Event #27 Mats Rahmn Wins $1.5K No-Limit Hold'em Bracelet

[Illusion]

Of the staggering 2,126 players that entered this event, an elite nine came together at the ESPN table at 2 p.m. to vie for a large share of the $2,901,999 prize pool and the twenty-seventh bracelet to be handed out at this year's WSOP. The chip counts going into the final table were:

Seat 1 - James Sileo $144,000
Seat 2 - Richard Toth $447,000
Seat 3 - Mats Rahmn $511,000
Seat 4 - Billy Duarte $96,000
Seat 5 - Padraig Parkinson $278,000
Seat 6 - Ashwin Sarin $591,000
Seat 7 - Chris "MarvinGarden" Birchby $497,000
Seat 8 - Michael Binger $325,000
Seat 9 - Jordan "ImSoLucky0" Morgan $307,000

These nine displayed remarkable poise and resilience from the very start as not one elimination occurred until the fortieth hand of play. Billy Duarte came over-the-top of Chris Birchby’s under-the-gun only to find himself in horrible shape with A Q versus Birchby’s A K. Receiving no help from the board Duarte earned $58,040 for his ninth place finish. A few hands later, Ashwin Sarin ran into bad fortune as his K K was outrun by Richard Toth’s 8 7 and was eliminated in eighth place ($72,550). By then the floodgates were wide open as three players then busted in a span of eight hands.

Internet pro Jordan Morgan was sent in search of a more appropriate online handle than “InSoLucky0” as his under-the-gun raise with 10 10 was matched by Michael Binger with Q 4, which proceeded to spike a Queen to send Morgan out in seventh place earning $87,060. Five hands later, after doubling up Mats Rahmn, Michael Binger (sixth place, $101,570) got a taste of his own medicine, as he moved all in under-the-gun with K J, was called by Chris Birchby and an inferior 10 7, yet couldn’t weather the unfavorable 87432 board. A mere two hands later James Sileo (fifth place, $116,080)lost a race for all his chips with A K to Irish professional Padraig Parkinson whose Q Q held up.

At this point less than $300,000 in chips separated the chip leader and the short stack, so play calmed down for a spell. However, after Richard Toth slow played his pocket Queens to double through Chris Birchby’s middle pair of Eights, Birchby was left with few chips and was eliminated in fourth place ($145,100) when his Q 5 failed to improve against Mats Rahmn’s K 7. This left lone professional Padraig Parkinson out-chipped 2-1 by both of his opponents. At this point these players were shifted off of the final table stage to allow the seven-card stud final table to take place. Parkinson was eliminated in third place earning $203,139, after Richard Toth made a full house with his A 3 to best Parkinson’s A 4.

Toth and Rahmn then engaged in spirited heads-up battle. Toth began heads-up with a 2-1 chip advantage, and played well to maintain that lead, but Rahmn also was able to maintain his stack as well, winning enough small pots to stay within striking distance. 43 hands into the heads up scrum, Rahmn doubled through Toth when they both flopped top pair with Kings, but Rahm also paired his kicker on the flop. Fourteen hands later the two players got all their money in on a flop of J109. Rahmn held K K, but was vulnerable to the outs of Toth’s J 8. Nonetheless, the turn and river didn’t not improve either hand, and Toth bowed out in second earning $333,729.

Mats Rahmn prevailed over one of the largest tournament fields ever to win $655,141 and a WSOP gold bracelet.