Tuesday night's final of the 2011 WSOP No-Limit Texas Hold'em Championship got stated with a bang on the very first hand. In front of a screaming crowd at the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ben Lamb continued his tournament-long, over-the-top aggression when he reraised with K-J and was called all-in by Martin Staszko.
Staszko, from the Czech Republic, started the day in third place chip-count to Lamb's second place start, but his 7-7 starting hand held up and crippled Lamb. Three hands later, Lamb again shoved his chips to the middle, this time with Q-6.
Staszko had no trouble calling the less than $13,000,000 raise with his pocket jacks and again, the better starting hand held up. Lamb, representing the US, left the game with a cash prize of $4,019,635.
That left just two amazing poker players to battle for the title, Staszko, and the quiet Pius Heinz, from Cologne, Germany, and Staszko held a small chip lead. However, Heinz won eight of the first 12 hands and regained the lead.
Heinz and Staszko took turns raising from the button, Staszko often betting aggressively after the flop and taking down small pots. Eventually, he had Heinz out chipped nearly 2-1.
Heinz took a monster pot after playing A-Q suited against Q-9 suited. The flop came K-10-7 with two clubs, but the turn and river faded for Staszko with just a 3 and six off-suit and no flush.
A few hands later Staszko moved all-in with 10-7 suited clubs and Heinz easily called with Big Slick (AK) off-suit. Once again, the best pre-flop hand held up as the flop cam 9-5-2 rainbow, jack-turn and 4-river. Staszko took down $5,430,928 for his runner-up finish.
New World Series of Poker 2011 Champion Pius Heinz, a mere 22-years old, will have a lifetime to enjoy is $8,711,956 tournament win.
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