Event #53: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em

After four days of poker, Event #53: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em now has a champion with Brett Shaffer collected his first WSOP bracelet and $665,397 in prizemoney.

What started on Saturday with a mammoth 2,816 players was slowly whittled down day-by-day until we reached a final table of nine early yesterday afternoon. Expecting to crown a winner late in the day, the final table was off to a quick start as we lost Matias Ruzzi, Darren Rabinowitz, Jonathan Cohen and Diego Zeiter all in the first 23 hands. However the five-handed battle would be a tough one with nearly each of the players holding onto the chip lead at one point as Canadian Mike Watson led the five at dinner break.

Once play recommenced, it would be Shaffer's turn in taking the chip lead after he peeled with a gunshot that spiked on the river against Watson. However Shaffer would relinquish that lead to the only female to make two final tables in Loni Harwood who four-bet shoved with    and had Shaffer tank-call with    to find a double. Watson would then run deuces into queens before falling in 4th as the final four would be lead by Arttu Raekorpi as they went on the final break for the evening.

Unfortunately for Harwood, she wouldn't be the first female bracelet winner this year as she exited in 4th place after shoving    into Vamplew's   . As we entered the final level of play it would be Vamplew getting lucky to take a huge chip lead after shoving    into Raekorpi's   . Vamplew however would then be on the losing end of a dominated flip when Shaffer cracked his    with    before play ended for the night with Vamplew and Shaffer neck-and-neck as Raekorpi rounded out the rear.

Once play recommenced today, Raekorpi would last just four hands before falling in 3rd as Shaffer took s chip lead into heads up play that was virtually the size of the small blind. Vamplew took the lead early, but Shaffer snatched it back before extending it further and further to hold a two-to-one advantage. After 23 hands of heads up play and 201 hands at the final table, the final hand would see Vamplew snap-call Shaffer's three-bet shove with    but be unable to hold against Shaffer's    when he flopped top two pair to see the young Scottish player earn his second 2nd place finish of the series.

Congratulations to Brett Shaffer on winning Event #53: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em! Shaffer displayed great patience, timing and hand-reading abilities to capture his first WSOP gold bracelet and $665,397 in prizemoney. From the PokerNews live reporting team, thanks for following along with all the Event #53 action, and make sure to catch all the updates from any of the other four events being played out today right here!

Hand #198: Brett Shaffer limped and David Vamplew checked to see a     flop. Vamplew led for 200,000 and Shaffer folded.

Hand #199: David Vamplew raised to 400,000 from the button and after a minute in the tank, Brett Shaffer pushed all in for roughly 8 million. Vamplew folded and Shaffer was pushed the pot.

Hand #200: David Vamplew receives a walk in the big blind.

Brett Shaffer	8,305,000	70,000
David Vamplew	4,365,000	-70,000

Hand #193: David Vamplew opened to 320,000, which was enough to take down the pot.

Hand #194: Brett Shaffer called the big blind, and Vamplew checked his option, before the flop came down    . Vamplew bet out 180,000, which saw a fold from his opponent shortly after.

Hand #195: Vamplew opened to 320,000, and collected the small blind and antes.

Hand #196: Shaffer opened to 320,000 and was snap called, as both players saw the flop come    . Vamplew checked his option, as did Shaffer, before the   fell on the turn. Vamplew then reached for chips, and slid out 300,000, which was called, as the   completed the board.

Vamplew paused for a moment, before checking over to Shaffer, who checked shortly after. Vamplew turned over his qc4c for queen-high, before Shaffer tabled his 8c8h, which was enough to take down the pot.

Hand #197: Vamplew opened to 320,000, and was called by Shaffer, as the flop came    . Both players checked, as the (9h) fell on the turn, before doing the same, as the   completed the board. Shaffer checked for the third time, before Vamplew quickly bet out 375,000, which was called shortly after.

Vamplew turned over his cards, and had the   for the flush, before Shaffer tabled his cards revealing the   for the higher flush, which took down the pot.

Brett Shaffer	8,235,000	515,000
David Vamplew	4,435,000	-515,000

Hand #186

Brett Shaffer opened to 320,000, and was snap called by David Vamplew, before the flop came down    . Vamplew checked his option, as did Shaffer, before the   fell on the turn. Vamplew reached for chips, and bet out 320,000, which was enough to take down the pot.

Hand #187

Vamplew opened to 320,000, before Shaffer opted to raise to 650,000. Vamplew quickly made the call, before the flop came down    . Both players checked, as the   fell on the turn. Another set of checks followed, as the   completed the board.

Shaffer tabled his    for a pair, which was enough to take down the pot, as Vamplew mucked his hand.

Hand #188

Shaffer opened to 320,000, which was called by Vamplew. The flop came down    , as Vamplew slid out a bet of 400,000. Shaffer sat motionless for several minutes, tanking over his decision. He eventually folded his hand, giving Vamplew the pot.

David Vamplew	6,410,000	10,000
Brett Shaffer	6,260,000	-10,000

Hand #179

David Vamplew opened to 320,000, which forced a fold from Brett Shaffer.

Hand #180

Shaffer opened to 320,000, before Vamplew raised it up to 750,000. Shaffer thought about his decision for nearly three minutes, before just opting to make the call. The flop came down    , as Vamplew quickly reached for his chips, and placed out a continuation bet of 620,000. Two more minutes passed, before Shaffer opted to muck his hand, relinquishing the pot to Vamplew.

Hand #181

Vamplew opened to 320,000, before Shaffer re-raised all in. Vamplew quickly mucked, as Shaffer got some chips back.

David Vamplew	6,905,000	610,000
Brett Shaffer	5,765,000	-610,000

Hand #178: From the button Arttu Raekorpi moved all in for 1,635,000 and Brett Shaffer made the call from the small blind.

Raekorpi:   
Shaffer:   

With Raekorpi trailing, the     flop gave him four additional outs to a straight. The turn of the   changed little, and needing a jack or ten to stay alive, the river landed the   to end his tournament in 3rd place for a $291,392 payday.

Arttu Raekorpi

0

-2,055,000