Home / Poker News July 2009 / David Halpern wins $1,500 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo event, earns first WSOP bracelet
David Halpern wins $1,500 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo event, earns first WSOP bracelet
Posted by: James Carter. - Fri, 2009-07-03 15:54
The final day of the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event saw a field of 14 players return to the tables, all looking to get their hands on the coveted piece of jewelry that only WSOP champions can rightfully bear.
The final day field contained some rather illustrious names. Max Stern was there and so were Matt Savage and Vince Burgio. Brian Swinford started in the chip lead, but when it was all said and done, it was David Halpern who picked up the gold, together with a first prize of $150,159.
The first elimination of the final day was Mike Krescanko. He came to the table as the short-stack, and never really managed to get anything going. Richard Sklar hit an A–high and a 7-low to scoop the pot and to send him packing.
Christian Toboc was the next player to fall. Matt Savage, Richard Sklar and Zak Gilbert combined forces to push him out in 13th place.
Jose Paz was bounced in 12th by Halpern and he was soon followed to the rail by Jack Rosenfeldt. Vince Burgio was then ejected in 10th. Because Stud final tables feature 8 players only, Richard Sklar became the final table bubble boy when he busted out in 9th. David Halpern was the one responsible for Sklar’s elimination. That move allowed Halpern to begin the final table in the chip lead.
The first victim of the final table was Allie Prescott. He succumbed to William Kohler who made a higher two pair than him to bounce him in 8th place.
Brian Swinford had looked pretty good when the final table action commenced, however he got hit bad by David Halpern to whom he dropped most of his chips early on. Chad Brown delivered the final blow when his pair of 6s and 7-low scooped the pot to bounce Swinford in 7th place.
David Halpern then eliminated Zak Gilbert, who had been hit badly by Matt Savage. Next, it was Savage’s turn to get crippled, this time by Max Stern. Halpern once again jumped in to finish the dirty work and he sent Savage to the rail in 5th.
Chad Brown went up against Max Stern next, to be eliminated in 4th place. The chips he’d picked up this way didn’t help Stern though. He fell next at the hands of Halpern, who made a K-high straight for the high and a 6-low to scoop the pot in Stern’s final hand.
Thanks to all the eliminations he’d performed, David Halpern started the heads-up stage of the event with a marginal chip lead. Kohler however bounced back almost immediately and the chip lead went back and forth for a while. Halpern eventually managed to take down a pot which later proved to have been a decisive one. The final hand of the event saw Kohler’s pair of 10s fall to Helpern’s K,K as no low was made.
