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Gynecologist wins $544,388, WSOP bracelet in world's largest six-handed tournament10 June 2011Geffrey Klein, a 44-year-old gynecologist from Houston, won the largest six-handed no-limit Hold’em tournament in history to claim $544,388 at the World Series of Poker after pulling off a stunning comeback during heads-up play and won what must be considered one of the most unlikely victories so far at the 2011 WSOP. Down 9-to-1 in chips, it appeared Klein was destined for a respectable second-place finish. But he never gave up. Klein stayed patient and maneuvered is way back from the dead en route to a major tournament win that left virtually every witness speechless. No one could have foreseen the drama that was to come when Eddie Blumenthal enjoyed a seemingly comfortable chip advantage. His victory seemed all but certain. He had Klein on the ropes on at least two occasions. But both times, Klein caught miracle cards and survived. The most memorable of those hands took place when Klein had A-Q and was all-in against A-J. Unfortunately for Klein, a jack flopped and it appeared the match would end. But a queen on the river electrified the crowd and energized Klein, who went on to victory. The tournament attracted 1,920 entries, which shattered the previous all-time record, set last year when 1,663 six-handed enthusiasts jammed the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in search of victory. This year's number of entries represented an increase of more than 13 percent. The total prize pool was also a six-handed record, amounting to $2,592,000. The top 180 finishers collected prize money. Klein is a self-professed amateur player, and the first amateur player to win a bracelet through 10 events this year. He says he plays the game for fun. But he is also highly competitive by nature and takes everything he does seriously. “I want to succeed at whatever I do," said Klein. "Anytime I take on a new challenge, I want to do well. My current project is golf. But I’m terrible at it. I’m trying to get a little better at that.” Of the final table of six players, Klein was the only amateur player. "I can tell you all these guys are more skilled than I am," Klein said of the other players at the final table. "They can calculate the math and read the players – all the little things that come with doing it every day. Now, I understand a lot of these principles and I apply them as best I can, but I’m not as versatile. I know they are better players. But this is not chess. I could not beat the world champion chess player – ever. But because of the swings and the luck factor I can actually play with these guys.” The runner up was Eddie Blumenthal, a 25-year-old poker pro from Madison, Wisc. Blumenthal, who claimed a $334,756 consolation prize, has nothing to be ashamed of given his record during the first week of the series. He has arguably the most impressive WSOP record of any player, so far. He catapulted near the top of the standings in the WSOP "Player of the Year" race, by virtue of his second-place finish in this tournament, combined with a fourth-place finish in the $5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em Championship, which attracted 865 players. Two top four finishes within a five-day span is a stunning accomplishment, given the gargantuan field sizes and intense level of competition. Former gold bracelet winner Jeffrey Papola, from New York, N.Y., finished third for $214,410, and David Vamplew, a 23-year-old poker pro and student from Edinburgh, U.K., was fourth for $141,030. Bryan Colin, a 27-year-old investor from Short Hills, N.J., was fifth, and Anthony Spinella, a 23-year-old poker pro from Waxhaw, N.C., was sixth. Besides Papola, other former bracelet winners who cashed in the event included: Ryan Welch (12th), Greg Mueller (36th), Mike Ellis (53rd), Grant Hinkle (86th), Andre Boyer (146th), Bill Chen (169th), and Cliff Josephy (172nd). Tournament summary provided by Nolan Dalla, WSOP Media Director, reprinted by permission. |