Matt Waxman Defeats Eric Baldwin in Epic Heads-Up Battle to Win First Gold Bracelet
It’s early in the 2013 World Series of Poker, but the Event #7 $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em final table will no doubt go down as one of the most stacked of the summer. The day began with five amateurs who combined for $2,968 in WSOP earnings and five established pros with more than $4 million in combined earnings; what’s more, two of the final table participants were seeking their second bracelet—Brent Hanks and Eric “basebadly” Baldwin.
Unfortunately for them, it was 28-year-old Matt Waxman who prevailed in a memorable final table to capture the $305,952 first-place prize and his first gold bracelet.
The first elimination of the day came within minutes when Scott Yelton fell to Jess Dioquino, bringing about the official final table of nine.
On Hand #23 of the final table, Baldwin managed to double through Jason Koon. Six hands later, Koon was dispatched in ninth place by Hanks, good for $22,435.
In Level 24, Matt Waxman eliminated Tuu Ho on Hand #41 to take over the chip lead, and then sent Robert Dreyfuss out the door 21 hands later. One level later, on Hand #73, Jacob Jung was sent packing in sixth place for $51,086.
After losing a good portion of his chips in Hand #74, Hanks was unable to recover and saw his dreams of a second bracelet cut short by Baldwin 20 hands later in a brutal bad beat.
Five hands later, the start-of-the-day chip leader, Amit Makhija, was eliminated by Waxman when he ran queens straight into aces. Three-handed play was a quick affair and saw the last of the amateurs, Dioquino, fall to Baldwin.
Heads-up play began with Waxman holding a 3.1-million-to-2.4-million chip lead over Baldwin. The Wisconsinite was able to double into the chip lead 17 hands into heads-up play, but eight hands later Waxman reclaimed it with a double of his own.
The two would battle for 187 hands over the course of nearly seven hours, but during that time the duo swapped the chip lead multiple times. It really was an epic heads-up match with both men trying their upmost to win poker’s most prestigious prize. Unfortunately there could only be one winner, and as you already know that man was Waxman. Of course you can read the final hand simply by scrolling down.
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Matt Waxman | $305,952 |
| 2nd | Eric Baldwin | $189,200 |
| 3rd | Jess Dioquino | $130,825 |
| 4th | Amit Makhija | $94,353 |
| 5th | Brent Hanks | $68,975 |
| 6th | Jacob Jung | $51,086 |
| 7th | Robert Dreyfuss | $38,340 |
| 8th | Tuu Ho | $29,147 |
| 9th | Jason Koon | $22,435 |
| 10th | Scott Yelton | $17,491 |
Congratulations to Matthew Waxman on winning Event #7: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em for $305,952 and his first WSOP gold bracelet!
flop gave Waxman a pair of aces and a huge lead.
. Baldwin could stay alive with a five on the river, but this time it was not meant to be as the 
peeled off.
flop and 265,000 on the 
river before Baldwin fired out a healthy 885,000 on the 
river. Waxman took his time before whispering, "Call."
for trip nines and it was good as Waxman sent his cards to the muck.
and he was dominated by the 
of Baldwin. Dioquino was looking for a deuce, but there was none to be found as the board ran out 
.
flop saw Makhija, who started the day as the chip leader, check and Waxman bet 50,000. Makhija responded by check-raising all in for 300,000 or so and Waxman snap-called.
river changed a thing, and that was all she wrote for Makhija. He will take home $94,353 for his fourth-place finish.
of Baldwin.
flop and 
for a full house.
, shook hands with his opponents and took his leave in sixth place for $51,086 and his first WSOP cash.
river blanked and he was dispatched in seventh place.
river. Koon was dispatched in ninth place while Hanks doubled through Makhija.