2011 WSOP Event 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15 Winners - First Canadian Bracelet and the Star Wars Kid!

Event #8:  No-Limit Hold'em

Sean Getzwiller - Event # 8 winner

Buy-in: $1 000
Prizepool:  $1 760 200
Entries:  4 178

First place money:  $611 185

The $1 000 buy in is considered a "donkement" where you need to have skill and luck if you have a shot of making it beyond the first few levels.  This one had an interesting story line that came to light when the tournament got down to 6 players.  It was discovered that a manufacture's defect was on a number of the cards, including all 4 of spades.  The last 6 players were moved to a dimly lit table where the muck wouldn't be visible and play carried on.  The heads up battle between Sean Getzwiller and Sadan Turker lasted 6 hours with high stakes pro Jon "PearlJammer" Turner finishing in 3rd.


Event #10:  No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed

Geffrey Klein - Event #10 winner

Buy-in: $1 500
Prizepool:  $2 592 000
Entries:  1 920

First place money:  $544 388

The guy wins a WSOP bracelet and is a gynaecologist.  Congratulations Geffrey. 

Event #11:  Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship

Viacheslav Zhukov - Event # 11 winner

Buy-in: $10 000
Prizepool:  $1 898 800
Entries:  202

First place money:  $456 216

Russia finally gets on the board with it's first gold bracelet of this world series.  Don't be fooled by the chips and Viacheslav's shirt - this is 2011, not 1985.  Notable finishes include Josh Ariah (9th), Mike Sexton (15th), Freddy Deeb (20th) and Jason Mercier (27th)

Event #12:  Triple Chance No-Limit Hold'em

David Diaz - Event #12 winner

Buy-in: $1 500
Prizepool:  $1 809 000
Entries:  1 340

First place money:  $352 808

At the final table David Diaz was well behind in chips when he chopped back to back pots that he was well behind in before he got down to the business of winning.  Bill Chen finished 4th, J.C. Tran in 28th and Andy Black in 30th.

Event #13:  No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (2 000 Max)

Andrew Badecker - Event # 13 winner

Buy-in: $1 500
Prizepool:  $1 944 000
Entries:  1 440

First place money:  $369 371

Congratulations to Andrew Badecker who cut through the competition like a light sabre microphone stand through a high school music room.

Is it possible that Andrew Badecker is AKA The Star Wars Kid?  If not, this is definitely another candidate for separated at birth!  I'll bet we see him enter Event 65 - $1 500 No Limit Cage Fighting with a Fire Poker.

Event #14:  Limit Hold'em

Tyler Bonkowski - Event 14 winner

Buy-in: $3 000
Prizepool:  $920 010
Entries:  337

First place money:  $220 817

That's one happy Good Old Canadian Prairie boy holding the latest gold bracelet.  Tyler Bonkowski is from Regina and wasn't the only Canadian with a good showing in this event.  Sorel Mizzi might be more famous than Tyler, but he topped out in 16th.  Perennial casher, Shawn Buchanan from Abbotsford finished in 20th.  Nice work fellas!

Event #15:  Pot Limit Hold'em

Brian Rast - Event #15 winner

Buy-in: $1 500
Prizepool:  $1 032 750
Entries:  765

First place money:  $227 232

Brian Rast returned home from a 2 month stay in Brazil when he ran into Antonio Esfandiari who happens to be his neighbour.  Rast had no intention of playing this pot limit event, but Esfandiari would have none of it and paid Rast's way in.  Who could turn that down?  The rest is poker history.

Coming in 2nd in this event is pokerroad favourite - Allen "The Chainsaw" Kessler.  You can see his infamy enshrined on 100% cotton here - Allen Kessler T-Shirt

The next update will include the incredible final table from Event 17 which is currently running.  As I type, John Juanda is battling heads up against 11 time WSOP bracelet winner, Phil Hellmuth Jr.