Pius Heinz Captures 2011 WSOP Main Event Title, First for Germany

Poker News / Short-Stacked Shamus / 09 November 2011 / Leave a Comment

Pius Heinz of Cologne, Germany, 2011 WSOP Main Event Champion (Photo: PokerNews)

The final day began dramatically with the early elimination of Ben Lamb in third, but heads-up would take several hours and 119 hands before Heinz finally emerged as champion.

A long final day of play at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino culminated just after midnight with the 22-year-old Pius Heinz of Germany outlasting a tough heads-up battle versus Martin Staszko of the Czech Republic to win the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event. Heinz earns a cool $8,715,638 for the win, with Staszko taking away $5,433,086 for his runner-up finish.

The last day of play -- Day 10, officially -- began with just three players remaining from the starting field of 6,865 who began poker's most celebrated annual $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament back in July. Following Sunday's play, Heinz returned to the biggest stack on Tuesday with 107.8 million, followed by 2011 WSOP Player of the Year Ben Lamb with 55.4 million and Staszko with 42.7 million.

While some speculated three-handed may end relatively quickly, few expected fireworks on the very first hand, but that's what happened. Following a Heinz button fold, Ben Lamb raised to 3 million (2.5x BB) from the small blind, then Staszko reraised to 7.5 million from the big blind. Lamb studied a while, then announced he was all in, and Staszko thought just a few beats before calling.

Lamb had Kh-Jd and was flipping against Staszko's 7s-7c. The board ran out 9s-3h-2d-3s-10c, and just like that Lamb was down to about 10 big blinds.

Just three hands later, the Oklahoman would open-shove his short stack from the small blind with Qs-6h and Staszko called him with Jd-Jc. The five community cards came 5c-5h-2s-2c-7s, and Lamb's night was over in just four hands. He collected $4,021,138 for his third-place finish, capping off a truly remarkable WSOP.

That initial flurry enabled Staszko to seize the chip lead from Heinz, although the advantage would see-saw back and forth several times over the next few hours as their heads-up battle extended into the night.

After about three hours, Staszko regained the lead and began increasing it, pushing out to a better than 3-to-1 chip advantage at one point. Heinz remained patient, however, and after 100 hands of heads-up play neither player had been all in and called a single time.

As the clock reached midnight and it began to seem as though the Czech was primed to take down the title, a huge hand developed in which Staszko limped from the button (for 2.4 million), Heinz raised to 7.9 million, and Staszko called.

The flop came 10c-7c-Ks, prompting a bet of 8.2 million from Heinz. Staszko made it 17.5 million to go, and after going into the tank Heinz emerged to declare himself all in for about 70 million total. Staszko quickly called.

Heinz had Ah-Qh -- a couple of overs -- while Staszko was drawing with Qc-9c. The turn was the 3h and river the 6s, and suddenly Heinz had a commanding lead with 161.5 million to Staszko's 44.4 million.

Eight hands later -- the 119th of heads-up -- Staszko open-pushed his last 39.5 million from the button with 10c-7c and Heinz quickly called with As-Kc.

The 5c-2d-9s flop and Jh turn provided a sweat, but the 4d on the river sealed it, ending a hard-fought heads-up battle and thrilling WSOP Main Event final table and making Heinz the first-ever WSOP Main Event champion from Germany.

2011 WSOP Main Event final table payouts:
1st: Pius Heinz (Germany) -- $8,715,638
2nd: Martin Staszko (Czech Republic) -- $5,433,086
3rd: Ben Lamb (U.S.) -- $4,021,138
4th: Matt Giannetti (U.S.) -- $3,012,700

5th: Phil Collins (U.S.) -- $2,269,599

6th: Eoghan O'Dea (Ireland) -- $1,720,831

7th: Badih "Bob" Bounahra (Belize) -- $1,314,097

8th: Anton Makiievskyi (Ukraine) -- $1,010,015

9th: Sam Holden (U.K.) -- $782,115

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