Event #13: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw

Frank Kassela wrapped up his third World Series of Poker gold bracelet, his first in a non-stud event, after defeating Bernard Lee heads-up for $89,151 in Event #13: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7.

"Nothing feels better than winning a World Series of Poker bracelet when you're a poker player," Kassela said shortly after winning.

Kassela came from behind to best Lee, who entered the day as the chip leader and held the top spot for most of the day. Kassela stood pat on the final hand with a jack after calling Lee's all-in bet. Lee was drawing one and hit a pair to finish as the runner-up and collect $55,086.

The third-place finisher was Tim McGuigan, who earned his first-ever WSOP cash to the tune of $37,032. At one point, McGuigan held the chip lead, and during most of three-handed play he seemed content to let Kassela and Lee battle it out. Eventually, though, he got short and was all in against Lee. Lee patted a queen-jack, and McGuigan couldn't dodge a pair.

McGuigan was the one who eliminated fourth-place finisher Matt Waxman. Waxman, who started Day 2 with five big blinds, rode an early triple-up all the way to fourth place. On his final hand, he couldn't outdraw McGuigan. Waxman was drawing to a seven and made a jack. Meanwhile, McGuigan was drawing to a nine and made a ten to win the hand and send Waxman to the rail with $25,451.

Kassela was the one who knocked out Jared Bleznick in fifth place. Bleznick entered the unofficial final table of eight players with a 100,000-chip lead, but the final level of Day 2 left him with under 100,000 total. He managed the short stack entering the day, but his pat jack couldn't hold up when Kassela converted his seven draw into a nine-eight.

The first player eliminated today was Stuart Rutter, who also fell to Kassela when he made a nine-perfect and called an all in after Kassela had made an eight.

The former WSOP Player of the Year felt pretty comfortable in his position all day, despite only holding the chip lead shortly before he actually won the tournament. When heads-up play started, Lee had the advantage. Kassela battled back, then Lee took an advantage again.

"Poker, in general, requires a lot of patience," Kassela said. "Specifically at a final table, people are going to make mistakes. They're going to get a little bit too hasty, and you can't allow bad hands to f*** up your head."

Outside of the cash game circles, the majority of Kassela's poker experience comes at the WSOP. He considers himself a recreational player, though he certainly has the chops to hang with the pros.

"Generally speaking, when it comes down to being a recreational player, I consider myself one of the best recreational players in the world," he said. "I have no idea what I could do if I hopped on that train and played all year long, but I'm sure I'd have a lot more tournament success than just showing up here six weeks every summer."

When asked if there was anyone from the final table he would not want to play heads-up with, he mentioned seventh-place finisher, Benny Glaser.

"Benny's a really good player. It was a bummer to see him get knocked out as a friend, but at the same time, it's nice to not have to play against him."

Kassela was pretty confident heading into three-handed play. He said it was mostly because of all the hours he's racked up playing no-limit 2-7 in various mixed cash games.

"Once we got three handed, I felt pretty good. Even though I never really had the chip lead until right at the end, I felt like I was going to win the whole time."

Kassela immediately headed to the registration line for the $10,000 6-Max Dealers Choice tournament.

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Level 27 has been very good so far to Frank Kassela and not so great for Bernard Lee. The standard play has been to open to 100,000 and call.

Four straight pots have gone Kassela's way.

Frank Kassela	1,500,000	630,000
Bernard Lee	500,000	-630,000

Frank Kassela returned from the break with a one-ante lead over Bernard Lee. After the first couple hands, Lee has retaken the lead and now has a two-to-one advantage.

Kassela opened to 100,000, and Lee called. Lee drew two, and Kassela drew one. Kassela bet 125,000, and Lee called.

Kassela showed a ten, but Lee had hit two to a nine and took down the pot with a nine-eight.

Bernard Lee	1,335,000	340,000
Frank Kassela	665,000	-340,000

Both Bernard Lee and Frank Kassela are each sitting around a million chips as they head to break. Kassela has the slight lead by 10,000 chips.

They elected to skip dinner and will resume play in 10 minutes.

Frank Kassela	1,005,000	105,000
Bernard Lee	995,000	-105,000

Frank Kassela is now the chip leader heads-up in Event #13.

"Does that give us the chip lead?" asked Shaun Deeb after Kassela won a hand.

Deeb came to cheer and coach Kassela once the tournament went heads-up.

Kassela won a couple hands in a row to finally overtake Lee.

First, he opened to 75,000, which has been his standard open for this level. Lee called. Both players drew one, and both checked. Kassela won with a        against a queen.

A couple hands later, Kassela opened 75,000 again, and Lee called. They both drew one again, and Lee checked. Kassela bet 150,000, and Lee folded.

Frank Kassela	1,230,000	487,000
Bernard Lee	720,000	-537,000

Bernard Lee has been pulling away from Frank Kassela heads-up. After several missed draws, Kassela lost pots to a queen and a jack-seven. Finally, though, he won a pot with a ten-eight.

On this hand, Kassela opened to 65,000 and Lee called.

Lee drew one, and Kassela drew two. Lee checked, and Kassela bet 80,000. Lee called very quickly.

"Ten-eight," said Kassela.

"Ten-eight what?" asked Lee.

"Ten-eight perfect," Kassela replied, showing      .

Lee mucked.

Bernard Lee	1,308,000	108,000
Frank Kassela	692,000	-108,000

Bernard Lee opened to 58,000, and Frank Kassela three-bet to 179,000. Lee called. Kassela stood pat, and Lee took one.

Both players checked, and Lee tabled a ten-eight. Kassela tossed his cards into the muck, and Lee kept ahold of the chip lead.

Bernard Lee	1,200,000	160,000
Frank Kassela	800,000	-152,000

There hasn't been much play in the early stages of this heads-up battle. It took about ten hands before the two finalists had their first significant encounter.

Bernard Lee was dealt a set for three straight hands, forcing him to fold them all. Him and Frank Kassela just tossed their chips back and forth across the table.

In the first hand they played post-draw, Kassela opened to 58,000, and Lee called. Lee stood pat, and Kassela drew two. They both checked, and Lee tabled a jack-ten for the win.

A couple hands later, Kassela opened again, and Lee called. Lee took one with Kassela drawing two. Lee bet 86,000, and Kassela called. "Pair!" Announced Lee, as Kassela turned over jack-ten to claim the pot.

Bernard Lee	1,100,000	-240,000
Frank Kassela	800,000	180,000

The three finalists have completed two more levels and are headed on a 15-minute break.