Event #21: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em

The action is finished in Event 21, $1,000 No Limit Hold'em, of the World Series of Poker. The first $1,000 on the schedule attracted 2,779 players that had 227 players survive Day 1 and only 17 that survived Day 2. Michael Gathy outlasted them all and claimed the WSOP bracelet and $440,829.

The day began with 17 players across two tables and within two levels the field was trimmed to just ten. William Fichman, Mitch Merritt, Jonathan Poche, Randy Green, Glen McCaffrey, Derek Wolter and Hok-Leung Wong all bowed out early.

They relocated across the Amazon Room on the ESPN Main Stage for ten-handed play. After just 30 minutes or so Dan Smith was the first player eliminated on stage. Smith was low on chips and made a stand holding    , but Noah Vaillancourt's pocket eights held and sent Smith to the rail just short of an official final table.

Just moments after the official final table announcements were made Joshua Field played his last hand of the day. He made a stand holding     and Jamie Armstrong called holding pocket nines. Field didn't connect with the board and was sent to the rail.

Jason Manggunio arrived at the final table short on chips and shipped them in preflop. Eric Baldwin called and had Mangunnio outkicked. Baldwin held     and Manggunio had    . An ace fell on the flop but Baldwin's kicker sent Manggunio to the payout desk.

Jean-Louis Santoni opened from under the gun and called a re-raise from Vaillancourt. They went to a       flop and got their stacks all in. Santoni held     but Vaillancourt was drawing live with    . A diamond fell on the turn and Santoni's day was over.

Eric Davis would be the sixth place finisher when he shoved     and John Esposito called with    . The board ran           and Esposito's flush sent Davis to the rail.

Eric Baldwin's fateful hand occurred when he four-bet shoved all in preflop. Noah Vaillancourt called after a lengthy tank and tabled    . Baldwin held pocket queens but the board hit Vaillancourt square in the face when it ran          . Baldwin picked up a fifth place finish in his third WSOP final table.

It would be another hour or so before John Esposito exited in fourth place. He got in a bad spot with     against Armstrong's    . They each paired their kicker card on the flop and Esposito never improved.

Vailancourt's final table ride had him yo-yoing up and down the counts. On his last downward swing Armstrong opened to 200,000 and Vaillancourt shipped it in. Armstrong called with     and Vaillancourt was behind holding    . Neither improved their hand on the board and Vaillancourt exited the tournament with nearly $200,000 for third place.

Heads up play lasted a little over two whole levels. The chip lead shifted back and forth throughout the night, without either player gaining a significant advantage over the other. The last hand came when Armstong four-bet shoved and Gathy called. Armstrong held pocket nines and Gathy pocket tens. The board ran           and it was all over. Gathy's tens held and he claimed his first WSOP gold bracelet.

Final Table Payouts

Michael Gathy has been stealing many hands and has now stolen the chip lead as well.

Michael Gathy	4,760,000	860,000
Jamie Armstrong	3,600,000	-900,000

Michael Gathy check-called a bet of 125,000 on a     flop. On the   turn we saw Gathy check again, and Jamie Armstrong bet out 300,000. A call was made and to the river we went. The   was the last card to land and we again saw Gathy check-call a bet of 500,000.

Armstrong showed    for a pair of aces, which were good enough as Gathy mucked.

Jamie Armstrong	6,800,000	1,800,000
Michael Gathy	1,800,000	-1,680,000

We had an all in and a call preflop.

Gathy:    
Armstrong:    

The board ran           and Gathy got back in the game.

Jamie Armstrong	5,000,000	-1,700,000
Michael Gathy	3,480,000	1,880,000

On a board of           Jamie Armstrong bet 425,000 on the river. Michael Gathy called and mucked when Armstrong tabled    .

Jamie Armstrong	5,000,000	400,000
Michael Gathy	3,400,000	-300,000

Jamie Armstrong made it 200,000 from the button, and Noah Vaillancourt moved all in after Michael Gathy folded the small blind for about 800,000. Armstrong made the call and Vaillancourt was at risk.

Vaillancourt:   
Armstrong:   

An       board ran out and Vaillancourt failed to improve and was subsequently eliminated in third.

Noah Vaillancourt

0

-780,000

Jamie Armstrong came out to start this hand raising to 200,000. Noah Vaillancourt in the big blind obliged and made the call and both players saw a     flop. Vaillancourt checked and Armstrong bet out 150,000. A call was made and both players were allowed to see the   on the turn. It was here that the two players knuckled.

A   on the river saw Vaillancourt take control and bet out 365,000. A call was quickly made by Armstrong, who was in for some poor news as Vaillancourt flipped over    for three of a kind kings.

Jamie Armstrong	2,900,000	-440,000
Noah Vaillancourt	2,400,000	1,205,000

Michael Gathy has jumped into the lead.

Michael Gathy	3,850,000	1,300,000
Jamie Armstrong	3,340,000	-1,060,000
Noah Vaillancourt	1,195,000	-605,000

With a     flop exposed in the middle of the felt we saw Noah Vaillencourt check-raise to 200,000 of a min-bet from Jamie Armstrong. Armstrong then came back over the top and made it 450,000, to which Vaillencourt responded by making it 960,000. It all came to an end though when Armstrong moved all in and Vaillencourt snap folded.

Jamie Armstrong	4,400,000	1,395,000
Noah Vaillancourt	1,800,000	-900,000