2009 WSOP: Parker Scores Second Bracelet in #19 NLHE 6-Handed
Brock "t soprano" Parker won his second bracelet of the 2009 WSOP by besting the 1,068-player field in Event #19, $2,500 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em. Only four days earlier, Parker took home his first WSOP gold bracelet in Event #14, $2,500 Six-Handed Limit Hold'em. Considered a limit specialist, Parker made the final table in both last year's $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship event and the 2004 WSOP $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout event. He also finished 12th in the 2005 WSOP $5,000 Limit Hold'em event.
Eleven players returned for Day 3 of Event #19, with Joe Serock just edging out Brock Parker for the starting lead with a chip advantage of 1,745,000 to 1,603,000. Serock widened his lead throughout the afternoon by eliminating Alex Ivarrson in tenth place, Brian Meinders in eighth place, and James Sudworth in seventh place. When the final table of six began, Serock had more than 40 percent of the chips in play and held more than a 2-to-1 chip advantage over Brock, his closest competitor. The chip counts going into the final table:
Joseph Serock — 3.396 million
Brock Parker — 1.477 million
Alex Wilson — 1.305 million
Jesse Rios — 1.095 million
Russell Crane — 472,000
Clayton Newman — 266,000
The first elimination of the final table occurred when Clayton Newman pushed all in from the cutoff with 2♠2♣, only to get a call from Jesse Rios with 10♠10♦ on the button. Newman got no help from the 5♦Q♣3♥Q♠K♦ board and finished in sixth place for $76.123.
Serock's starting chip advantage waned during the first hours of final-table play as more of his opponents began pushing back against the aggressive 21-year-old. But Serock boosted his chip count back to over three million with a big hand against Alex Wilson. The hand started with Brock Parker's open-raise to 125,000 from the button, with Serock calling from the small blind. Alex Wilson surprised both players by moving all in from the big blind for about 1.1 million. Parker folded, and Serock tanked for a bit before making the call.
Wilson's K♥Q♠ faced off against Serock's A♦J♥. Both players hit the Q♥8♣A♠ flop. The turn brought the 10♥, leaving Wilson in need of a queen for trips or a jack to make Broadway. The 2♠ came on the river, eliminating Alex Wilson in fifth place for $104,323.
Brock Parker got himself above the three-million-chip mark when he eliminated Jesse Rios in fourth place. Parker open-raised from the button with A♥Q♠ and Rios moved all in from the big blind with A♣J♦. The board was unable to deliver any of Rios' few outs and he collected $148,661 for his final-table performance. Rios already has multiple cashes at this year's WSOP, and has said he is interested in pursuing Nikolay Evdakov's record of ten cashes set at last year's Series.
Down to three-handed, Russell Crane was the short stack and looking for an opportunity to chip up. When Serock raised from the small blind, Crane pushed all in and Serock quickly called. Crane tabled J♣10♥ to Serock's A♠9♥. The board only furthered Serock's lead, delivering 9♣5♦7♦A♥6♠. Crane was sent home in third place with $220,633.
Going into heads-up play, Joe Serock had the lead, as he had for all of Day 3 play. But Brock Parker turned up the pressure and slowly chipped away at Serock's advantage. Parker took the lead for the first time in the tournament on the following hand: Serock raised to 150,000, and Parker made the call. Both players checked the A♦4♦3♠ flop. Parker bet 200,000 on a 2♦ turn and Serock made the call. Parker pushed out 475,000 when the 3♣ fell on the river. Serock looked across the table at Parker, then at the board, then down at the chips he was riffling. Finally he folded.
Parker moved to a decisive lead on a hand that started with his raise to 200,000. Serock checked the K♦9♥6♥ flop. Brock bet 325,000 and Serock check-raised it to 825,000. Brock flat-called and the pot stood at nearly two million. Both players checked the 5♣ turn. The Q♦ river was slowly checked by Serock. Parker checked behind. Serock showed 10♠8♠ and Parker's K-8 took it with top pair. After the hand, Parker had more than a 3-to-1 chip lead on Serock.
On the next hand, both players liked their cards and all the chips went in. It was Serock's pocket tens against Parker's pocket queens. The board ran out 7♠A♠2♣K♣Q♣, eliminating Joe Serock in second place for $341,783.
Brock Parker said, "I can't describe this. This is just unreal," after securing his second bracelet of the 2009 WSOP.
