Déjà Yu! Ben Yu Wins Second Bracelet in $10,000 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship
Ben Yu won the $10,000 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship after triumphing over a field of 80 players and a star-studded final table.
Coming into the day third in chips, Yu soon chipped up and battled with eventual runner-up Shaun Deeb for the chip lead before overcoming the two-time bracelet winner heads-up to join him in the two-time winners club.
Deeb led the way at the start of the final day, with just six players left vying for the gold bracelet.
Yesterday, Mike Matusow was saying that he was looking to “bring the pain” on the final table day, but unfortunately, a couple of mistimed bluffs meant that he was first to leave in sixth place ($35,532) after he was eliminated by Yu.
Next to go was Shawn Buchanan (fifth - $48,854), whose nine-low fell to Deeb’s eight-perfect. His fellow Canadian, Mike Watson, was next to go when his pat ten wasn’t good enough against Deeb, who made a seven. Watson exited in fourth place for $68,601.
Three-handed was an enthralling affair, with short stack Nick Schulman doubling up multiple times to stay alive. Eventually, he fell to Yu, who made an eight-perfect to eliminate the two-time 2-7 Lowball bracelet winner in third ($98,337).
It was perhaps fitting that the players who had done the most damage in eliminating players and the pair who had tussled for the chip lead the most over the course of the final day ended it heads-up.
In one corner was Yu, looking for his second bracelet after his $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship bracelet in 2015. In the other corner was two-time bracelet winner Deeb, looking for his third bracelet in three years.
Eventually, it was Yu who triumphed in a thoroughly one-sided heads-up affair. He celebrated loudly with his rail, which had been cheering every single pot. He took home $232,738 for his efforts and his second WSOP gold bracelet.
| Position | Name | Country | Prize-money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Yu | United States | $232,738 |
| 2 | Shaun Deeb | United States | $143,842 |
| 3 | Nick Schulman | United States | $98,337 |
| 4 | Mike Watson | Canada | $68,601 |
| 5 | Shawn Buchanan | Canada | $48,854 |
| 6 | Mike Matusow | United States | $35,532 |
Reflecting on his victory, Yu admitted that the final table was indeed a tough one with the quality of players seated around it.
"It was very tough. The media often overblows and says that every final table is hard. But this table and this field was actually really tough.
"You have Shaun Deeb, who is one of the few players who can get away with playing so loose because he's so good post-flop.
"You've got Nick Schulman, one of the Bobby's Room end-bosses, winning in everything he plays.
"I don't have people in poker that I look up to, but Mike Watson is definitely one of them."
Yu was three-handed against Shaun Deeb and Nick Schulman, both of whom had two bracelets. He said that he wasn't phased by this.
"I knew that I was up against tough competition because of who they were and watching them play the last two days. Against these two, I was either break-even or slightly losing.
"It wasn't the bracelets that intimidated me, it was knowing how they play and knowing how great they are at poker!"