Event #53: $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Handed

Max Silver took down Event #53: $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Handed for $172,645 after a dominating performance at the final table.

Coming back to the six-handed final table as the chip leader, Silver took just under nine hours to see his competitors off and walk away as the newest recipient of a WSOP gold bracelet.

Although Silver has several other large scores, including a UKIPT title from seven years ago, this has to rank as the most significant score of his career so far.

Silver started off how he intended to go on, eliminating David Olson in seventh place with Big Slick.

With the official final table underway it took a while before the next elimination. Georgios Kapalas fell in sixth place ($22,952) when his hero-call with queen-high was picked off by Mickey Craft's pair of kings.

The lone female at the final table, Lena Wang lasted a while short-stacked before Silver picked her off. Wang finished in fifth place ($32,345).

Eventual winner Silver stretched his lead to around two million before the next elimination, when Craft knocked out another player — this time, it was Ayman Qutami in fourth place ($46,871). Qutami held ace-five, but Craft's queen-eight had made a pair, and Qutami couldn't find an ace on the river.

Three-handed, Silver had more than half the chips in play, and it was apparent that both Craft and Geowei Zhang were aware of the pay jump between third and second. Eventually, and despite a couple of doubles, Craft fell to Zhang in a three-way all in for third place ($69,789), and the heads-up battle was set.

Coming into heads-up, Silver still held a commanding chip lead, and despite a straight flush for Zhang at one point, the American wasn't able to put more than a dent in Silver's stack. In the end, Silver spiked one of his six outs to deny Zhang a chance to get back into the match.

Zhang took home $106,694 for second place, but Silver took home $172,645 for his efforts, along with his very first WSOP gold bracelet.

Reflecting on his win shortly after having his photo taken, Silver said he was "so happy" to win a bracelet.

"I can't really describe it," he began. "It's always been a dream for me to win a bracelet. I've come third, sixth, ninth...whatever. It's nice to get the win. I haven't had a big win in a while.

"I did what felt right at all times, and it seemed to work out. I don't claim to be a limit expert by any means, but I played reasonably well and I'm pretty proud of it."

Silver went wire to wire to win his first WSOP gold bracelet and nearly $180k in prize money, but he said that the chip lead didn't really play as big a part as people might expect.

"Really it's just playing the cards each hand, not playing the chips," he said. "But, for sure, it helps!"

Silver added, "It's poker and you get what you get. I was optimistic but this is far higher than anything I could have hoped for!"

The first person to hear about Silver's win? His wife, whom he telephoned from beside the final table.

"She was so happy. She's currently six months pregnant, so she was crying — extra emotions! — but, to be fair to her, she would probably be crying anyway.

"I'm going to see her in about 12 hours. I'm flying to New York, she's flying to New York, and we're going to meet in the middle!"

Silver finished his interview with a veiled warning to his fellow competitors: "I'll be back in five days."

Hand #231: Guowei Zhang raised, and Max Silver called. The flop was    , and Silver check-folded.

Hand #232: Silver raised, and Zhang called. The flop was    , and a bet from Silver took the pot.

Hand #233: Zhang limped, then called a raise from Silver. The flop was    , and Silver bet. Zhang called, but on the   turn, he folded to a big bet from Silver. Silver showed him   ,

Hand #234: Silver folded, and Zhang got a walk.

Hand #221: Guowei Zhang limped, and Max Silver raised. Zhang called.

Silver check-raised Zhang's bet on the     flop, and Zhang called. Silver bet the   turn, and Zhang called. Both players checked the   river.

"Ten?" asked Silver, showing   . It was good.

Max Silver offered Guowei Zhang some water. Zhang declined.

Hand #222: Silver raised, and Zhang called. Zhang check-called a bet on the     flop. He check-called another bet on the   turn. The river was the  , and Zhang check-folded.

Hand #223: Zhang raised, and Silver called.

On the     flop, Silver check-raised his opponent, only for Zhang to re-raise. Silver called. The turn was the  . Silver bet, and Zhang raised and was all in. Silver called.

Silver:   
Zhang:   

Both players had turned a straight, and the river was the  .

Hand #224: Silver raised and took down the pot.

Hand #225: Silver received a walk.

Hand #210: Max Silver raised, and Guowei Zhang called. Zhang check-called a bet on the     flop, then check-folded on the   turn.

Hand #211: Silver received a walk.

Hand #212: Silver raised, and Zhang called. Zhang check-folded on the     flop.

Hand #213: Zhang limped, and Silver raised. Zhang called. Silver bet the     flop, and Zhang called. Both players checked the   turn. Silver bet the   river. Zhang raised, and Silver called.

Zhang showed    for a straight flush. Silver showed the   for a straight before mucking.

Hand #214: Zhang received a walk.

Hand #215: Zhang limped, Silver raised, and Zhang called. Silver bet the     flop, and Zhang folded.

Hand #201: Max Silver got a walk.

Hand #202: Guowei Zhang and Max Silver called, and Mickey Craft was all in for his last chips. It was checked down to the river of the       board, where Silver had   , Zhang had   , and Craft won with   

Hand #203: Craft was in the small blind, and he raised. Zhang had nothing to call him with and folded.

Hand #204: Silver got a walk.

Hand #186: Mickey Craft raised, and Max Silver called in the big blind. They got to the river of a board reading      , where Silver bet, and Craft called. Silver won with   , and Craft's fours were no good.

Hand #187: Silver raised and took the pot.

Hand #188: Silver raised, and Guowei Zhang called in the big blind. The flop was    , where Zhang check-called a bet. The   turn was checked around. The river was the  , and Zhang reluctantly check-folded.

Hand #189: Zhang limped, and Silver checked. The flop was    , and Silver folded to a bet.

Hand #190: Silver raised, and Croft three-bet. Silver called. It was checked all the way down on a final board of      , and ace-high was no good for Craft, as Silver tabled   .

Hand #176: Max Silver raised from the button, and Mickey Craft called in the small blind. Craft check-called a bet on the     flop but check-folded on the   turn.

Hand #177: Craft raised from the button, and Silver defended his big blind. The flop came    , and Silver check-folded to a bet from Craft.

Hand 178: Guowei Zhang raised from the button. Silver three-bet from the small blind, and Zhang called. Silver bet the     flop, and Zhang folded.

Hand #179: Silver raised from the button, and Zhang called in the big blind. Zhang check-called bets from Silver on the     flop and   turn but check-folded on the   river.

Max Silver	2,400,000	0
Mickey Craft	900,000	0
Guowei Zhang	540,000	0

Hand #166: Max Silver raised, and Mickey Craft called. The flop came    , and Silver bet. Craft folded.

Hand #167: Silver raised, and Guowei Zhang called. The flop came    , and Zhang checked. Silver bet, and Zhang called. The turn was the  , and both players checked. They both checked the   on the river, and Zhang won the hand with   .

Hand #168: Craft raised, and Zhang three-bet from the small blind. Craft called. The flop came    , and Zhang bet. Craft folded.

Hand #169: Craft got a walk.

Hand #170: Silver raised, and Craft called. The flop came    , and Craft checked. Silver raised, and Craft called. The turn was the  , Craft bet, and Silver called. The river was the  , and Craft bet again. Silver called, and Craft won the hand with   .