Event #35
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,500
Number of Entries: 2,541
Total Prize Money: $3,468,465
Date of Tournament: June 21-23, 2007
WSOP GOLD BRACELET WINNER
EVENT # 36 – RYAN YOUNG
The winner of the $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em championship was Ryan Young, a 23-year old aspiring pro poker player from Torrance, CA. Prior to winning the $615,955 top prize in this event, Young had worked various odds jobs, including waiting tables in a restaurant.
Young has been playing poker for about four years. He mostly plays on his home computer. This was his third time to cash at the WSOP. He finished 58th in an event in 2005. He took 48th place in another tournament which took place last week. This marked his biggest poker win, by far.
Young arrived at the final table with a significant chip lead over his opponents. It took him about six hours to win his first WSOP gold bracelet, which was presented afterward by WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.
Young’s victory was bittersweet. As a child he was raised alone by his mother. On the day of his victory, his grandmother went into the hospital. His mind was clearly on her health much of the day. He dedicated the win to her.
Meanwhile, anyone who doubts the World Series of Poker is the premier poker event on the planet is advised to consider this. All five $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em events held at this year’s World Series of Poker have attracted 2,300+ entries. The combined total number of entrants in just these five events is 13,263, which is greater than the total attendance of all 36 events played at the 2003 WSOP (the year Chris Moneymaker won).