WSOP Bracelet for Rory Young in Melbourne

Rory Young is the latest WSOP Asia Pacific Gold Bracelet winner. It came after he took out Event #6 of the series, which was a $1,650 Dealer’s Choice 8 Game Mix event.

The win continues the successful streak of Australian players at the event so far. Five of the six completed events at the WSOP APAC have been won by home players - a great feat considering the calibre of poker sharks who have taken to the felt in the series thus far.

Young was widely viewed as the favourite coming into the final day of play as he was the only player who entered the final table with a six figure stack.

George Danzer was the first player to be knocked out from the final table after he came out second best in a Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo hand against Brian Rast. Rast hit quads on the river which won him the hand to put the tournament down to five players. Danzer needed to finish 4th or better to take the lead in the Player of the Year race, so this was not the outcome he was hoping for.

The eventual winner then claimed his first final table scalp when he eliminated Jason Gray from the event in fifth place. Gray’s demise came in a 2-7 Triple Draw hand in which Young’s Eight Six beat Gray’s hand to eliminate him from the event.

Fellow Australian David Zhao was next to go after losing all of his chips against Sam Khouiss in a Pot Limit Omaha hand. Khouiss hit the nut flush on the turn, which eventually won him the hand to put the event down to the final three.

Young then struck again just minutes later when he eliminated Brian Rast from the event in third spot. The elimination came in a No Limit Hold’em hand in which Young went all in preflop with Queen Six off suit. He was called by Rast, who was initially in a good shape with Pocket Eights.

Young hit Two Pair on the flop when two Threes and a Six came down, but he was still behind the Eights held by Rast. The turn, however, yielded another Six to give Young a Full House. The Ace of Hearts that came on the river did nothing for Rast who settled for the third.

Rast’s elimination put Young and Khouiss in a heads-up play, with Young holding a comfortable chip lead when the play started. Khouiss played hard in an attempt to close the gap, but Young would simply not be denied.

Young dealt the final blow after a little over an hour in a Pot-Limit Omaha hand. After a series of bets and raises both pre and post-flop, Young put Khouiss all-in after the turn. After a few moments of thinking, Khouiss eventually called. Young was slightly ahead, but Khouiss only needed an Ace, Jack, Eight or Seven to win the hand.

It was not to be, however, as the Ten of Clubs came on the river to give Young the Gold Bracelet and the AU$42,720 prize for the first place!

In other WSOP APAC related news, Phil Hellmuth made it to the final table of the 6-max No Limit Hold’em event and starts the day with a decent stack and a good shot to add the bracelet number fourteen to his career achievements.