$10,000 HORSE (Event #29)

He was all in with a bottom pair. No kicker. No fold equity. And it worked out magnificently. Greg Mueller got it right. He survived the critical situation and catapulted himself back to a playable stack in Event #29: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. A few hours later, Mueller closed it out. He captured his third WSOP bracelet and the $425,347 top-prize, defeating a field of 172 entries.

In 2009, Mueller won his first bracelet. It took him only two weeks to claim his second. For number three, he had to wait ten years.

"A good attitude, a fortune of good luck, and good friends around made the difference," Mueller said.

Mueller's first two wins came in limit hold'em, and today was a testament to his success from the previous decade. Mueller's triumph was largely influenced by one particular play in limit hold'em.

With three players left, Mueller was nearly on his way out. He had fewer than four big bets, but an unorthodox play with five-three offsuit changed the fate of the tournament. Mueller check-raised a flop with a bottom pair. Then he faced a bet from Dario Sammartino on the turn with the board featuring straight and flush possibilities. Mueller check-shoved without the smallest chance to make Sammartino fold. He trusted his instincts, and it paid off.

It all came down to a tell.

"Technically, I'm dead. What can I beat? I just looked at him. He doesn't have a hand!"

Sammartino bricked the river with a double gutter, and Mueller's epic ride towards the glory had begun. It's one thing to get a value from a good hand. But make a double out of nothing, that is a massive confidence boost. With Mueller's history as a former professional athlete—he played hockey in Germany for nine years—the spirit can become crucial.

"I got instant confidence and swagger."

Mueller called it a turning point, and while there was still a long road ahead of him, it seemed that the script had been set in stone. Mueller suddenly started to make good hands, and he built his stack to overtake the chip lead.

Shortly after dinner, Mueller busted Sammartino in a hand of stud hi-lo, and the subsequent heads up lasted just one hand. Mueller made a flush to eliminate Daniel Ospina in second place.

Final table results:

While Mueller admitted that he doesn't have as much passion for poker as he used to, today's victory is an outcome of his grind off the felt. "I put a lot of effort not so much into studying the game, just into my own physical and mental state."

For Mueller, it's all about feeling good and following his healthy routine. He said he wouldn't run from tournament to tournament, trying to chase cashes and POY points as hard as many professional players at WSOP. That's why he doesn't have a strict plan.

Will he play the Poker Players Championship? Likely. But Mueller won't give any promises. Everything is a game-time decision. If he wakes up and thinks that he'd rather have a day off, he'll get it. There is no must-do on Mueller's mind.

"When I'm in Canada, I don't play one hand of poker. I do my thing: work out, play hockey three times a week, watch a ton of sports."

However, when the clock was ticking for the start of the 50th Annual World Series of Poker, something bugged Mueller's mind. His best results seemed to have been the thing of the past. Just like what happens in a career of professional athletes, Mueller started to question whether his shine at the felt was over.

"I just thought, 'Do I still have it? Has that game passed me by?' and I told myself that I will play a little bit and that I'll be focused."

And so Mueller did come and found his answer: he is still able to compete in one of the most complex tournaments on the WSOP schedule. Heck, he can win it outright.

WSOP 10k H.O.R.S.E. history:

Stud Hi-Lo

Dario Sammartino:    /      /  
Greg Mueller:    /      /  

Dario Sammartino ended up all in for 650,000 on third and showed split sixes with a king, while Greg Mueller had nines. Sammartino failed to catch any help until sixth and Mueller improved to a set in order to leave Sammartino drawing dead. This made seventh redundant and Sammartino was already on his way out to collect $184,854 for his efforts.

Greg Mueller	8,800,000	900,000
Daniel Ospina	1,500,000	-200,000
Dario Sammartino	0	-750,000

Razz

Dario Sammartino:    /      /  
Daniel Ospina:    /      /  

Dario Sammartino completed with a deuce and Daniel Ospina raised, Sammartino called. Sammartino bet fourth and Ospina called before they got it in on fifth.

Ospina showed trey-deuce in the hole and made the wheel on sixth to secure his double up, while Sammartino mucked his cards which included   .

Greg Mueller	7,800,000	-300,000
Daniel Ospina	1,700,000	1,100,000
Dario Sammartino	800,000	-1,800,000

Omaha Hi-Lo

Dario Sammartino limped from the button and Daniel Ospina folded his hand. Greg Mueller checked and he checked again on the     flop. Sammartino bet and Mueller called. The   landed on the turn and Mueller led out. Sammartino quickly folded.

Greg Mueller	5,900,000	775,000
Dario Sammartino	2,600,000	-700,000
Daniel Ospina	1,800,000	-100,000

Players are on a 60-minute dinner break. Play will resume at 9:30 p.m. local time.

Greg Mueller	5,125,000	325,000
Dario Sammartino	3,300,000	-300,000
Daniel Ospina	1,900,000	0

Hold'em

Dario Sammartino raised in the small blind, Daniel Ospina three-bet in the big blind, and Sammartino called. The dealer rolled out a flop of     and Sammartino check-called.

The   turn saw Sammartino check-raise and Ospina called. The   completed the board, filling the club flush draw. Sammartino fired again and Ospina looked him up with what looked like a pair of eights. Sammartino, however, turned up    and he claimed the big pot to send Ospina to a nub.

Dario Sammartino	4,200,000	900,000
Daniel Ospina	1,300,000	-1,500,000

Hold'em

The remaining Stud Hi-Lo hands brought barely any action and the game type switched to Hold'em with the first hands ending up limped.

Greg Mueller check-called a bet on the     flop and the    turn river were checked. Mueller tabled the    and the won the pot.

Daniel Ospina	3,700,000	300,000
Greg Mueller	3,300,000	0
Dario Sammartino	3,300,000	-300,000

Stud

Dario Sammartino:    /      /  
Daniel Ospina:    /      /  

Dario Sammartino made it three bets and got his short stack in against Daniel Ospina. Sammartino was ahead with a pair of eights and had a gutshot on top of that until sixth. Ospina had a pair of fours and outs to improve, but bricked with the   while Sammartino hit the   to double with a set.

The next hand, Sammartino made it three bets against Ospina once more and forced a fold this time around.

Greg Mueller	4,900,000	-100,000
Daniel Ospina	3,500,000	-1,000,000
Dario Sammartino	2,000,000	1,140,000

Razz

Greg Mueller completed with a   and he found a caller in Dario Sammartino who had a   out. Sammartino called one more bet on fourth street but Mueller's board rolled out wheel cards and Sammartino folded on fifth.

Sammartino:    /     - folded on fifth
Mueller:    /    

Daniel Ospina	5,000,000	-1,100,000
Greg Mueller	3,700,000	1,300,000
Dario Sammartino	1,700,000	-200,000

Hold'em

Greg Mueller raised on the button, Daniel Ospina three-bet out of the big blind, and Mueller called. The flop fell     and Ospina continued firing. Mueller called and the   paired the board. Ospina slowed down with a check and Mueller bet. Ospina called and then he checked again on the   river. Mueller fired and Ospina needed about a minute to figure out his move. Then he laid his hand down.

Daniel Ospina	5,100,000	-900,000
Greg Mueller	3,100,000	900,000