WSOP Event 12 Sees First Finnish Bracelet Winner

It’s been an amazing start to the 2009 World Series of Poker for Finnish player . He followed up his third place finish (worth $152,914) only days earlier in the $10,000 7 Card Stud Championship, with a first place bracelet winning finish in the 2009 WSOP Event #12 – $10K buy-in Mixed Game Championship as he scored his first career WSOP bracelet and pocketed the $492,375 first place prize money.

The Mixed Game Championship was introduced last year and is considered by many players to be the premier event at the World Series of Poker. This event attracts poker’s most elite players, as you can see signs of in the list below of all players cashing in this event.

1. Ville Wahlbeck – $492,375
2. David Chiu – $304,176
3. Scott Dorin – $199,940
4. Mark Gregorich – $139,159
5. Huck Seed – $102,286
6. James Van Alstyne – $79,181
7. Mike Wattel – $64,373
8. Todd Brunson – $54,854
9. Allie Prescott – $42,818
10. Roman Yitzhaki – $42,818
11. Joseph Serock – $34,958
12. Aurangzeb Sheikh – $34,958
13. Brian Powell – $27,719
14. Adam Friedman – $27,719
15. Doyle Brunson – $21,357
16. Michael Binger – $21,357
17. Eric Froehlich – $16,649
18. Soheil Shamseddin – $16,649
19. Matthew Hawrilenko – $16,649
20. (Miami) John Cernuto – $16,649
21. Vitaly Lunkin – $16,649
22. Harris Pablou – $16,649
23. Brian Anthony Mizok – $16,649
24. Max Pescatori – $16,649

With his victory today, Ville Wahlbeck became the first Finnish player to win a WSOP bracelet. To do so he made it through a field of 194 players comprised primarily of poker’s elite players. Not bad for a 33-year old professional whose poker career didn’t start until online poker grew in popularity. He had quite a few four figure cashes coming into this Series and only one 5-figure cash which came back in 2004 in a Ladbrokes event. Now he has two six figure WSOP cashes under his belt, both coming in Championship events.

2009 WSOP Event 12 Day 3 recap

Day three started with 20 players remaining, many of them being household names among poker followers. It only took a few minutes for the first player to fall as “Miami” John Cernuto tossed in his few remaining chips during deuce-to-seven triple draw. James Van Alstyne stood pat after the second draw, and Cernuto drew one card. The last of Cernuto’s stack went in after the third draw, and Van Alstyne tabled 7-5-4-3-2 for the nuts. Cernuto showed an eight low and went on his way to the cage for his 20th-place payout ($16,649).

Next to go was legendary internet player HOSS_TBF (Matt Hawrilenko) when Doyle Brunson hit a king on the river to seen Hawrilenko to the rail in 19th place.

The following eliminations then occurred:

Soheil Shamseddin finished in 18th place in an Omaha hi/lo hand via Michael Binger.

Eric Froehlich finished in 17th place during Omaha via Huck Seed.

Michael Binger was eliminated by Todd Brunson.

Doyle Brunson was eliminated in 15th after his pocket queens (all in preflop) were cracked by Scott Dorin’s AsQs as the first card out on the flop was an Ace.

The field continued to thin as Adam Friedman (14th, $27,719), Brian Powell (13th, $27,719), Aurangzeb “Ozzy87” Sheikh (12th, $34,958), Joe Serock (11th, $34,958) and Roman Yitzhaki (10th, $42,818) all headed to the rail.

With nine players left one more elimination was needed to reach the final table. It was Allie Preston who would eventually become the final table’s bubble boy when on a hand of razz he ended up with Ah 2h Kh 7d Qd Qc (2s) against Scott Dorin’s (7-6) 3-4-8-6 (Q).

The first final table elimination came when on a 7 Card Stud hand when Todd Brunson ran split 7’s against David Chiu’s rolled-up kings. Todd managed to rank seven spots better than his father as he picked up $54,854 for his eighth place finish.

Mike Wattel hit the rail in seventh to collect $64,373 after he lost a NLHE hand where he was short stack all in with pocket nines against David Chiu’s Kc 8c. The flop cam Ad Kc Jc and the turn and river brought no help sending Wattel to the rail.

David Chiu continued adding names to his list of eliminations when during Pot Limit Omaha he eliminated Van Alstyne in sixth and during limit holdem eliminated Huck Seed in fifth. It was a tough beat for seed as Chiu bet out on a flop of Qh 4h 2d, Seed raised and Chiu called. The river brought a 2c and Chiu Bet, Seed Raised and ended up all in. Seed was well ahead with Ah Qd but the river was a 5h giving Chiu a flush.

Chiu then stepped aside and gave another player an opportunity to eliminate someone from this final table. That duty fell on Scott Dorin when during a hand of deuce-to-seven triple draw. Dorin raised from late position before the first draw, and Gregorich three-bet from the button. Dorin reraised again, and Gregorich tossed in his last few chips. Both players took two on the first draw, then Dorin drew two as Gregorich took one. Dorin stood pat on the third draw, and Gregorich drew one to make a 10-8-5-3-2. Gregorich’s ten-high was no good against Dorin’s 8-6-5-4-2, and then there were three.

The next elimination also involved Scott Dorin playing a hand of deuce-to-seven triple draw, unfortunate for him this time he was on the losing end. On this hand Dorin raised from the button, Wahlbeck three-bet and Dorin four-bet all in. Wahlbeck called and drew two cards as Dorin took one on the first draw. Both players drew one on the second draw, and both stood pat on the final draw. Wahlbeck showed 7-6-4-3-2 for a strong seven-low, and Dorin’s nine-low was no good as he headed to the rail in third place.

After being the chip leader for most of the day David Chiu eventually needed to settle for a runner up finish and $304,176 when the final hand was played. On this hand all the money went in preflop on a hand of Omaha Hi/Lo. Chiu showed Ac 5c 9d 10s and Wahlbeck Ad Qd 8d 8s. The board ran Jc Js 5h 10d Ks and Wahlbeck became the first Finnish player to win a WSOP bracelet.