A Handful Of Americans Make Headlines At WSOP Europe
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The much-maligned Chris Ferguson, a former Full Tilt Poker founder and board member who has still yet to own up to his involvement in the scandal that effectively shut down online poker in the US and left thousands of US players out of pocket millions of dollars, collected his sixth career WSOP bracelet.
Chris Ferguson wins WSOP Player of the Year
In fact, Ferguson won the €1,650 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better helping him secure WSOP Player of the Year honors.
The event drew just 92 entries creating a €132,411 prize pool. Tampa, Florida’s John Racener, the 2017 WSOP $10,000 Dealers Choice 6-Handed Championship bracelet winner and 2010 WSOP Main Event runner-up, was the only other American to cash in that event. He finished 10th.
Racener maintained a shot at catching Ferguson in the POY race going into the WSOPE Main Event. However, once he busted out, the title went to Ferguson.
Ferguson led the race after booking a record 17 WSOP cashes in Las Vegas, Nevada this summer. This included two final four finishes. He wrapped up the title booking six more cashes and a WSOP bracelet win in Rozvadov.
Ferguson will get free entry into the 2018 WSOP Main Event and his likeness on a banner to be displayed in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.
Maria Ho makes the final six in the WSOP Europe Main Event
In the meantime, it looked like an American might win the WSOPE Main Event with Arcadia, California‘s Maria Ho holding the chip lead for two days going into the event’s final six. Ultimately she finished sixth.
Coeur d’Alene, Iowa’s Kevin Macphee also ran deep in defense of his WSOPE Main Event title from 2015. He finished 10th. Only four other Americans were among the 80 players who cashed in the WSOPE Main Event, including high rollers Anthony Zinno and David Peters.
Some big money was up for grabs in the WSOPE’s €111,111 High Roller for One Drop, which marked the largest buy-in in WSOPE history.
However, Feeding Hills, Massachusetts’ Nick Petrangelo and Long Beach, New York‘s Bryn Kenney were the only two Americans to cash. Petrangelo earned €243,169 for finishing 12th. Kenney banked €157,652 for a 17th-place finish.
East Lansing, Michigan‘s Ryan Riess, the 2013 WSOP Main Event champion, booked a €230,071 score finishing fourth in the €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller event. Kenney and Petrangelo were the only other Americans to cash in that event.
In the meantime, Pennsylvania‘s Dan Shak won the WSOPE €25,000 Super High Roller for €210,112. The non-bracelet event drew just 21 entries. Kenney also booked a €85,238 score finishing third.
Perennial bridesmaid Allen Kessler
Nevada residents Robert Schiffbauer, Hartmut Hohn, and Allen Kessler were among only four Americans of 131 players to cash in the €1,111 Little One for One Drop event. New York’s Roland Israelashvili was the fourth.
Kessler also managed to finish runner-up in the 191-entry €2,200 Pot-Limit Omaha event. Racener and Ferguson were the only two other US players to cash in that event.
A total of 569 players cashed in THE COLOSSUS – €550 No-Limit Hold’em event. However, just 23 were American. Five Americans were among the 36 that cashed in the €1,650 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed event. Zinno led that group finishing eighth and barely missing out on the six-handed final table.
John Racener makes the BOUNTY final
In the meantime, there were seven US players among the 49 who cashed in the €1,100 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo BOUNTY event. Racener made the final table, but could do no better than sixth.
A total of 70 players cashed in the €550 Pot-Limit Omaha event. However, just four were Americans. This included 14-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth and Ferguson.
Finally, the WSOPE kicked off with the €1,100 No-Limit Hold’em MONSTER STACK event drawing 561 entries. A total of 84 players cashed, but just 10 were from the US. The top American finisher in the tournament was San Diego, California’s Valentin Vornicu. He finished 14th.