The tea candles will be lit at Chez Brian Green tonight after the Texan started his World Series of Poker (WSOP) adventure by taking down Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo.
Green, who works in the used-car business and doesn’t consider himself a pro, is no stranger to the world of high stakes gambling. Three years ago, he borrowed $10,000 off a friend, sat down at the blackjack tables, ran it up to $113,000, and used the money to buy into the $111,111 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller for One Drop, finishing fifth for $1.1m.
The man got to keep 100% of those spoils, and there wasn’t a whine of a hungry dog in earshot as he ducked and weaved his way through a 204-entrant field to earn another $345,669, and his first gold bracelet.
Green had to overcome the incredible talents of Ali Imsirovic, heads-up, to claim the title. Imsirovic won the Global Poker Award (GPA) for 2018 Breakout Player of the Year, and the rush has continued into 2019, with this, his 13th final table, with all but one of them coming in $10k+ events.
Green and Imsirovic weren’t the only high rollers to make it to the final table. At the first time of asking since breaking up with PokerStars and marrying Amanda Leatherman, Daniel Negreanu put in a solid performance to finish sixth, and Poker Central Founder, Cary Katz finished ninth.
Speaking to PokerNews, Negreanu said it was great to start his run with a final table appearance, although he was quick to point out that as the stacks got shallower, and the blinds kept rising every 20-minutes, the person winning the flips was going to take it down. It was Negreanu’s 111th WSOP cash, although he hasn’t won a bracelet since 2013 when he took down the €25,600 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) to secure his second Player of the Year title.
Thirty-one players finished in the money, and as you would expect in a $10,000 side event, few fleas leapt into those places.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event legend Darren Elias finished 11th, recent Triton Poker Champ Ben Lamb finished 13th, the former $50k WSOP High Roller winner Ben Yu came 14th, the recent €25k winner at the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Monte Carlo, Ben Pollak finished 15th, former Triton Poker Champs Nick Schulman and Manig Loeser finished 17th and 19th, WSOP bracelet winner Byron Kaverman finished 19th, old school legend David Benyamine finished 21st, one of the best non-pros in the high stakes world, Dan Shak exited in 22nd place, and the Poker Hall of Famer, Erik Seidel finished 25th.
Final Table Results
- Brian Green – $345,669
- Ali Imsirovic – $213,644
- Asher Conniff – $145,097
- Loren Klein – $100,775
- Ping Liu – $71,614
- Daniel Negreanu – $52,099