Event #16: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship

Event #16 is over here just shortly after the midnight hour in Las Vegas. John Juanda has just been handed a WSOP gold bracelet for the fifth time in his career, overcoming a big heads-up chip disadvantage to claim the title in what is arguably the most entertaining event of the Series.

Some would say it was meant to be Phil Hellmuth's 12th bracelet party today, four years to the day after he snagged number eleven. Doubters flocked to the rail from the start of play, but Hellmuth stood tall as seven players fell by the wayside. His play was mostly stellar through the first half of the day, and he amassed a huge chip lead as the players dropped one by one. Among them were the 2009 and 2010 champions of this event, Nick Schulman and David Baker, exiting in fifth and sixth places, respectively. The 2004 champion of the whole darn WSOP, Greg Raymer made it to this final day too, but he would fall in ninth place even before the last eight were relocated to the main stage.

Today's story truly was a memorable one, and you'd do well to read back through the blog if you missed any of the action. At the dinner break, Hellmuth had more than 2.6 million of the 3.8 in play with three players left. Juanda knocked Richard Ashby out in third place shortly after they returned, though, and he had his sights fixed firmly on Hellmuth's stack.

When heads-up play began, Hellmuth still had about a 3:1 chip lead, but Juanda's edge in skill soon began to show through. He picked away at Hellmuth's stack with methodical precision, and the two locked horns in an hours-long tug of war. Many in the poker world consider Juanda to be one of the best 2-7 no-limit players in the world, and he proved that reasoning valid tonight, pressing Hellmuth into a corner as the levels wore on.

It was more than three hours of heads-up play before the final series of hands began to unravel. Hellmuth was showing signs of increasing frustration over the last hour or so, and Juanda thrived on the opportunity to quietly get under his opponent's skin. After fighting with such a strong pose for so long, Hellmuth began to look a bit downtrodden and unpleasant, sinking in his chair and mumbling under his breath. In the final hand, he got his money in pat with a queen, and Juanda drew live to his jack to lock up the bracelet. Hellmuth was sincere in his congratulations, it appeared, admitting he was scared of Juanda's heads-up game.

John Juanda finished in fourth place the last two years in this event, and he began this final day dangerously short on chips at the bottom of the heap. Apparently the third time's the charm. Nine hours later, he sits alone at the table with all 3.78 million chips in play. And a shiny new bracelet. It's number five in his career, and it comes with the extra bragging rights of denying number twelve for Mr. Hellmuth.

We hope you've enjoyed the spectacle from the Rio tonight. For now, this night stands alone as the marquee scene thus far in the 2011 World Series of Poker. But there are still another 40 events to be played, and we can nearly promise more moments like tonight.

Until tomorrow, then, all that's left is goodnight! Oh, and a huge congratulations to our new champion, John Juanda!

Phil Hellmuth raised to 125,000, and John Juanda made the call to proceed.

Hellmuth took two new cards, and Juanda just one again. Once again, he led out -- 275,000 this time. Hellmuth didn't waste any time with the call, and they were chips he'd not get back.

Juanda showed      , and Hellmuth nodded slowly. He's reached the quiet, resigned stage of frustration now, quietly mucking and looking down scornfully at his stack.

John Juanda raised it up to 85,000, and Phil Hellmuth called. We missed the drawing round (sorry), but we saw Hellmuth lead out with a bet. Juanda shoved on him, and Hellmuth could not call. He flung his cards muckward, and he's down to 1.05 million as the slide continues.

Juanda ha really picked up the pace here.

John Juanda opened to 90,000, and Phil Hellmuth made the call.

Hellmuth drew one, and Juanda patted the table with his knuckles. Check-check.

Hellmuth called, "Jack," and Juanda nodded as Hellmuth tabled      .

John Juanda raised to 80,000, and Phil Hellmuth three-bet to 280,000. Juanda flatted, and he stood pat while Hellmuth drew two cards. It went check-check, and Juanda's       was good. Hellmuth is sliding a bit, down now to about 1.4 million. Maybe just a tick less, even.

As we expected, the rail has filled in nicely as the night has progressed. The entire bottom bowl is filled in with fans, and there are a couple dozen in the standing-room-only top tier. Even better, maybe 50 people are stacked up along the far rail that's open to the Amazon Room, with security keeping a wide perimeter around the table. A few minutes ago, T.D. Robbie Thompson spotted a familiar face up on the perch.

"Well, they must have lifted the prohibition, because I see Gavin Smith is here."

The reference was to a new rule banning drinks and food from the ESPN featured table area. Smith appears to be holding a frosty beverage of some sort.

We've seen a number of pros come and go including Chino Rheem, Tom McEvoy, and Allen Kessler. It's actually a bit sparse on pro railbirds, now that we think about it, as most of the faces in the crowd are unknowns, as far as we're aware. Randos, if you will. The entirety of the poker media is camped out here, though, and most of the senior members of the WSOP staff are also here watching history unfold.

A few of them were here back when Hellmuth won bracelet number one. That's quite an achievement on both sides of that equation, and it's doing this 2011 Series good to have a marquee heads-up matchup on the main stage tonight.

Phil Hellmuth raised to 80,000, and John Juanda was the one doing the three-betting this time. He made it 240,000 straight, and Hellmuth called. He needed two cards, while Juanda took just one. Action was on Juanda, and he has been acting a bit more carefully this level. He paused to ponder, scratching his chin and turning the gears. Eventually, he put out 475,000, and Hellmuth couldn't call it.

He spun his cards into the muck, and Juanda flashed    with a wry smile.

Juanda pulls in front once again, stacking up about 2.2 million chips.

Phil Hellmuth opened to 110,000 on the button, and John Juanda called for a draw. He and Juanda both took one card, and Juanda fired out 250,000. Hellmuth quickly called, and he announced his cards first. "Ten-nine-five," he called, and he'd not like what he saw next. Juanda tabled      , and his better ten-nine drew a brief, frustrated reaction from Hellmuth.

The Brat falls back to about 1.7 million now.

From the button, Phil Hellmuth raised to 105,000 only to be three-bet by John Juanda for a total of 310,000. Hellmuth wasted no time announcing that he was all in and Juanda sent his cards sailing into the muck. The crowd erupted into cheers and Hellmuth scooped a pot that brings him up to 2,300,000 while Juanda falls to 1,500,000.