nice to be able to come here and play a wider variety of games. I think this is a great tournament and great format. You get to play all kinds of different games. Most of the players are good at some games but are not that good at others…I really like the mixed games format because it really shows off your chops as a good all-around player, instead of just all these tournaments everywhere else where they playing nothing but hold ‘em.”

Here’s how 2009 WSOP Event #42 played out

2009 WSOP Event #43 Day 3 Report

Day 3 of Event #42, $2,500 Mixed, kicked off with 14 players looking to make the final table. Among those left in contention were Jimmy “Gobboboy” Fricke, Jon “PearlJammer” Turner, Blair Rodman, Dario Alioto and Layne Flack who was seeking his seventh career WSOP bracelet. Unfortunately for Blair Rodman he was the first day three casualty followed by Rami Boukai who each picked up $11,848.

The next players eliminated, Trai Dang in thirteenth and Andrew Radel in twelfth, each received $14,545. For Dang during an Omaha round he potted it while holding 8c 3d 3h 2h for a set of threes on a board that read 3c Jc 8h 5h and found himself all in against Eric Crain who held Kc Qc Jd 2d for middle pair, a flush draw, and a straight draw. The river fell the Ac to complete Crain’s flush. For Andrew Radel his elimination also came during Omaha on a hand were Radel called a raise preflop from Layne Flack, Ankenman reraised, making it 71,500 to go, Flack folded and Radel made the call. On a flop of 9d 7s 4d Radel committed the rest of his chips with 8c7c5c4h and Ankenman called showing As Ac 6c 5d for aces and an open-ended straight draw. The turn was a sick 3d to give Ankenman a straight and when a meaningless Jh fell on the river Radel’s tournament was over.

Once Adam Friedman was eliminated in tenth place ($14,545) we were on the bubble. For Friedman his final hand came during a round of deuce-to-seven triple draw, when he shoved all in after the first draw and stood pat with 9-6-4-3-2. Layne Flack made the call and drew one card on each of the next two draws. He started with 7-6-5-2 and needed an eight, four, or three. On the last draw, Flack caught a three to send Friedman home in tenth place.

Much to the disappointment of the crowd Jimmy “Gobboboy” Fricke had to settle for ninth place and $14,545 as the final table bubble boy. Having been short most of the day Fricke got his money in good during razz, putting the last of his chips in on third street with A-5-6 and getting called by Jerrod Ankenman holding 8-4-3. Fricke caught a seven on fourth street but never caught a card lower then a jack on the final three streets as Ankenman caught an ace on sixth and a seven on the river to improve to an eight low.

When final table play began, Jerrod Ankenman had an impressive chip lead as you can see by the chip counts below:

Jerrod Ankenman — 1.2 million
Jon Turner — 591,000
Sergey Altbregin — 387,000
Eric Crain — 355,000
Jeff Tims — 260,000
Chris Klodnicki — 109,000
Dario Alioto — 103,000
Layne Flack — 60,000

The final tables two shortest stacks were the first two voted off the Island. Dario Alioto committed his final chips during stud with sevens and fives on sixth, but ran into Jon Turner’s trip nines, with no improvement on the river he headed to the rail to collect $25,860. Layne Flack’s run at a seventh WSOP bracelet fell short as he picked up $30,673 for seventh place after moved all in on fifth street with split eights and Eric Crain called with split nines. Flack improved to eights up, but Crain also improved to nines up.

Finishing in sixth and receiving $38,074 was Eric Crain after he lost two large pots during NLHE rounds. In the first hand he moved in preflop with AhKh and was called by Sergey Altbregin with pocket aces. On the next he pushed in with Kh Qd and fell to Ankenman’s flopped set of eights. He was followed to the rail by Jon Turner ($49,568) who stood t quadrouple up when he got his final chips in on a four way pot with AsJd but was outdrawn by Ankenman’s Ks 9c.

Also during No Limit Hold’em, Jeff Tims moved all in preflop with Ad 5d and was called by Klodnicki who held Ah 6h. Before the flop there was a decent chance for a chop but when the flop fell KhQs7h Tims was further behind. The 4h on the turn sealed the deal giving Klodnicki the winning flush as Jeff Tims finished in fourth place worth $67,848.

During three handed play a new chip leader emerged due to a key hand that saw Sergey Altbregin and Jerrod Ankenman get into a preflop raising war. This ended with Altbregin being all in for his tournament life, but he was in good shape with pocket kings against Ankenman’s AdQd. Ankenman did pick up a pair of queens on the turn, but the river fell a blank and Ankenman was down to 900K chips while Altbregin doubled to 1.4 million to claim the chip lead.

Heads up play was reached after a pot-limit Omaha hand that saw Chris Klodnicki raise from the button to 30K, Jerrod Ankenman call and the flop come out 9d4s3s. Ankenman checked, Klodnicki fired out 72,000, Ankenman check-raised to 288,000, Klodnicki moved in for 375K total and Ankenman called with AsKsKc2h for the nut flush draw, a wheel draw, and a pair as Klodnicki tabled Ac9h6c3c for two pair only. The turn fell the 10s complete Ankenman’s flush, and a 5h on the river sent Chris Klodnicki to the rail in third place to collect $97,897.

When heads up play began Sergey Altbregin has a slight chip lead of 1.8 million chips over Jerrod Ankenman’s 1.41 million. It didn’t take long for the tides to turn back in Ankenman’s favor. During Omaha hi/lo a frustrated Altbregin lost pot after pot as his chip count dwindled to just 700,000 to Ankerman’s 2.39 million. During No Limit Hold’em Ankenman scooped another nice pot to have his opponent down to just 415K chips.

The final hand of the tournament brought a flop of 3c6d4s. Ankenman bet out 50,000 and Altbregin responded by pushing all in. Ankenman made the call with 6c5s for top pair and a straight draw. Altbregin held Jd4d for middle pair only. The turn fell the 7c to give Ankenman his straight and Altbregin was drawing dead to a chop. The river was the 9d and Sergey Altbregin finished as runner-up for this event, taking home $149,342.

The third heads up match in a WSOP event proved to be the charm for Jerrod Ankenman as he caputured his first career bracelet and took home $241,637 in prize money.