The golden bracelet eluded Dan O’Brien once again in the heads-up.
Only the final heads-up session of the WSOPE Event #3 €5,300 Mixed-Max NLHE was left for the last day of the tournament. Dan O’Brien had three times the stack of his opponent, Darko Stojanovic. After his 2nd finish in last year’s WSOPE €3,000 NLHE Shootout event for €116,280 and several WSOP Final Tables, the US pro was in for his first ever golden bracelet.
He faced French Darko Stojanovic, whose best live tournament result had previously been a victory in the EFOP Diamond €1,000 Silver Championship for €49,960 in 2011. The chip counts were as follows:
Dan O’Brien – 1,594,000
Darko Stojanovic – 507,000
O’Brien’s edge did not last long, as Stojanovic managed to double up in the second hand. On Level 21 (1,000/5,000/10.000), O’Brien raised to 20,000, Stojanovic called and the flop came 3:d 8:c 4:c. O’Brien bet 25,000, Stojanovic check-raised to 90,000 and, eventually, O’Brien called. The 2:s arrived on the turn, Stojanovic shoved his remaining 407,000 in chips and O’Brien called, showing 7:d 7:s. Stojanovic had 2:h 3:h for two pairs and his hand improved to a full house with the 2:d on the river.
Stojanovic went on to grab the lead; in the 44th hand, he took a major pot without tabling the cards and O’Brien was left with only 750,000 in chips.
On Level 23 (2,000/8,000/16,000), Stojanovic raised to 34,000 from the Button and O’Brien called. He checked the 4:c Q:h 6:h flop, Stojanovic bet 53,000, O’Brien raised to 130,000, Stojanovic moved all-in and O’Brien called all-in for 400,000.
O’Brien: A:h 5:h
Stojanovic: 7:h 7:c
Turn: J:s
River: 8:d
O’Brien’s outs never came and Stojanovic grabbed the title from him.
The end results are as follows:
1st: Darko Stojanovic – €188,160
2nd: Dan O’Brien – €116,280
3rd: Jason Mann – €62,770
4th: Noah Schwartz – €62,770
5th: Shannon Shorr – €30,695
6th: Jeremy Joseph – €30,695
7th: Jake Schwartz – €30,695
8th: Joe Keuther – €30,695
