Event #27: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship

Brian Hastings Wins His Second WSOP Gold Bracelet

High-Stakes Cash Game Pro Triumphs in Seven-Card Stud Championship, Pockets $239,518

Scott Clements Denied a Third Gold Bracelet, Finishes as Runner Up

Brian Hastings continues to add both to his reputation and legacy.

The high-stakes cash game player from Hanover Township, PA won the 2015 Seven-Card Stud World Championship, widely-recognized as such because it’s the highest buy-in tournament of this form of poker held each year.  Not coincidentally, Seven-Card Stud has been a staple of home games in the northeastern United States, where Hastings first developed his poker roots, for many decades.

Hastings earned his second career gold bracelet, following his first victory which was in the Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship, in 2012.  It was his 14th time to cash, and rocketed him to more than $1.1 million in WSOP earnings.  That said, this wasn’t even close to Hasting’s biggest win in poker.

Hastings initially surfaced on the poker scene as an online nearly ten years ago, playing the world’s best and most feared players for stakes so high, they were (and are) sometimes called “nosebleed.”  He reportedly once won $4 million in a single session.  However, when online poker was dealt a serious setback in 2009, Hastings began playing more in live games, and tournaments.  He seems to have made the adjustment, quite comfortably, indeed.

This year’s $10,000 buy-in Seven-Card Stud event drew only 91 players, but it was quite a stacked field.  Hastings topped Scott Clements in heads-up play, quite a feat on its own given his pedigree in WSOP events.  Clements, a two-time gold bracelet winner, finished 2nd for the fourth time in his career.  Despite his obvious talents, Clements was simply out-chipped throughout play and couldn’t overcome the multiple disadvantages, a common theme at his conquered final table, which included Dan Kelly (3rd) going for his third career gold bracelet, and Max Pescatori (8th) aiming not just for a fourth WSOP title, but his second gold bracelet in 2015.  None were a match for Hastings, who put on a poker clinic during much of the tournament.

“This tournament is more meaningful because it’s what a lot of the older, more established players played for many years,” Hastings said in a post-tournament interview.  “Anytime you win, it’s feels good.”

Hastings, who is quite active in the poker community and known for more than just as player, is also a noted strategist and teacher.  Given his second WSOP victory and yet another accomplishment in the game, it’s clear that Brian Hastings can be projected to win more and possibly even challenge some records, should he choose to pursue that option.

“I felt really good coming into this year’s series,” he said.  I came in with some high expectations.  I thought I was in a very good place, with my girlfriend here with me and really on top of my A-game.”

When pressed to elaborate on a reported huge bonus in the form of a bracelet side bet made with other poker players, Hastings confirmed that he’d made some substantial wagers and now will have the chance to collect.

“It’s about twice what the top prize money was for this event,” Hastings confessed.  “But I won’t say who it was with.”

No doubt, betting against Brian Hastings doesn’t seem like a very wise decision.  When asked about his future goals, he was on message and went straight to the point.

Third Place:  Dan Kelly, from Potomac, MD, hoped to win a third gold bracelet, following wins in 2010 and 2014.  However, he had to settle for 3rd place, which paid $92,691.

Fourth Place:  Chris George, from Croton-on-Hudson, NY has a stellar tournament record that few people know about.  Consider his last six cashes in WSOP events (all since 2013) – 2nd, 4th, 6th, 6th, 3rd, and now 4th.

Fifth Place:  Oxana Cummings, a Russian-born poker player now living in Weston, MA came in 5th.  She was the only female who finished in the money in this tournament.

Sixth Place:  Harley Thrower, from Georgia, cashed for the third time this year at the WSOP.  This marked his first time to make a final table.

Seventh Place:  Russian poker player Mikhail Semin, from Moscow, enjoyed the highest finish of his career at the WSOP, by finishing in 7th place.

On the first hand back from break, Brian Hastings once again puts Scott Clements on the ropes.

Clements: (x-x)/    /(x)
Hastings: (x-x)/    /(x)

Clements picks up an open pair of eights on fifth street, and he bets the 60,000. Hastings calls without delay, and Clements check-calls a bet on sixth street. Hastings bets the river, too, and Clements check-calls to see the showdown.

Hastings announces his, "Flush," as he shows    , and Clements spins his cards into the muck.

Brian Hastings - 2,600,000
Scott Clements - 130,000

A 20-minute break is scheduled but the players have agreed to shorten it to just 10 minutes in order to continue their heads-up match. Play will resume at approximately 8 p.m. local time. Here's how they stack up:

Brian Hastings - 2,353,000
Scott Clements - 377,000

Brian Hastings completes with the  , and Scott Clements raises with the  . Hastings calls.

Clements: (x-x)/    /(x)
Hastings: (x-x)/    /(x)

Hastings bets on every street, and Clements calls him all the way down. When the last call comes, Hastings holds his cards over the muck and waits to see Clements'     before letting them go.

A couple hands later, Clements completes with the  , and Hastings defends his bring-in with the  .

Clements: (x-x)/    /(x)
Hastings: (x-x)/    /(x)

This time, it's Clements doing the betting on fourth, fifth, and sixth streets, with Hastings calling along. Both players check seventh street, and Clements shows     to take the pot with a pair of queens.

Scott Clements - 800,000
Brian Hastings - 1,930,000

Scott Clements brings it in with the   and Hastings completes with an ace of his own, the  .  Clements calls.

Brian Hastings - (x-x)/    /(x)
Scott Clements - (x-x)/    /(x)

Clements checks fourth street and Hastings bets.  Clements check-calls.  Hastings takes the betting lead on fifth and bets.  Clements calls. Hastings bets again on sixth and Clements calls.  Hastings thinks for a few seconds on seventh street and then fires a final bet.  Clements checks his hole cards and calls.

"Aces," Hastings says, turning over    .  Clements nods and concedes the pot.

Brian Hastings - 2,195,000
Scott Clements - 800,000

The jewelry is out on the table, and the two remaining players are heads-up for the title of Stud Champion.

Brian Hastings - 1,890,000
Scott Clements - 840,000

Scott Clements brings it in with the   and Brian Hastings completes with the  . Clements raises and Hastings calls.

Scott Clements (x-x)/   (x)/(x)
Brian Hastings (x-x)/    /(x)

Clements bets fourth street and Hastings calls.  On fifth, Clements bets all in for 39,000.  Hastings hesitates, but puts chips in to call, saying, "You're ahead."

Clements shows    for a baby pair, while Hastings has    for straight, flush, and pair outs.  When all the cards are out, Clements makes two pair, fours and threes, and Hastings can only win with a four.  His last card is the   for a pair of fives and Clements survives.

Brian Hastings completes for 20,000 with the  , and Scott Clements raises to 40,000 with the  , Hastings makes it 60,000, and Clements calls.

Clements: (x-x)/    /(x)
Hastings: (x-x)/    /(x)

Clements check-calls bets on fourth, fifth, and sixth streets, and he checks dark on seventh street. Hastings checks behind after the last card, and he shows     for a pair of jacks, and Clements mucks to drop to about 320,000 chips.

On the next hand, Clements completes with the  , and Hastings defends his bring-in with the  .

Clements: (x-x)/    /(x)
Hastings: (x-x)/    /(x)

Both players check fourth street, and Clements check-raises fifth. When he does, though, Hastings comes right back over the top with a three-bet to 60,000. Clements calls, and he calls another bet on sixth street before folding on seventh. There are now very few chips on the table that don't belong to Brian Hastings.

Brian Hastings - 2,340,000
Dan Kelly - 260,000
Scott Clements - 130,000

Scott Clements has lost a couple small pots during the recent minutes, but he rebounds in a heads-up pot against Dan Kelly. Clements completes with the  , and Dan Kelly calls with the  .

Clements: (x-x)/    /(x)
Kelly: (x-x)/    /(x)

Kelley does the betting on fourth, fifth, and sixth streets, and he checks seventh. Clements takes his cue to bet the last 40,000, and Kelly folds.

Scott Clements - 305,000
Dan Kelly - 395,000

Scott Clements brings it in with the   and Oxana Cummings completes with the  . Brian Hastings calls with the   and Clements raises.  Cummings three bets and Hastings folds.  Clements calls.

Scott Clements - (x-x)/    /(x)
Oxana Cummings - (x-x)/    /(x)

Cummings bets fourth street and Clements calls.  On fifth, Cummings bets 40,000 and Clements goes into the tank.  He has just 72,000 left and must decide whether to put himself at risk.  After fifteen seconds of thought he moves all in.  Cummings takes her time and asks for a count.  Twenty seconds go by and she calls.  Clements reveals    in the hole and Cummings quickly tables   .

Clements needs help to stay alive and he gets it with the   on sixth street.  Cummings needs a king to send Clements home, but can't get it done.  Clements doubles and Cummings is down to just 37,000.

Scott Clements - 340,000
Oxana Cummings - 37,000