Spencer Lawrence became the second Brit in almost as many days to go agonisingly close to winning a WSOP bracelet when he finished second in Event 6, the $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo split. He ended up all-in against Thang Luu holding 9d-5d-6h-5c against Luu's Kd-4d-7h-3s on a Ks-7d-8d flop, the turn was the 8c whilst the river was the Kc meaning Luu's house scooped with no low possible.The victory was doubly sweet for Luu since last year he finished second in the $2k O8 event. Afterwards he said, "I like to play every hand. I don't miss any hands, especially when I am playing heads up. I might check in a few spots, but I play every hand (and try to keep my opponent guessing). Winning a World Series of Poker title is very special. You know, now they look at your differently, everyone knows who you are."
Luu took just under $250k home with him, whilst Spencer received around $150k for besting a tough looking table that included two-time bracelet winner Scott Clements.
1st Thang Luu -- $243,342
2nd Spencer Lawrence -- $156,344
3rd George Guzman -- $93,806
4th James Pritchard -- $78,456
5th Chris Falconer -- $64,243
6th Greg Jamison -- $50,599
7th Craig Sabel -- $39,228
8th Mark Wilds -- $30,700
9th Scott Clements -- $22,17
In event 7, Matt Keikoan beat online professional Shannon Shorr in the $2k event. This event also featured Theo Tran making a second final table having gotten through another four-figure field. Another player making the final was J.C. Tran, widely regarded as one of the best players around not to win a WSOP bracelet. (Evidently, the press needs someone to take up Erick Lindgren's mantle!) Chris Bjorin the Scandie/Brit made the final also, taking a creditable 5th place ahead of some much fancied opposition.
This event was also incredible for the following bad beat story (thanks to Nolan Dalla for this one):
Down to three tables and 24 players on Day Two, Theo Tran was heads-up in a pot with Scott Montgomery. Tran was dealt A-A against Montgomery's 5-5. Incredibly, Montgomery flopped quad-fives, yet still ended up losing the hand. The flop came 5-5-4 with two spades. The turn brought the deuce of spades. The river delivered the three-of-spades, giving Tran a straight flush (A-2-3-4-5) with the ace-of-spades in his hand. Perhaps most incredible of all - Montgomery did not go broke on the hand. Tran bet the river for a modest number of chips, and Montgomery could only make the call (instead of raising), despite having four-of-a-kind.
1st Matt Keikoan -- $550,529
2nd Shannon Shorr -- $349,142
3rd Carter Gill -- $228,898
4th Theo Tran -- $191,231
5th Chris Bjorin -- $155,013
6th Mihai Manole -- $123,141
7th JC Tran -- $94,167
8th Alex Bolotin -- $72,436
9th Mike Lisanti -- $50,705
Finally in event 8, the $10k mixed event which probably boasted one of the strongest fields of all-time, a little-known, to the media at least, professional named Anthony Rivera took on the very best and won. Anthony revealed afterwards that he was a regular $200-$400 and $300-$600 mixed games player in both the Bellagio and the Commerce and that this event was the one he was looking forward to ahead of all the others.Remarkably, his Heads-Up lasted just one hand when he got James 'Mig.com' Mackey (left, from one of his bracelet wins in 2007) all-in during the no-limit discipline with A-K against A-9. Big slick held (A-K is no good for people called James it seems at this WSOP), and delivered Anthony the bracelet. Unlike many of his young peers, Rivera is not a big fan of the no-limit and pot-limit games and much prefers limit, as he said himself: "I really do not have a ‘best' game. I do not really play No-Limit that much. I prefer the other games. I think I can play all the games well."
1st Anthony Rivera -- $483,688
2nd James Mackey -- $297,792
3rd Matt Glantz -- $184,992
4th Mike DeMichele -- $139,872
5th Eli Elezra -- $108,288
6th Sam Farha -- $85,728
7th Jeff Madsen -- $67,680
8th Tom Dwan -- $54,144