Travis Johnson came to Las Vegas with $3,500 to play poker with. His luck in cash games was not good, as he was quickly down to $2,500 before deciding to trying a $350 single table satellite. After winning that he scored himself $3,000 worth of WSOP buy-in chips and decided to try his luck in 2009 WSOP Event #7, $1,500 NLHE. In the early hours this morning he completed an impressive run that saw is $350 investment parlayed to over $666K and his first career bracelet.
Last year it was Grant Hinkle who came out on top of the year’s first $1,500 WSOP event. To do so he needed to get through a then record field of 3,929 players including a final table with Theo Tran and Chris Ferguson. While Travis Johnson’s path was slightly easier due to only 2,791 participants and the top 24 money finishers all being relatively unknown amateurs, he won this event by absolutely dominating the final table on the way to his first career bracelet.
At the end of Day 1, Johnson was nowhere on the radar in terms of top chip counts, having a little over 30K chips, at the end of Day 2 he was tenth in chips with over 450K and when the final day was complete he had captured all the chips in play.
The final table could not have been scripted better for Johnson as he came in with a big chip lead and never once relinquished it. Using a highly aggressive style his opponents struggled to get a read on him as he steam rolled his way to the finish. In less than five hours Johnson was heads up with Steve Karp and with a commanding chip advantaged he quickly sealed the deal.
The 30-year-old amateur from North Hills, California, is currently an underwriter for Bank of America. Throughout the three-day event, wore the same clothes although denying a superstitious nature.
“I started to get chips and I said I did not want to change anything,” he said to the WSOP. “Normally, I am not superstitious. But I said to myself, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Don’t do anything differently.”
He didn’t have any reason to change anything and defeating the field of 2,791 players still hasn’t sunk in yet.
“I can’t even comprehend what I am going to do,” Johnson said. “I was happy to win $3,000 in a single-table satellite yesterday. I cashed. Three grand looked good. So, if that looked good, I can’t even fathom what this means … It’s just so over my head right now.
“The bottom line is — this is fun. The World Series of Poker is history-book stuff. I still can’t grasp it all.”
Here’s how the final table action unfolded:
Kam Low was eliminated in ninth place collecting $81,185 after his Ac Td was drawn out on by Travis Johnson’s Qc Jd. All in preflop the board was dealt Qd Qs 6c Kc 10s sending Low to the rail.
Next to go was James McClain when short stacked and in the big blind he called the small blind Mark Salinaro’s shove. When the cards were turned up Salinaro showed Js 9s and McClain Ah 7d. The board ran As 10s 8c 8h Qh sending Mclain to the rail in eighth place to collect his $87,013 consolation prize.
The next elimination occurred when Mike Ciotola raised to 230K, Travis Johnson reraised to 700K, Walter Wright moved all in for 1.69 million, Ciotola folded and Johnson called showing pocket fives, and Wright showed Ad Kc. The board ran out Jh 10s 9h 2d 8h, and Wright was eliminated in seventh place worth $97,985.
Brian McInnis was eliminated in sixth place and received $116,234 after his pocket eights failed to outrace Ciotola’s Ace-King. He was followed to the rail by Craig McConville who received $145,721 after his pocket jacks were cracked by Travis Johnson’s ATo.
Ace-King proved to be good again in a race situation when Mark Salinaro had the misfortune of running his pocket sevens against Steve Karp’s big slick. The board ran KQ883 and Mark Salinaro collected $193,343 for his forth place finish.
Mike Ciotola decided to make his final stand with Kd 8d but his flush draw was not even live as Travis Johnson holding Ad 4d called and sent Ciotola to the rail to collect $273,385 for third place.
The heads up match was short as Johnson had a big lead and was able to make quick work of Steve Karp who received $414,116 for his runner up finish. On the final hand Karp limped in on the button, and Johnson put him all in. Karp instantly called with pocket fives and was racing against Johnson’s Ad Qs. The board ran Kh 10s 4h Qh Jh, and Johnson won first place which included $666,853 top place prize money and his first career WSOP bracelet.
Final Table Results:
1st Place: Travis Johnson – $666,853
2nd Place: Steve Karp – $414,116
3rd Place: Michael Ciotola – $273,385
4th Place: Mark “markysals1″ Salinaro – $193,343
5th Place: Craig McConville – $145,721
6th Place: Brian McInnis – $116,234
7th Place: Walter Wright – $97,985
8th Place: James McClain – $87,013
9th Place: Kam Low – $81,185
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