Frankenberger Takes Event #17, 2nd Career Bracelet; Ivey Runner-Up
The win gave the 39-year-old Andy Frankenberger his second WSOP bracelet, the first coming last year in a $1,500 no-limit hold'em event. Meanwhile, Phil Ivey now has four second-place finishes in WSOP events to go along with the eight he has won.
The poker world's attention was evenly divided last night between Phil Hellmuth's run to a record-extending 12th WSOP bracelet in Event #18 ($2,500 razz) and Phil Ivey's attempt at earning a ninth WSOP win in Event #17, the $10,000 pot-limit hold'em event. While Ivey did have the chip lead at what turned out to be a stacked final table, it was Andy Frankenberger notching his second career WSOP win after outlasting Ivey heads-up.
Event #17 drew a field of 179 players, thus creating a total prize pool of $1,682,600 ultimately divided among the top 18 finishers. Among those cashing but falling shy of the final table were Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier (18th, $23,876), David Benyamine (16th, $23,876), Chris Klodnicki (15th, $28,334), and Antonio Esfandiari (12th, $34,139).
When the final table began early Sunday night, Ivey had the chip lead followed closely by Manuel Bevand, with Ali Eslami, Matt Marafioti, Shaun Deeb, Hoyt Corkins, and Frankenberger among those still in contention.
A short-stacked Corkins soon went out in ninth when his pocket nines failed to hold versus Bevand's Ah-Js after the board brought both an ace and a jack. Daniel Weinman then fell in eighth when his Kc-Qc failed to improve versus Frankenberger's pocket queens.
Next it was Marafioti being crippled in a hand versus Eslami, then knocked out by Alexander Venovski in seventh. Deeb fought with a short stack for a while, then finally saw his run end in sixth after Ah-Ks failed him versus Frankenberger's pocket sixes.
With five left Ivey was still on top with nearly 1.6 million, with Bevand next with 1.325 million and Frankenberger fifth of five with just under 700,000. Frankenberger would see his stack slide even more over the next stretch, dipping down below 400,000 before doubling through Eslami to pull back up out of the danger zone.
Bevand then lost most of his stack to Frankenberger with Jc-Jh versus Frankenberger's Ac-Kc when an ace fell on the turn. Shortly after Ivey finished off Bevand in fifth, and it wasn't long after that Frankenberger had pushed out into the chip lead.
Ivey next eliminated Venovksi in fourth when the latter's As-Qd failed to improve against Ivey's 7c-7d. Ivey would also knock out Eslami in third, again with a middle pair as Ivey's 8h-8c held against Eslami's Kh-Qc.
Ivey and Frankenberger were virtually even to start heads-up play, with Ivey sitting with 2.6 million to Frankenberger's 2.55 million. The pair dueled for almost an hour, during which stretch Frankenberger pulled ahead. Then came a hand in which Ivey called a button-open by Frankenberger, then checked the As-5d-4h flop. Frankenberger made a c-bet, Ivey check-raised with all he had left, and Frankenberger called.
Ivey had 7d-6d for an open-ended straight draw while Frankenberger held Ah-Jd for aces. The turn was the 5s and river the 5c, and it was all over.
2012 WSOP Event #17: Pot-Limit Hold'em ($10,000):
1. Andy Frankenberger -- $445,899
2. Phil Ivey -- $275,559
3. Ali Eslami -- $199,623
4. Alexander Venovski -- $147,345
5. Manuel Bevand -- $110,731
6. Shaun Deeb -- $84,668
7. Matt Marifioti -- $65,840
8. Daniel Weinman -- $52,059
9. Hoyt Corkins -- $41,829
As mentioned, that makes two WSOP bracelets for the 39-year-old Frankenberger, the first coming last year in a $1,500 no-limit hold'em event. Meanwhile, Ivey now has four second-place finishes in WSOP events to go along with the eight he has won.