Event #21: $1,500 Seven Card Stud

Talk about a silent killer. Richard Ashby came into today's final table third in chips and maintained a dangerous presence throughout the day. In winning tonight's bracelet he bested a skilled group of players that made every effort to stop him on his quest - and at times they nearly did. However, it wasn't to be. With a large British contingency railing him on he quietly built up a large stack before finally taking all of the chips.

Of course Ashby is no stranger to the winner's circle. The $140,467 he pocketed this evening will bring his live tournament earnings close to $800,000. Not too bad considering he doesn't even consider himself a tournament player. Ashby regularly crushes high-stakes cash games, but he might want to consider spending more time at the tournament tables - and in fact, he quietly sidled direct from his bracelet win into the Omaha event across the way. Sick.

This is also the third bracelet for Britain. Ashby joins Praz Bansi and James Dempsey as British winners. In a nice show of camaraderie, both Bansi and Dempsey showed up to cheer their mate on.

Congratulations to Richard Ashby, Event No. 21 Champion!

Richard Ashby had just relinquished some of his chips to Christine Pietsch, but he recently took back a commanding lead.

Pietsch: (XXX) /  

Ashby:   /  

Both players came in for 10,000 on third street and checked it down to sixth street when Ashby made a bet, getting called by Pietsch. They checked again on seventh street and ashby's tens were good.

Pots like these might not seem large, but every bet takes a significant chunk out of Pietsch's stack.

Christine Pietsch: (XX) /     

Richard Ashby: (XX) /    

Ashby bet all the way and Pietsch called him down to sixth street, when she folded with a sigh.

She dropped down again, to 430,000.

Many of our pots aren't getting past third or fourth street, but in a recent one we got down to the river and Ashby came out on top.

Ashby:   /  

Pietsch:   /  

Pietsch answered Ashby's bring in with a bet on third street. He called, and would do so again on fourth street. Both players checked fifth street, but Pietsch bet again on sixth street. We saw no more action on seventh street.

Pietsch had a pair of sixes exposed, but Ashby turned over a pair of sevens to make the best hand.

Pietsch:   /  

Ashby: (XX)  /  

Both players came in for the minimum on third street. Christine Pietsch would go on to bet fourth street, getting a call from Richard Ashby. Fifth street was checked down, but Pietsch took up the betting again on sixth and seventh streets, getting calls both times.

At the end of the day Pietsch's two pair were higher than Ashby's.

After the first, rather small, heads-up pot had gone to Christine Pietsch, Richard Ashby took down a hefty pot to put him up to 845,000.

Ashby:     /     

Pietsch:     /     

Ashby brought in and Pietsch just called on third street, but Pietsch then bet out on every street. Ashby called her all the way down and flipped two pair, sevens and fours. Pietsch's lone pair of cowboys couldn't cut the tournament mustard, and she dropped to 1,020,000.

Darren Shebell lost three hands in a row, every time folding on fifth street. He was down to about 150,000 when the following happened:

Darren Shebell: (XX) /     

Christine Pietsch: (XX) /     

Shebell brought in and called Christine Pietsch's completion. He called further bets on fourth and fifth streets.

So to sixth street, and this time Pietsch checked. Shebell promptly moved all in for his last 31,000. Pietsch sat back in her chair and laughed - and then folded. Shebell was back in the game.

---

But then a few minutes later Shebell got involved with Pietsch again. They got all the way to the river, and Shebell turned over two pair, threes and sixes. Pietsch flipped two pair, aces and eights, and Shebell was back in the danger zone on just 120,000.

Richard Ashby:    /      /  

Dan Heimiller:    /      / (X)

Both players checked fourth street before Ashby bet out on fifth and Heimiller called all in. Heimiller's pair of fours were ahead up to seventh street. Ashby ever so slowly squeeeeeezed his last down card...

...and then cried, "YES!" immediately followed by, "Sorry," as his rivered gutshot knocked Heimiller out of the running.

Heimiller took it with good grace, and, trailed by his faithful railers, headed for the payout desk.

After Heimiller's exit the clearly overwhelmed and suddenly extremely perky Ashby called over to his friend Paul Parker.

"Did you see that squeeze?"

"Yeah," chuckled Parker, "You're never unlucky when you squeeze. Hey if you win this tourny that'll be like two big blinds!"

Ashby is an online cash specialist, playing at stakes that can only be described as nosebleed. Nevertheless he seems delighted to be back in contention for a WSOP bracelet.

Stud is not traditionally a spectator sport - the nature of the game means that the casual observer can't really follow what's going on from behind the rail.

Nevertheless the presence of Dan Heimiller and Richard "Chufty" Ashby at the final table has drawn a few interested onlookers to the rail.

Ashby is currently being sweated by two-time bracelet winner Praz Bansi and fellow British circuit favorites Martins Adeniya and Karl Mahrenholz, as well as the sartorially daring Paul Parker in purple trousers, a paisley shirt and a rakish straw hat.

Heimiller has a few fans too - we don't recognize any of them ourselves, but they periodically shout out his name in an encouraging manner.

Also there is a man with a huge afro. We don't know whom he's railing, but we thought his 'fro worthy of mention.

We know it's only been one level since dinner, but for some reason players are on a break again. We suspect someone heard the call of nature.

Not five minutes, mind. Just four. That should be plenty.