WSOP 2008 Event 41 - Frank Gray win the $1,500 mixed hold’em event

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 | Francis Lee

731 players entered the 41st Event at the World Series of Poker 2008 playing a $1,500 mixed hold’em event. The game changed with each round switching between limit hold’em and no limit hold’em. The winner was set to receive $219,508 from the $1,096,500 prize pool.

The first day saw the elimination of the majority of this field, with just 98 players returning for day two as the bubble fast approaching. This meant play was slow towards the end of day one and the start of day two. When the bubble eventually burst after a few hours play, the eliminations started to flow more frequently. The last man not to cash in, bursting the bubble was Bob Lauria who could not nurse his short stack long enough. Once we reached the final table stage of the event the official chip rankings looked as follows.

Final Table Chip Rankings

• 1st Mats Gavatin $405,000
• 2nd Nick Binger $339,000
• 3rd Frank Gary $332,000
• 4th Michael Chu $264,000
• 5th Jonathan Tamayo $238,500
• 6th Alex Jalali $204,000
• 7th David Machowsky $147,500
• 8th Chris Rentes $132,000
• 9th David Sorger $130,000

David Sorger wasted no time moving his short stack in the middle with and found a caller in Nick Binger holding The all low board showing confirming Sorger’s exit in 9th place. Just a few hands later Binger raised the pot with just and was called by Michael Chu with pocket Eights. Binger caught a great Flop as it came down Chu thought his hand was good as he check raised, but Binger called to reveal his hand. No help came for Chu sending him to the rail in 8th place.

Binger was leading the pack after the first two eliminations, but didn’t stop there taking the next two amounting a huge chip lead. Most of the chips came from the early chip leader Mats Gavatin, when all of the chips went in on a Flop showing Binger had with trip Sevens and was in danger of Gavatin’s looking for a flush. No diamond came for Gavatin as the board competed with the and Binger then proceeded to eliminate David MacHowsky, hitting a full house on the Flop holding pocket Aces, this left David MacHowsky’s pocket Three’s with no chance at all, MacHowsky picked up $44,902 finishing in 6th place.

Binger continued his aggressive style, taking a couple of hits but then eliminating Alex Jalai from the event. Binger’s pocket Jacks held up against Jalai’s as the board came down Alex Jalai collected $56,000 heading for the rail in 5th.

Chris Rentes hand nursed his short stack early on and managed to get to four handed play. This is where it all ended for Rentes going All In for his last $50,000 with None other then Binger called tabling which ended up winning as neither players hit the board.

It took just under five hours play for three players to turn into two. After all his hard work, Nick Binger lost his way during this period as his luck ran out against both Frank Gray and Jonathan Tamayo. It was Tamayo who dispatched Binger in the end beating his pocket Three’s with pocket Queens.

Tamayo started heads up in the chip lead against Gray but could not catch a single break. Every time he made a decent hand Gray would better it on the Turn or River. The prime example was when Tamayo flopped a straight, only to see Gray make a full house on the River. Tamayo got the last of his chips in with Gray called with Gary took down the event pairing his Ace on the Flop and missing Tamayo’s outs for a straight on the Turn and River. This was Frank Gray’s first WSOP bracelet win, taking home the $219,508 first place prize.
WSOP 2008 Event 41 Final Standings

• 1st Frank Gary $219,508
• 2nd Jonathan Tamayo $140,093
• 3rd Nick Binger $84,814
• 4th Chris Rentes $69,348
• 5th Alex Jalali $56,875
• 6th David MacHowsky $44,902
• 7th Mats Gavatin $34,924
• 8th Michael Chu $27,440
• 9th David Sorger $19,956

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