Home / Poker News July 2008 / Hellmuth busts out 3rd in $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, James Schaaf wins first bracelet
Hellmuth busts out 3rd in $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, James Schaaf wins first bracelet
Posted by: James Carter. - Wed, 2008-07-02 14:06
Out of the 20 players who began Day 3 of the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, Phil Hellmuth appeared in the best shape, as he’d finished the previous day in the chip lead. He did look well on-course towards his 12th WSOP bracelet right after the break too, even though he no longer held the lead at that point.
The very first blinds-level of the day claimed no fewer than 4 tournament lives. Edmond Tonnelier, Hoyt Verner, Jens Voertmann and Steven Wolff were the first players to succumb, narrowing the field down to 16 players (two tables).
Keith Sexton, who just had his 12 WSOP cash in this event, left the table in 15th position, after he got outsmarted by Steve Diano in a razz round.
Edward Brogdon was the last to bust before the final table.
After the break, eight players returned, with Tommy Hang on a 680,000 stack, holding a comfortable lead over Hellmuth (with 400,000 chips), followed by James Schaaf (392,000), Jason Dollinger (346,000) and Sam Silverman (310,000). Esther Rossi had 166,000 left. The short-stacks were Victor Ramdin, with 79,000 chips and Matt Grapenthien with 46,000.
Grapenthien was the first player eliminated after the break. He went all-in on a flop of A,K,Q in an Omaha round, shoving Victor Ramdin aside, but running head-first into a full-house which Tommy Hang made on the turn. Ramdin had little choice but to shove his short-stack all-in on the first reasonable starting hand, and he did just that in a Stud round, against James Schaaf and Sam Silverman. The latter got out on 5th street as the former tabled two pairs and sent Ramdin packing with $32,992 in his pocket.
Sam Silverman was eliminated next at the hands of Jason Dollinger, who then got felted – in turn - by Tommy Hang.
The slow pace came to a crawl with 4 players left at the table. Hellmuth eliminated Rossi in a Holdem round with K,8 against J,9h. After the board brought nothing to either player, Hellmuth’s K prevailed and he was right on schedule for his date with his 12th bracelet.
His luck would run out in an Omaha Hi Lo hand though where his A,K,10,5 of clubs failed to improve against Tommy Hang’s two pairs.
Hang held the chip lead going into the heads-up, but Schaaf made up for the handicap in about 60 hands, and took the lead.
The final hand was a Stud Hi-Lo one, in which Schaaf made three 8s against Hang’s three sevens for the win and the $158,933 prize.
