Arizona cash game grinder Dan Matsuzuki (28) made an impulsive decision urged on by a friend to enter the World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in Seven Card Stud Hi Lo championship event, and it paid handsome dividends.
Matsuzuki bested a field of 141 to claim his first World Series of Poker winner’s bracelet and the top prize of $364,387 despite starting final table action as the low stack. At the top end of chip stacks at the final table, holding a massive advantage was one-bracelet holder Scott Bohlman from Chicago, who stayed with the action to finally face Matsuzuki in the heads up.
By that stage the Arizona grinder had worked his way up through the stacks and held a slight advantage on Bohlman.
That didn’t last long as Bohlman evened the stacks and initiated a spirited exchange over the next two levels that saw the lead change several times before Matsuzuki got a grip on the game and extended his lead to around 5 to 1.
It was too high a hill for Bohlman to climb, and the coup de gras came when Matsuzuki won a massive pot and soon thereafter eliminated his tough opponent, sending Bohlman home with the runner up prize of $225,210.
Other final table cashes included:
3rd: Ken Aldridge – $154,648
4th: Chris Vitch – $108,739
5th: Daham Wang – $78,739
6th: Jerry Wong – $57,855
7th: Bryce Yockey – $43,833
8th: Joseph Michael – $34,089