Hand #3: Matthew Woodward raised from middle position and Terricita Gutierrez called in the small blind. Both players checked the to see the turn. Gutierrez bet, Woodward raised and the former called. The river brought the , and Gutierrez bet to see Woodward move all in for an extra 2,000 which she called.
Terricita Gutierrez:
Matthew Woodward:
Woodward saw the bad news that he was behind to top two pair and the start-of-day chip leader was eliminated in 9th place $11,343.
Hand #60: Michael Jex raised from under the gun and Matt Russell, in the small blind, was the only caller. On the flop, Russell check-raised Jex and was called.
The hit the turn, and Jex called a bet from Russell, and on the river Russell bet once more, which left him with around 30,000 behind to play with. Jex sized up his stack before raising enough to put Russell to the ultimate test.
Russell needed time to think, but he did eventually make the call.
Michael Jex:
Matt Russell:
Jex was the winner with the kings overpair to the board and Russell, who now has $219,860 in WSOP earnings, banked $14,820.
Hand #90: Robert Nehorayan raised from the under-the-gun position and Oleg Chebotarev moved all in for 34,000 in total. Terricita Gutierrez three-bet from the cutoff and Nehorayan called.
The flop came on which both Nehorayan and Gutierrez checked. They did the same on the on the turn. The river completed the board with the , Nehorayan check-folded to Gutierrez's bet.
Oleg Chebotarev:
Terricita Gutierrez:
The king-kicker won the pot for Gutierrez and she eliminated Chebotarev from the tournament in 7th place.
Hand #98: The action folded to Robert Nehorayan in the small blind and he raised, which Brad Albrinck called in the big blind.
The flop came down , and Albrinck called a bet. On the turn, Nehorayan check-raised Albrinck's bet to put the pressure on him. He thought for a minute and counted his chips before he moved all in for an extra 56,000.
"ah, I thought you would fold," said Nehorayan, before he reluctantly made the call.
Brad Albrinck:
Robert Nehorayan:
River:
Nehorayan was happy to see he had outs after the making the call, and on the river, he got what he wanted as the queen-of-diamonds fell to river him top pair and eliminate Albrinck.
Two-time WSOP ring winner Albrinck takes away $26,725 for 6th place and moves his total WSOP earnings up to $867,703.
Hand #111: David Gee raised from the under-the-gun position and action folded to Michael Jex who was all-in in the big blind for his last 15,000.
Michael Jex:
David Gee:
The board ran out , even though Jex picked up a gutshot straight draw on the flop, the turn and river bricked for him and he was sent to the payout desk to collect his cash of $36,860 for finishing in 5th place.
Hand #199: Robert Nehorayan raised on the button and Terricita Gutierrez three-bet on the small blind, Nehorayan made the call, and Gutierrez had just 110,000 behind her.
On the flop, Gutierrez bet, Nehorayan raised to put her all in, and the former made the call.
Robert Nehorayan:
Terricita Gutierrez:
Turn:
River:
Nehorayan paired his king on the flop to take the lead and Gutierrez, who came into four-handed play as the chip leader, was unable to catch up and exited the event in fourth place for $51,733.
Hand #238: David Gee raised on the button and Robert Nehorayan and Kevin Song both called in the blinds.
The flop came , both Nehorayan and Song checked. Gee moved all in for 45,000 in total and both Nehorayan and Song called.
The turn brought them the and Nehorayan bet.
"How can you bet?" Song said with some bewilderment.
Song called.
"How can you call?" Nehorayan said with a smile.
The river completed the board with the , Nehorayan continued with another bet and Song called again.
David Gee:
Kevin Song:
Robert Nehorayan:
Gee had flopped a pair of sevens but couldn't compare to the pocket aces of Song. But Nehorayan had the even better hand as he had flopped two pair, kings and sevens, to win the whole pot and eliminate Gee in third place.
Hand #289: Robert Nehorayan called his button and Kevin Song raised.
"How much have you got left?" Nehorayan asked Song.
"45," Song replied.
Nehorayan three-bet to put Song all-in. Song called.
Kevin Song:
Robert Nehorayan:
The board ran out , no help for Song as he has been eliminated in 2nd place for $107,242. Robert Nehorayan wins his first WSOP bracelet in Event #41: $1,500 Limit Hold'em and the first place prize of $173,568!
One bet at a time, Robert Nehorayan battled through a 596 player field that generated an $804,600 prize pool to win Event #41: $1,500 Limit Hold'em for $173,568 and secure his first bracelet. It is Nehorayan's best live cash, with his previous greatest also coming at the WSOP when he was awarded $58,570 for 146th place in the 2007 Main Event.
Over the last three days, plenty of action has taken place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino which concluded in a heads-up battle between Nehorayan and winner of the 1997 Event #1: $2,000 Limit Hold'em, Kevin Song. Song nearly missed out on winning his second bracelet 21 years after claiming his first.
Official Final Table Results
Place
Name
Country
Prize
1
Robert Nehorayan
United States
$173,568
2
Kevin Song
United States
$107,242
3
David Gee
United States
$73,860
4
Terricita Gutierrez
United States
$51,733
5
Michael Jex
United States
$36,860
6
Brad Albrinck
United States
$26,725
7
Oleg Chebotarev
Russia
$19,723
8
Matt Russell
United States
$14,820
9
Matt Woodward
United States
$11,343
The final table saw players swing up and down in the chip counts, but Nehorayan was one of the constants throughout.
Speaking after his win, he said "It feels pretty good. I got a little frustrated throughout the match but fortunately was I able to overcome my emotions. The cards helped too obviously."
Nehorayan commended Terricita Gutierrez and spoke of his relief of getting past a player he saw as his toughest opponent.
"Terri was my toughest opponent because she's a limit pro. She plays 80/160, 40/80 every single day. That's her game."
Nehorayan admitted he doesn't see himself as a poker pro and even has a nickname due to his recreational nature.
"People call me 'Rec Rob.' Funny thing, I was playing No-Limit Hold'em one night, I think 20/40/80 at Commerce and I called a huge bet on the river with just an ace. This kid just flipped out, and he said: How do you call with just an ace!? Another kid was like: that's Rec Rob! He's a recreational player; he can't fold an ace!" Nehorayan laughed.
Despite his recreational nature, Nehorayan was able to defeat a wealth of experienced players who took their shot in Event #41 such as Dutch Boyd, Chris Ferguson, Daniel Negreanu, David Bach, Ari Engel, Marcel Luske and Jesse Sylvia.
Kevin Song finished in second place, 21 years after capturing a WSOP bracelet
Final Day Action
A total of 19 players returned for the third and final day who all had the goal of winning a bracelet, but for many of them, the dream didn't last long at all as seven players fell in the first 90 minutes of play.
Bracelet winner Matt Grapenthien was eliminated in 12th place for $8,846, securing his second cash of the series after a fifth-place finish in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship for $50,669, with Michael Lipner and Jeffrey Scheibner also fell before the official final table of nine.
Start-of-day chip leader Matt Woodward was the first player to go once the final table was set after Terricita Gutierrez rivered two pair with king-queen to beat Woodward's ace-king. Matt Russell finished in eighth place, with Oleg Chebotarev, the only non-American player at the final table taking seventh.
Start-of-the-day chipleader Matt Woodward fell in ninth place
The action was them moved to the Brasilia Room Main Stage and at this point, Terricita Gutierrez, the final remaining lady, had built up quite a lead on her opponents. Two-time WSOP ring winner Brad Albrinck found out he would have to wait another day for a third bracelet after he was eliminated in sixth-place when Robert Nehorayan found the queen he needed with king-queen after Albrinck was all in on the turn and ahead with pocket fours.
Michael Jex, who made an amazing comeback from 30,000 chips to 400,000 before the final table was set, could not write the fairytale after he was left short once more and ultimately took fifth place for $36,860. His final chips went in again Gee with four-trey against queen-ten, but there was no help in the cards.
When the four remaining players returned from their dinner break, Terricita Gutierrez had nearly half of the chips in play but lost a series of big hands, which ultimately, saw her all in on the flop with ace-six-suited against Nehorayan. He took the lead when his king-queen hit on the flop and held to win the pot and send Gutierrez to the rail in fourth-place for $51,733.
David Gee, who now has $201,272 in WSOP earnings, was the last player to fall before heads-up play got underway after he lost a big hand against Nehorayan when his top pair ace lost to Nehorayan's queen-six two pair. Just several hands later Gee was all in with jack-seven and went up against Song's pocket aces and Nehorayan's king-seven with the latter taking the pot with two pair to eliminate Gee in third for $73,860.
Nehorayan took more than a 3/1 chip-lead into heads-up against Kevin Song but didn't have it all his way. Song made a comeback and at one stage took the lead, but Nehorayan was able to pull it back and ultimately sent Song to the rail after his ten-seven off suit beat Song's eight-six suited when the board came two-queen-ten-four-jack. Nehorayan joined Song as a bracelet winner and takes away the $173,568 first-place prize.
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Robert "Rec Rob" Nehorayan, winner of Event #41: $1,500 Limit Hold'em