Thursday, June 23, 2016 1:30 AM Local Time
Andrey Zaichenko is the newest member of poker’s gold bracelet club.
The 38-year-old sales and marketing executive from Moscow, Russia won the $1,500 buy-in Deuce-to-Seven Triple-Draw Limit Lowball tournament, which was played over three days and nights and just concluded on the at the Rio in Las Vegas.
Zaichenko collected $117,947 in prize money, making this one of the biggest wins of his career. He became the 11th Russian gold bracelet winner in history, and 13th overall (two Russians have two wins each). He also became the second Russian winner this year, two days after Viatcheslav Ortynskiy won the $3,000 buy-in Six-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha title.
“In Russia, we have so many good players,” Ziachenko said afterward. “I am just so glad to have my name now up there along with them.”
Zaichenko won his victory by coming out on top at a final table which included an international contingent of players. Nations among the top eight included – the United States, Russia, Israel, and the Ukraine. However, the biggest obstacle proved to be Jameson Painter, a Las Vegas poker pro who put up a bitterly tough fight, finishing second.
The chip lead swung back and forth a few times as players realized a short run of cards would probably determine the outcome. Only about 35 big blinds were on the table when the last hand was dealt.
The moment of triumph came when Zaichenko scooped the final pot of the tournament after two hours of heads up play, holding off yet another big comeback by Painter. In deference to the runner up, after losing most of his chips early in the day, he put up quite a fight and still managed to move several places up the money ladder after being very low on chips.
“I was so happy to win against (Painter). There were so many good players in this tournament, but to win the way I did against him makes me very happy,” Zaichenko. “He really knew what was going on, since he called my bluffs and he won so many hands when he had to.”
Back in Moscow, Ziachenko primarily plays in private (home) games, which have become increasingly common there. In fact, many of his friends were present for the victory, having made the trip all the way from Moscow to Las Vegas.
“The bracelet is the goal which I wanted. This is so emotional for me. I cannot express what this means,” Ziachenko said.
This tourney attracted 358 entrants which created a prize pool totaling $483,300. The top 54 finishers collected prize money.
Aside from the winner, here’s a brief report of the other top finishers who made the final table:
Second Place: Jameson Painter, from Las Vegas, finished as the runner up. $72,878. This was his 18th time to cash at the series, and fifth final table appearance. His WSOP resume now includes a 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th.
Third Place: Guy Hareuveni became the highest finish at this year’s WSOP from Israel by coming in third. He pocketed $46,992. This was the software engineer from Haifa’s second time to cash in an event here after making the money in last year’s Ten-Game Mix.
Fourth Place: Alexsandr Vinskii, from St. Petersburg, Russia cashed for the fourth time at the WSOP which this deep run. He earned $31,099.
Fifth Place: Adam Spiegelberg, from Las Vegas, NV cashed for the fifth time at the WSOP and made his second final table appearance. The former attorney settled for $21,139.
Sixth Place: Andril Nadieliaiev, from the Ukraine, finished in sixth place, which was his fourth time to cash at the WSOP. He was paid $14,769.
Seventh Place: Andrew “A.J.” Kelsall, from Tampa, FL finished in seventh place, which was his 20th time to cash at the series. He earned $10,614. He’s also a WSOP Circuit gold ring winner. Kelsall was formally a golf pro.
Eighth Place: Daniel Zack, from Princeton, NJ was the first player eliminated off the official final table of eight. This was his seventh time to cash at the series, earning him $10,614.
This was the 34th official event on this year’s schedule. This leaves 35 gold bracelet events still to go in at the 2016 WSOP.Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:47 PM Local Time
Andrey Zaichenko is now a WSOP Bracelet Winner
After being down to just 20,000, Jameson Painter doubles up twice to 80,000. In the last hand, Painter is all in again and Zaichenko calls.
Zaichenko draws two on the first draw, and Painter draws four. Zaichenko stands pat on the second draw, while Painter draws two. Zaichenko pats the final draw, and Painter draws one, leaving it face-down.
Zaichenko tables , and has a made nine-eight low. Painter tables , and is drawing live to an or .
Painter squeezes his card, reveals a for a paired hand, and knocks on the table. Zaichenko rises from his chair, runs to his rail, and high-fives his supporters.
It's Zaichenko's 31st cash at the World Series of Poker, and he finally wins his first WSOP gold bracelet. The Russian receives $117,947 for his victory, runner-up Jameson Painter takes home $72,878.
Runner-up Jameson Painter wins $72,878
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:41 PM Local Time
Andrey Zaichenko raises from the button, and Jameson Painter three-bets from the big blind. Zaichenko puts in a four-bet, and Painter calls.
Painter draws two, and Zaichenko stands pat. Painter checks, and Zaichenko bets. Painter calls.
Painter draws two again, and Zaichenko stands pat. Painter checks and Zaichenko bets. Painter calls with only 20,000 behind.
Both players stand pat, and Painter announces, "Ten perfect."
Zaichenko shows for a nine, and he drags the pot, leaving Painter with less than one small blind.
Andrey Zaichenko - 2,980,000 (26 BB)
Jameson Painter - 20,000
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:30 PM Local Time
Andrey Zaichenko makes it two bets on the button. Jameson Painter three-bets from the big blind, and Zaichenko calls.
Painter draws two on the first draw, Zaichenko opts for three. Both players check on the first betting round.
Painter draws two on the second draw, and Zaichenko draws two as well. Painter bets, and Zaichenko calls.
Both players stand pat on the final draw. Painter bets, Zaichenko raises, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko tables for an eight-seven smooth. Painter takes another good look at his hand, then throws it in the muck.
Andrey Zaichenko - 2,300,000 (23 BB)
Jameson Painter - 400,000 (4 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:24 PM Local Time
Jameson Painter (front), versus Andrey Zaichenko (back)
Jameson Painter raises on the button, and Andrey Zaichenko defends his big blind.
Zaichenko draws three, and Painter draws two. Zaichenko checks, Painter bets, and Zaichenko calls.
Both players draw one on the second draw. Zaichenko leads out, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko stands pat on the last draw, but Painter stands pat behind. Zaichenko checks, Painter bets, and Zaichenko consider the situation for more than a minute. After taking his time, he folds his hand.
Jameson Painter - 1,800,000 (18 BB)
Andrey Zaichenko - 900,000 (9 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:19 PM Local Time
Jameson Painter raises from the button, and Andrey Zaichenko three-bets from the big blind. Painter calls.
Zaichenko draws two, and Painter draws three. Zaichenko bets, and Painter raises. Zaichenko elects to call.
Zaichenko draws one, and Painter stands pat. Zaichenko check-calls Painter.
Zaichenko draws one again, and Painter stands pat. Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko shows for an eight-seven.
Painter shows for an eight-six, and takes the pot.
Painter's rail starts chanting "Pumpkin! Pumpkin! Pumpkin!" because of his bright orange shirt.
Jameson Painter - 1,500,000 (15 BB)
Andrey Zaichenko - 1,200,000 (12 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:12 PM Local Time
Jameson Painter raises on the button, Andrey Zaichenko makes it three bets in the big blind, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko draws one on the first draw, Painter draws two. Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
On the second draw, both players draw one card. Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko pats his final draw, Painter takes one. Both players check their option.
Zaichenko shows for a jack-perfect, and Painter mucks.
Andrey Zaichenko - 1,100,000 (11 BB)
Jameson Painter - 1,600,000 (16 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:07 PM Local Time
The stacks are very near even, but the swings are huge. There are less than 30 big bets in play.
Jameson Painter - 1,350,000
Andrey Zaichenko -1,350,000
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:02 PM Local Time
Four bets go in preflop, with Andrey Zaichenko on the button. Both players draw one on the first draw. Painter checks, Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
Painter draws one on the second draw, and Zaichenko stands pat. Painter checks, Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
On the final draw, Painter checks, Zaichenko bets, and Painter quickly calls.
"Wheel," says Zaichenko, who rakes in the pot to massive cheers of his Russian rail.
Andrey Zaichenko - 800,000 (8 BB)
Jameson Painter - 1,900,000 (19 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:59 PM Local Time
Jameson Painter raises from the button, and Andrey Zaichenko calls from the big blind. Both players check.
Zaichenko draws three, and Painter draws two. Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko stands pat, and Painter draws two. Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko stands pat on the final draw, and Painter draws one. Zaichenko bets again, and Painter comes back with a raise. Zaichenko thinks for about 30 seconds, and eventually calls.
"Seven," says Painter. He shows , and Zaichenko mucks. Painter's rail goes wild as he stacks the winnings.
Jameson Painter - 2,400,000 (24 BB)
Andrey Zaichenko - 300,000 (3 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:52 PM Local Time
Jameson Painter Now Has A 2:1 Chiplead
Jameson Painter raises the button, Andrey Zaichenko makes it three bets, and Painter calls.
On the first draw, Zaichenko draws one card, Painter takes three. Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko stands pat on the second draw, Painter exchanges one. Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko remains pat on the final draw, and Painter takes one. Zaichenko checks, Painter bets, and Zaichenko calls.
Painter quickly fans out , and a head-shaking Zaichenko folds his hand.
"Orange! Orange! Orange!," shouts Painter's estatic rail.
Jameson Painter - 1,800,000 (18 BB)
Andrey Zaichenko - 900,000 (9 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:48 PM Local Time
Andrey Zaichenko raises from the button, JAmeson Painter three-bets from the big blind, and Zaichenko puts in the four bet. Painter calls to close the action.
Both players draw one, and check.
Both players draw one again. Painter checks, Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
Painter draws one, and Zaichenko stands pat on the final draw, and they both check.
Painter shows for a nine, and Zaichenko mucks.
Jameson Painter - 1,150,000 (11 BB)
Andrey Zaichenko - 1,550,000 (15 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:43 PM Local Time
| Level: | 27 | | Blinds: | 50,000/100,000 | |
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:40 PM Local Time
Andrey Zaichenko limps in on the button. Jameson Painter makes it two bets, and Zaichenko calls.
Painter draws two on the first draw, and Zaichenko takes three. Painter bets, and Zaichenko calls. Both players draw two on the second draw. Once again, Painter bets, and Zaichenko calls.
Painter stands pat on the final draw, and Zaichenko takes one. Both players quickly check.
"Ten-eight,", says Painter.
"Ten-seven," says Zaichenko, and after showing his hand the Russian wins the pot.
Andrey Zaichenko - 2,320,000 (29 BB)
Jameson Painter - 380,000 (5 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:35 PM Local Time
Andrey Zaichenko raises from the button, and Jameson Painter calls from the big blind.
Both players draw three. Painter bets, and Zaichenko calls.
Painter draws one, and Zaichenko drwas three. Painter bets, and Zaichenko elects to call.
Painter stands pat, and Zaichenko draws one. Painter bets, and Zaichenko considers for about 20 seconds before calling.
Painter says, "Wheel," and turns over , and he takes the pot.
Jameson Painter - 650,000 (8 BB)
Andrey Zaichenko - 2,050,000 (25 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:28 PM Local Time
Andrey Zaichenko Bluffs
Jameson Painter makes it two bets on the button, and Andrey Zaichenko defends his big blind.
Both players draw two cards on the first draw. Zaichenko checks, Painter bets, Zaichenko check-raises, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko stands pat on the second draw, while Painter opts for one. Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
On the final draw, Zaichenko is pat, and Painter takes one, Zaichenko bets, and Painter folds.
As he rakes in the pot, Zaichenko slams on the table, for a double paired hand.
Andrey Zaichenko - 2,000,000 (25 BB)
Jameson Painter - 700,000 (9 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:24 PM Local Time
Andrey Zaichenko
Andrey Zaichenko raises from the button, and Jameson Painter three-bets from the big blind. Zaichenko elects to call.
Painter draws three, and Zaichenko draws one. Zaichenko checks, Painter bets, and Zaichenko calls.
Zaichenko draws two, and Painter draws one. Painter bets, Zaichenko raises, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko stands pat on the final draw, and Painter draws one. Zaichenko bets, and Painter releases his hand.
Andrey Zaichenko - 2,120,000 (14 BB)
Jameson Painter - 580,000 (7 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:16 PM Local Time
Jameson Painter Getting Back To Even
Under loud support from the rail, Jameson Painter wins three hands in a row. In the last one, the biggest, Painter raises on the button, Zaichenko three-bets from the big blind, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko draws one, and Painter draws two. Zaichenko bets, and Painter calls.
Zaichenko stands pat on the second draw, Painter still draws two. Zaichenko bets, Painter raises to two bets, and the Russian takes a while before calling.
Zaichenko takes one on the final draw, and now it's Painter who stands pat. Zaichenko checks, Painter bets, and Zaichenko folds.
Jameson Painter - 1,250,000 (16 BB)
Andrey Zaichenko - 1,450,000 (18 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:11 PM Local Time
Jameson Painter raises from the button, Zaichenko three-bets from the big blind, and Painter puts in the four-bet. Zaichenko elects to call.
Both players draw one. Zaichenko bets, and Painter raises all in. Zaichenko calls to put him at risk.
Both players stand pat on the last two draws, and they reveal their hands.
Painter: (seven low)
Zaichenko: (nine low)
Painter scores his third straight double up, and is right back in the match.
Jameson Painter - 560,000 (7 BB)
Andrey Zaichenko - 2,140,000 (26 BB)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 10:05 PM Local Time
Andrey Zaichenko Deals A Big Blow
Jameson Painter raises on the button, Andrey Zaichenko three-bets from the big blind, Painter four-bets, and Zaichenko calls.
Both players draw one card on the first draw. Zaichenko checks, Painter bets, and Zaichenko calls.
On the second draw, Zaichenko draws one, and Painter stands pat. Zaichenko checks, Painter bets, and Zaichenko calls.
Zaichenko stands pat on the final draw, prompting Painter to exchange one. Both players check.
Zaichenko fans out a rough ten with . Painter can't beat it, and he drops to just 2 BB.
Andrey Zaichenko - 2,555,000 (32 BB)
Jameson Painter - 200,000 (2 BB)