WSOP events 36 and 37 conclude

06/21/2009

Jeff Lissandro has done it again! The Australian-born poker pro has won his second World Series of Poker winner's bracelet this (2009) year, firmly positioning himself among the top seven card stud exponents in world poker.

It was a tough competition, with 164 entrants going after $1 541 600 in prizes for Event 37 - the $10 000 buy-in Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo World Championship. Illustrative of the high-powered nature of the field, it included Doyle Brunson, Abe Mossari, Mike Wattel, Barry Greenstein, Chau Giang, Annie Duke, Chris Ferguson, Erick Lindgren, Eli Elezra, Howard Lederer, Sebastian Ruthenberg, Daniel Negreanu, Carlos Mortensen, Phil Ivey, Justin Bonomo, Jason Mercier, Max Pescatori, Jennifer Harman, Mark Gregorich, Ted Forrest, and Dario Alioto. Also in the field were Lyle Berman, Dario Minieri, Tom Schneider, David Benyamine and Daniel Alaei.

In the three-and-a half-hour heads up it was Lissandro vs. Farzad Rouhani, with the former living up to his nickname of The Iceman and playing a controlled and strategic game to take the honours despite starting lower in chips in the heads up, along with the bracelet and the winner's prize of $431 656.

It was Lissandro's second bracelet at this 40th Anniversary World Series - last week he took down Event #16 - the $10 000 buy-in Seven Card Stud World Championship (see previous InfoPowa report) to win $124 959. He has also cashed in two other events this year.

Rouhani collected a check for $266 804 for his second placing.

Prior to playing poker full-time, Lisandro (43) was a real estate investor. He is now a top high-stakes cash game and international live tournaments player who has 45 cashes to his credit, three WSOP bracelets, 8 first place finishes in global tourneys and career winnings approaching $4 million.

Texan player Jordan Smith achieved his first WSOP bracelet in Event 36 - the $2 000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em contest, which attracted a field of 1 695 and offered a prize pool of $3 084 900. Among the starters were David Rheem, Kathy Liebert, Joe Sebok, Scott Seiver, Jonathan Little, Darus Suharto, Shaun Deeb, Jared Hamby, Lika Gerasimova, Rob Hollink, Michael Binger, Kenna James and Andy Black.

Smith, holding a small chip lead, faced Swedish player Ken Lennaard in the heads up after both survived a seven hour final table that included two female players in Almira Skripchenko and Laurence Grondin, although neither reached heads up status, finishing in seventh and third places respectively.

Smith lost and regained his lead on several occasions in the hard-fought game that followed with his Swedish rival, but in the end he managed to prevail to take the bracelet and the $586 212 main prize, leaving a worthy opponent in Ken Lennaard with respect and $360 439 as runner-up.