LAS VEGAS (9 June 2017) – David Singer claimed his second World Series of Poker gold bracelet on Friday by capturing the 2017 WSOP's Event #14, $1,500 H.O.R.S.E.
Singer, a Las Vegas-based poker pro, surged steadily throughout final-table play to secure the winner's $203,709 prize. Singer topped Tustin, California's Kevin LaMonica after a four-hour, heads-up battle. Singer began the duel with a slight edge in chips, but staved off elimination early in the duel before grinding out the win.
The win moved Singer's career WSOP earnings to more than $1.8 million. This second bracelet victory marked Singer's 40th career WSOP cash. Singer's prior WSOP triumph came in 2008, in a $1,500 pot-limit hold'em event.
For runner-up LaMonica, this breakthrough WSOP performance was worth $125,904. LaMonica's only prior WSOP cash, for $7,469, came in a 2008 WSOP Circuit event. LaMonica's largest ever tourney cash before this event, for a little over $25,000, came when he won an L.A. Poker Open prelim for a little over $25,000. Florida's Andrew “A.J.” Kelsall finished in third, winning $88,221.
Official final-table action had barely begun when a short-stacked Esther “E-Tay” Taylor-Brady called all in, heads up against Singer in razz. E-Tay trailed the entire hand but was drawing to a ten by sixth street. However, her last two cards bricked, ending her run.
Seventh place went to Kyle Loman, who departed after calling all in on sixth street of a stud hand against leader LaMonica. LaMonica had three diamonds showing and opened two more for the flush, leaving Loman drawing dead.
Next to exit was David “Bakes” Baker, who ended up all in against Singer after a preflop raising battle in a hold'em hand. Baker held to Singer's , but Singer caught the on the flop and the rest of the board changed nothing. Singer chipped up steadily through the middle stages of the final table; this knockout put him well over a million chips and within reach of LaMonica.
The final table narrowed again when Michael Coombs was eliminated in fifth. Singer produced this knockout as well, scooping a pot with a better two pair, aces up, with neither player making a low.
Soon after, four-time bracelet winner Max Pescatori's run ended in fourth. Poker's “Italian Pirate” battled with a shortened stack for some time, and he doubled through Coombs just before Coombs' elimination, basically swapping spots in the standings. Pescatori's day ended when LaMonica rivered a key five in an Omaha hi-lo hand, making a seven-high straight and a six low. The scoop ended Pescatori's possible run to a fifth WSOP bracelet.
Kelsall busted not longer after Pescatori departed, Down to his last 235,000, Kelsall lost a battle of the blinds in a hold'em hand. Singer held A-2, Kelsall Q-5, and neither player improved.
That set the stage for a lengthy duel between Singer and LaMonica, though it almost wasn't lengthy at all. Singer began the duel with a slight chip lead, but LaMonica went on a rush, at one point trimming Singer to about 350,000 chips, less than a tenth of the 5.5 million in play. Singer then doubled up in a stud hand where LaMonica could've connected to close out the win. Singer doubled again soon after, and the war of attrition was on.
The two men see-sawed back and forth for another three hours until Singer finally closed it out in an Omaha-8 hand. After a flop, Singer raised and LaMonica reraised all in. Singer called and showed to lead LaMonica's . The turn gave Singer a full house and with no low draw available, locked up the hand and the win. A meaningless on the rive closed out the official action.
"Obviously it went back and forth," said Singer, referring to the marathon heads-up duel. "Most of the time I played well, but I was getting unlucky in the big hands. I was kind of frustrated but I always think I have a chance to come back."
Added Singer, "It's fun to win. It's frustrating to get close when you don't win."
Singer admitted that he "wasn't in good shape" early on, but "got lucky in a couple of all-in hands" to move up the leaderboard, setting the stage for the battle against LaMonica.
Singer defeated 735 other entrants to claim that second career bracelet. All told, the 736 paid entries created a prize pool of $993,600. 111 players cashed in Event #14.
OTHER NOTABLES:
Just bubbling the official final table by finishing ninth was two-time bracelet winner Brandon Shack-Harris. This event's defending champion, Ian Johns, made it all the way to 13th. Former WSOP bracelet winners James Richburg (14th) and Richard Ashby (15th), also made it into Day 3's final 18.
Others who cashed but were eliminated before Day 2 was in the books included Frankie O'Dell (27th), Mike Wattel (31st), Marco Johnson (32nd), Mike Gorodinsky (50th), Barbara Enright (62nd), Daniel Negreanu (67th), John Monnette (71st), and Jason Mercier (107th).
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Final Table Payouts (earned POY points in parentheses):
1st: David Singer, $203,709 (173.8)
2nd: Kevin Lamonica, $125,904 (148.0)
3rd: Andrew Kelsall, $88,221 (131.5)
4th: Max Pescatori, $62,733 (117.4)
5th: Michael Coombs, $45,281 (105.3)
6th: David “Bakes” Baker, $33,184 (94.9)
7th: Kyle Loman, $24,696 (86.0)
8th: Esther Taylor-Brady, $18,669 (78.4)