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Waxman beats Baldwin in epic heads up match for first WSOP title, $305,9525 June 2013Nothing came easy for Matthew Waxman, either before or during the most recent $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em World Series of Poker gold bracelet event. Leading up to Event 7, Waxman had 18 WSOP cashes and more than half a million in tournament earnings. But he'd never won a WSOP bracelet, the measuring stick by which many evaluate the success or failure of a tournament poker player. Waxman outlasted 1,837 players at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, but no opponent proved more of a challenge than gold bracelet winner Eric Baldwin, who served as Waxman's final obstacle. Whatever it took to survive the initial stages playing among a few thousand players was a breeze compared to the brutal back and forth heads-up struggle between Waxman and Baldwin, who combined to create a duel for the ages. Clocking in at almost seven hours and 187 hands, the final heads-up match featured world-class poker at its very finest. With a loaded gallery of spectators including many of the game's most respected players watching, including some divided loyalties among the crowd, Waxman and Baldwin exchanged the chip lead multiple times. Moreover, each player managed to catch miracle cards at various points which made the heads-up match all the more exciting and fun to watch. "It was so hard to focus," Waxman said of the epic heads up battle. "I couldn't even add the pot at one pot. I was like 'what's 180,000 plus 180,000 – I can't do it.' Then, I would forget the antes and wonder, 'what's the number?'" However, in the end, Waxman vanquished his final foe and managed to lift the weight off his shoulders of being grouped among the best poker players in the world never to have won a WSOP title. For his victory, he pocketed $305,952 in prize money. “It's a huge milestone for me as a professional poker player,” Waxman said in a post-tournament interview. “I didn't win as much money this time, but am much happier with this when I won World Poker Tour Paris. It's just such a big event for any poker player to get his first bracelet. Now, I'm like in the gold bracelet club. I feel phenomenal.” Waxman is a 28-year-old poker pro from Parkland, Fla. “I'm now two-thirds of the way to a Triple Crown,” Waxman said in reference to the supreme trio of poker titles – winning at the WSOP, the WPT, and the EPT. “I guess I'll have to go to Europe now and start grinding those EPTs.” Baldwin collected $189,220 for second place, while Jess Dioquino was thir dfor $130,825. Amit Makhija was fourth, Brent Hanks was fifth, Jacob Jung was sixth, Robert Dreyfuss was seventh, Tuu Ho was eighth and Jason Koon was ninth. Tournament summary modified from a report by WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla, reprinted by permission. |