Jason Baker limped on the button and Sean Drake checked his option.
The flop came down 
and Drake checked. Baker bet 50,000, but was put to the test when Drake raised all in. After a few moments, Baker called all in for 300,000 and revealed 
. He was ahead of Drake's 
and clinched the double when the 
turn and 
river fell.
Baker upped his stack to roughly 870,000, but still finds himself down 2:1 in chips.
Sean Drake raised to 100,000 on the button and Jason Baker called from the big blind.
The flop fell 
and Baker checked. Drake bet 115,000, quickly getting called by Baker. Both checked the 
turn and the 
followed on the river. Baker bet 200,000, enough to take it down.
Jason Baker called on the button and Sean Drake popped it to 140,000 from the big blind.
Baker called and a 
flop followed. Drake bet 145,000, but saw his bet quickly raised to 345,000 by Baker. That was fine with Drake who re-raised all in. After about 90 seconds and with 365,000 behind, Baker called all in and tabled 
.
Drake was dominating with 
, but the 
turn changed everything and put Baker way out in front. The river was no help to Drake and he is now the one down about 2:1 in chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,710,000
840,000
|
840,000 |
|
890,000
-840,000
|
-840,000 |
|
||
After slipping to under 500,000, Sean Drake found a much needed double up.
Jason Baker raised to 120,000 on the button and Sean Drake re-raised all in for 440,000 from the big blind. Baker called with 
, trailing Drake's 
.
The board ran out a beautiful 
for Drake, keeping his hopes of capturing WSOP gold alive.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,710,000
-400,000
|
-400,000 |
|
|
890,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
|
||
Jason Baker limped in on the button and Sean Drake popped it to 140,000 from the big blind.
Baker called and the flop came down 
. Little did we know how much both players loved that flop. Drake bet 105,000 and Baker called, landing the 
on the turn. Again, little did we know how much both players loved that turn. A check from Drake led to a bet of 200,000 from Baker. Drake, though, popped it to 450,000. Baker responded by shoving with the big stack. An immediate call from Drake revealed the following hands:
Baker: 
Drake: 
A dejected Baker hoped to catch the on the river, but it did not happen as the 
hit to secure the double for Drake.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,270,000
1,380,000
|
1,380,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
330,000
-1,380,000
|
-1,380,000 |
The very next hand, Sean Drake shoved on the button and Jason Baker called all in from the big blind.
Drake:
Baker:
Baker needed help to survive and found little from the 
flop. The 
turn left him only six outs to survive and the 
river was not one of them, bringing the tournament to an end.
For his runner-up showing, Jason Baker earned $50,807.
Sean Drake wins $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em
A field of 850 kicked off the 2011 World Series of Poker on Tuesday as Event #1, the $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em tournament, started the summer festivities. After 10 levels on Day 1, 77 were fortunate enough to return on Day 2. Another 10 levels were played and even though the tournament was scheduled for two days, a third would be needed as four players were still in the running to capture the coveted WSOP gold bracelet. In the end, only one would be able to claim the title and earn the title of champion. That man was Sean Drake, a part-time poker dealer from Folsom, California.
Though he was the chip leader entering Day 3, there was a time when things looked very bleak. Heads-up with Jason Baker, Drake could taste victory when they got the chips in on a flop. Drake's was miles ahead of Baker's , but a cruel hit the turn and put the momentum in Baker's corner.
Drake, however, stayed focused and would not be denied. Two crucial double ups vaulted him to a commanding chip lead. First, it was his holding against Baker's . Shortly after that, Drake got it in with on a against Baker's . No miracle one-outer came for Baker and he bowed out in second place the next hand, paving the way for Drake to claim the first 2011 WSOP bracelet awarded at the Rio this summer.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Drake | $82,292 |
| 2 | Jason Baker | $50,807 |
| 3 | Claudio Falcaro | $32,753 |
| 4 | Christopher Perez | $23,994 |
| 5 | Daniel Quach | $17,835 |
| 6 | Richard Kozlowski | $13,437 |
| 7 | Adam Falk | $10,247 |
| 8 | Joseph Zeman | $7,906 |
| 9 | Edward Marcus | $6,165 |
Congratulations to Drake for a job well done! That concludes our coverage of the Casino Employees Event, but the excitement of the summer has only just begun. Be sure to keep it here at PokerNews throughout the summer as we continue to keep you up-to-date on the happenings from the Rio.
Event #1: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Completed
