WSOP - Event #27 Results... $1500 No-Limit Hold’em

[Talking Poker]

2006 World Series of Poker
Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas
Official Results and Report
Event #27
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,500
Number of Entries: 2,126
Total Prize Money: $2,901,990

Official Results:
1. Mats Rahmn Stockholm, Sweden $655,141
2. Richard Toth Budapest, Hungary $333,729
3. Padraig Parkinson Dublin, Ireland $203,139
4. Chris Birchby Hollywood, CA $145,100
5. James Sileo Burbank, CA $116,080
6. Michael Binger Atherton, CA $101,570
7. Jordan Morgan Norman, OK $87,060
8. Ashwin Sarin Redmond, WA $72,550
9. Billy Duarte Berthoud, CO $58,040
10. William McKinney Princeton, WV $43,530
11. Ben Stanfeneger Alliance, OH $40,628
12. John Carver Hampton, IL $37,726
13. Jorge Arias Indianapolis, IN $34,824
14. Ray Abels Danville, CA $31,922
15. Antonio Pane Las Vegas, NV $29,020
16. Daniel Smith Folsom, CA $26,118
17. Shahryar Eslami Van Nuys, CA $23,216
18. Michael Souza San Diego, CA $20,314
19. Chris Tsui Cupertino, CA $17,412
20. Keith Wintermans Vancouver, BC, Canada $17,412
21. Khong Kham Phommaxahans Arvada, CO $17,412
22. Wade Woelfel Mankato, MN $14,510
23. Robert Vecchio Sharyland, TX $14,510
24. Robertus Holink Groningen, Netherlands $14,510
25. Eugene Todd Brooklyn, NY $11,608
26. Amos Sharpe Las Vegas, NV $11,608
27. Jon Musen Phoenix, AZ $11,608
28. Dan Bokesch Lewis Center, OH $8,706
29. Toben Nelson Austin, TX $8,706
30. Hoyt Corkins Las Vegas, NV $8,706
31. Alan Engel Brooklyn, NY $8,706
32. Chris Bjorin London, UK $8,706
33. Thayer Rasmussen Largo, FL $8,706
34. Francis Scapula Bastia, France $8,706
35. Larry Hicks Mount Vernon $8,706
36. Justin Tran Sacramento, CA $8,706
37. William Sanford Bronxville, NY $7,255
38. Colin Burton Belowna $7,255
39. Josh Ronan Henderson, NV $7,255
40. Hans Lund Sparks, NJ $7,255
41. Michele Whiteside San Antonio, TX $7,255
42. Eric Mizrachi Sunny Isles Bch, FL $7,255
43. Joe Leibman Fort atkinson, WI $7,255
44. Jeffrey Larsew West Jordan, UT $7,255
45. Philip Gurian Boca Raton, FL $7,255
46. Gino Battista Temecula, CA $7,255
47. Harry Cheung Portola Valley, CA $7,255
48. John Arellano Whittier, CA $7,255
49. Jeff Khomari Turlock, CA $7,255
50. Matt Smith Tallahassee, FL $7,255
51. Duy Hung Le Los Angeles, CA $7,255
52. Robert Lewis Miami Bch, FL $7,255
53. Stuart Hosen Addison, TX $7,255
54. Jeff Fletcher Danville, CA $7,255
55. Mandy Calara Chicago, IL $5,804
56. Alex Hskou Brooklyn, NY $5,804
57. Bhupinder Kohli Nairobi $5,804
58. Douglas Holcomb Roseburg, OR $5,804
59. Todd Huynh Morton Grove, IL $5,804
60. Kevin Jessee NA $5,804
61. Tom Macey Chicago, IL $5,804
62. Robert Odishoo Ladera Rch, CA $5,804
63. Miguel Mateo NA $5,804
64. Carlos Fernadez Sunny Isles Bch, FL $5,804
65. Brendan Hopps Bellingham, WA $5,804
66. Ray Liu Sunnyville, CA $5,804
67. Michael Mizrachi Hollywood, FL $5,804
68. Perry Friedman Tiltsville, NV $5,804
69. James Lee Buena Park, CA $5,804
70. Eugene Hanley Mantucket, MA $5,804
71. Richard Pace Louisville, KY $5,804
72. Eric Arreea Baldwin Park, CA $5,804
73. Ray La Pointe Needham, MA $5,804
74. David Sklansky Henderson, NV $5,804
75. Dennis Otto Corpus Christi, TX $5,804
76. Grady Talbot Carcadia, CA $5,804
77. Michael Banducci Traverse City, MI $5,804
78. Gary Heberman Fort Lauderdale, FL $5,804
79. N. Eber Johannesburg, South Africa $5,804
80. Carl Olson Seattle, WA $5,804
81. Carl Ossbahr unknown $5,804
82. Nathan Lang San Antonio, TX $4,353
83. Thomas Jean Marc Paris, France $4,353
84. Peter Carini Newark, CA $4,353
85. John Phan Stockton, CA $4,353
86. Donnocha O'Dea Dublin, Ireland $4,353
87. Paul Incerto Norwalk, CT $4,353
88. Gregory Hurwitz Sampscott, MA $4,353
89. Danton Orosz Ontario, Canada $4,353
90. Ryan Schultz St. Louis, MO $4,353
91. Richard Tehan NA $4,353
92. Judson Hinton Stockbridge, GA $4,353
93. Tim Le Portland, OR $4,353
94. Russell Minobe Aiea, HI $4,353
95. John Gaudreault Elizabeth, Co $4,353
96. Nick Stanley Spokane, WA $4,353
97. Donald Barton Pahrump, NV $4,353
98. Paul Freidberg NA $4,353
99. Mallory Smith Aurora, CO $4,353
100. Mike Baas Las Vegas, NV $4,353
101. Dennis Andridla Hazlet, NJ $4,353
102. Kevin Slaughter Las Vegas, NV $4,353
103. John Johnson Valencia, CA $4,353
104. Russell Hudson Glenwood Springs, CO $4,353
105. Ernest Plutt Boise, ID $4,353
106. Jose Raul Panama, Panama $4,353
107. Srinivas Varlagadda Sarasota, FL $4,353
108. Marina Baroco Pensacola, FL $4,353
109. Tony Nasr Whittier, CA $2,902
110. Amir Nurani El Cajon, CA $2,902
111. Brian Micon Atlanta, GA $2,902
112. Mohammad Azar Las Vegas, NV $2,902
113. Karen Kitchen Grand Blanc, MI $2,902
114. Mat Gherackal NA $2,902
115. Cornell Bowlson Farmington Hills, MI $2,902
116. Ryan Larson Las Vegas, NV $2,902
117. Manuel Benites Minneapolis, MN $2,902
118. Edward Teens Trion, GA $2,902
119. Joel Fischbein Las Vegas, NV $2,902
120. Nathan Meyvis Bloomfield Hills, MI $2,902
121. Martin Henshaw UK $2,902
122. Amir Naderi Santa Monica, CA $2,902
123. Jason Lilly Mount Hope, AL $2,902
124. James Stone Fairlawn, OH $2,902
125. Brian Fields Berkeley, CA $2,902
126. Tony Davis Ellijay, GA $2,902
127. David Franson Pennsylvania $2,902
128. Allen Cunningham Las Vegas, NV $2,902
129. Wendell Barnes Charlton, MA $2,902
130. Alex Santiago NV $2,902
131. Joseph Santoro Orlando, FL $2,902
132. David Choe Chicago, IL $2,902
133. David Plastik Las Vegas, NV $2,902
134. Huck Seed Orlando, FL $2,902
135. Cory Ward Titusville, FL $2,902
136. Canh Phan Richardson, TX $2,902
137. David Van Overseem Manhattan Beach, CA $2,902
138. Kendell Kim Corona, CA $2,902
139. Dennis Seagle Marion, NC $2,902
140. Todd Annoni Los Altos, CA $2,902
141. Bert Jones Hermosa Beach, CA $2,902
142. Zachary Fritz Las Vegas, NV $2,902
143. Jeffrey Philips Bristow, VA $2,902
144. Wesley Chepler Huntsville, AL $2,902
145. Nick Peperone Vast Amherst, NY $2,902
146. David King Hanover, MA $2,902
147. Brent Bibby Canada $2,902
148. Richard Gregory Bellevue, WA $2,902
149. Aaron Lasater Noncross, GA $2,902
150. Dominick Cantore Chicago, IL $2,902
151. Michael Cummings Grover Beach, CA $2,902
152. T.J. Cloutier Richardson, TX $2,902
153. Orestes Melgarejo Pembroke Pines, FL $2,902
154. Matthew Robertson Lubbock, TX $2,176
155. Nicholas Schulman NA $2,176
156. Kei Tanaka Tokyo, Japan $2,176
157. Stephen Duggan Manhattan, NY $2,176
158. Mark Gregorich Las Vegas, NV $2,176
159. Jason Sy Houston, TX $2,176
160. Daniel Becker Nashville, TN $2,176
161. Cory Henen Trumbull, CT $2,176
162. John Anderson San Antonio, TX $2,176
163. John Shetter Colleyville, TX $2,176
164. Constantine Moustakis Danvers, MA $2,176
165. NA NA $2,176
166. W. Douglas Barnum Columbia, SC $2,176
167. Bradley heffron Pickerington, OH $2,176
168. Michael Hill Canada $2,176
169. Peter Jetter NA $2,176
170. Peter Nathan Las Vegas, NV $2,176
171. Alan Bittikofen Haywood, CA $2,176
172. Ronald Toledo Edmonton, Canada $2,176
173. Laura Diamond Evergreen, CO $2,176
174. Helge Pederson NA $2,176
175. Eduardo Santi Argentina $2,176
176. Bobby Lee Sacramento, CA $2,176
177. Matthew Dunbar Indianapolis, IN $2,176
178. Michael Laing Las Vegas, NV $2,176
179. Yong Chen BC, Canada $2,176
180. Richard Tatalovich Scottsdale, AZ $2,176
181. Tian Ma Chandler, AZ $2,176
182. Tad Jurgens Chandler, AZ $2,176
183. Joseph Torres Amityville, NY $2,176
184. Kyle Shigano Pearl City, HI $2,176
185. Andrew Bourne NA $2,176
186. Gerardo Campos Weston, FL $2,176
187. Randy McKay Finlay, ND $2,176
188. Steven Cohn NA $2,176
189. Jean Harlan Las Vegas, NV $2,176
190. Aristomenis Stauropolus NA $2,176
191. Mike Friedman Switzerland $2,176
192. Aaron Ruppert Norman, OK $2,176
193. Nicholas Ronyerz Goleta, CA $2,176
194. Paul Fredericks Winchester, CA $2,176
195. David Chen New York $2,176
196. Paul Wolfe Apollo Beach, FL $1,088
197. Dennis Waterman Myrtle Point, OR $1,088
198. Anahit Galajian Glendale, CA $1,088
199. Nevio Nicolich NA $1,088
200. Steve Shkolnik Woodland Hills, CA $1,088
201. Adam Meyer Weston, FL $1,088

If It’s Thursday, This Must Be Sweden
Swedish Poker Pro Mats Rahmn Wins His First WSOP Gold Bracelet
Three Europeans dominate no-limit hold’em final table

Las Vegas, NV – Many people might be surprised to learn that Scandinavia is one of poker’s hottest new markets. Perhaps it’s the cold dark winters. Perhaps it’s the relatively high income and education levels. Or, perhaps it’s the high-tech sophistication of the region. Scandinavians own more personal computers and cell phones, per capita, than any other population group. Not surprisingly, Swedes, Fins, Danes, and Norwegians also play more online poker than any other region.

Leading the way is Sweden, with a total population nine million. Right behind the US, the UK, and Canada – Sweden sends more players to the World Series of Poker than any other nation. Adjusted for population size, Sweden is second only to the United States in the total number of players who play in the WSOP main event. Sweden’s emergence as a poker hub is also now producing world champions.

Mats Rahmn, a 26-year-old professional poker player from Stockholm, won the $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em championship at the 2006 World Series of Poker, presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light. More impressive was the fact that Rahmn topped a gigantic field of 2,126 players.

After 2,117 players had been eliminated over two long days, nine players took the final table on the Rio stage. The nine finalists comprised a very tough lineup, although none had previously won a WSOP gold bracelet.

Player Name Chip Count Seat #
James Sileo $144,000 1
Richard Toth $447,000 2
Mats Rahmn $511,000 3
Billy Duarte $96,000 4
Padraig Parkinson $278,000 5
Ashwin Sarin $591,000 6
Chris Birchby $497,000 7
Michael Binger $325,000 8
Jordan Morgan $307,000 9

“Boston Billy” Duarte was the first player to exit. The longtime poker pro, who plays in big cash games and at major tournaments around the country, was eliminated with ace-queen against ace-king. Duarte failed to catch a queen, putting him out in ninth place, which paid $58,040.

Ashwin Sarin went out next. The software engineer from Redmond, WA arrived at the final table as the chip leader. But Sarin suffered a horrible series of hands and beats over a 90-minute period that melted his stack of chips. Down to his last 200,000 after starting the day off with 591,000, Sarin moved all-in with pocket kings after the flop came J-8-6. His opponent called holding an eight, and then caught a second pair to eliminate Sarin in eighth place. He received $72,550.

Jordan Morgan, a 22-year-old college student from Norman, Okalahoma finished in seventh place when his pocket tens were run down a high pair. Morgan moved all-in with his last 125,000 and was called by a player with a flush draw. Instead of catching the flush however, Morgan’s opponent caught a queen to make a higher pair, resulting in Morgan’s abolition. The Oklahoman collected $87,060 at his first WSOP final table.

Michael Binger had chips for a while, but then went card dead. He tried to take a pot with king-jack by making a 135,000 pre-flop raise. He was called down by an opponent with 10-7 who ended up flopping a seven, good for a pair. That was all it took to knock out the Stanford graduate (PhD). Binger, a physician from California, received sixth-place prize money totaling $101,570.

James Sileo went out next. Hold’em’s most classic confrontation eliminated Sileo, who held ace-king against pocket queens. Board came with all low cards, a disappointment to Sileo, who ended up taking fifth place and $116,080.

Chris Birchby, a.k.a. “Marvin Garden” hit the rail in fourth place when he was desperately low on chips and was forced to play a sub-par hand or risk being blinded off. He moved all-in with his last 100,000 in chips on a steal attempt, but was down called by Mats Rahmn. Birchby had queen-five versus Rahmn’s king-seven. A king flopped, and Birchby – the owner of a sunblock lotion company (“Coola Sunblock”) got burned. Fourth place paid $145,100.

Anyone who still doubts that Europeans can play great poker would be advised to look at the three finalists in this event. After the six Americans had all gone bust, that left an Irishman, a Hungarian, and a Swede to compete for what would be a first WSOP gold bracelet. Padriag Parkinson, who finished third in the WSOP main event back in 1999 (the year fellow Irishman Noel Furlong won it), had to settle for third place again this time around. Parkinson took a horrible beat when his ace-four was cracked by Richard Toth’s ace-three. Both players flopped an ace, but a three fell on the river to make two-pair for Toth. Parkinson, who was cashing for the fourth time at this year’s World Series, collected $203,139 for third place.

When heads-up play began, Richard Toth enjoyed a 2 to 1 chip lead over Mats Rahmn. The two players battled back and forth for nearly an hour before Rahmn won the decisive final hand of the tournament. The final hand came when Rahmn was dealt pocket kings versus Toth’s jack-eight. Toth called a pre-flop raise. After the flop came J-10-9, Rahmn bet out 150,000 and Toth moved all in for 500,000 more. Rahmn called and showed his overpair. Toth had top pair with an outside straight draw. However, two blanks hit the turn and the river, securing the victory for Rahmn.

As the runner up, Richard Toth received $333,729. The Hungarian poker player, who works in high-tech sales, was making his first-ever appearance at the WSOP. Toth will be a force in Europe and in years to come when he plays in North America.

Mats Rahmn had few words to express the jubilation of winning his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet and $655,141. “It feels amazing,” he said.

by Nolan Dalla

Note: All content in this report may be re-printed by media.

Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #27):
Total Entries to Date: 25,250
Total Prize Money Distributed: $ 51,931,307
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World Series of Poker Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack
Director, Sponsorship and Licensing -- Ty Stewart
Director, Communications and Operations – Gary Thompson
Director, Broadcasting and New Media – Craig Abrahams
Vice President of Specialty Gaming -- Howard Greenbaum
WSOP Tournament Director – Robert Daily
WSOP Tournament Director / Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel