Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:45 PM Local Time
Defeat three tables and win a World Series of Poker bracelet. It sounds like an easy task in theory, but 365 people would disagree with you. That being said, one person was able to accomplish what the others could not and accumulate all of the chips on the table three days in a row. Brian Meinders was able to defeat Darin Thomas heads up to take home $116,118 in prize money and his first gold WSOP bracelet.
Despite being one of the smaller buy-in events at the WSOP, this event drew a rather stacked field. Many professionals swarmed to this event with the hopes of being able to attain WSOP glory. Among those to lose to their first table in this event were Joseph Cheong, Barry Shulman, Viktor Blom, Jonathan Little, Phil Hellmuth, Marcel Luske, Maria Ho and many more.
Fifty players were able to earn the title of Day 1 champion and lock up a guaranteed cash of $3,088. Of those fifty, only ten would move on to the final table. Several notable names came close on Day 2, only to fall short of making the prestigious WSOP final table. Greg Mueller, JJ Liu, Scott Seiver, Justin Bonomo, Matt Matros, and Mike Leah were among those to walk away from Event 25 with a min-cash. The ten who did make it on though were guaranteed at least $7,164 and only had to best nine others to attain WSOP immortality.
Final Table Lineup
| Seat | Player | Chips |
| 1 | Darin Thomas | 155,500 |
| 2 | Preston Derden | 157,500 |
| 3 | Christopher Hartman | 162,500 |
| 4 | Victor Ramdin | 165,500 |
| 5 | Brock Parker | 164,500 |
| 6 | Christopher Vitch | 162,000 |
| 7 | Sean Rice | 160,000 |
| 8 | Brian Meinders | 162,400 |
| 9 | Ian Johns | 159,000 |
| 10 | Matthew Schreiber | 154,500 |
Play at the final table started out rather slow as the players went for three levels without seeing an elimination. However, someone wise once said that when it rains, it pours, and that idea was certainly applicable to the bust outs of this final table.
Our first casualty came when Christopher Hartman got the last of his chips in and was called by Matthrew Schreiber and Victor Ramdin. Schreiber was able to pair an ace on the river with his and just like that Hartman was sent to the rail in tenth place.
After Hartman's elimination, players began busting from the final table at a rapid pace. The next to go was Ian Johns, who found himself fortunate enough to get his entire stack all in while holding . Unfortunately, he was up against of Brian Meinders, who was running remarkably hot. Sure enough, Meidners was able to spike the on the river and send Johns home with $9,225 in ninth place money.
Sean Rice was the next victim of Meinders' fury, getting it in on a board holding . Unfortunately for Rice, Meinders held a higher ace in the form of and it was able to hold through the fourth and fifth street.
Immediately after Rice's elimination, a short-stacked Schreiber got it all in before the flop against Christopher Vitch.
Showdown
Schreiber:
Vitch:
Schreiber was in good shape to find a double up here, but when Vitch paired up on the flop, all of his hope seemed to fade away. The board finished with the and the and Schreiber was sent to collect $15,474 prize money for his seventh place finish.
Preston Derden finished in sixth place when he moved his last 20,000 chips in preflop and was called by both Brian Meinders and Brock Parker. Parker held pocket kings and Meinders held ace-king against Derden's . Continuing to run hot, Meinders found two aces on the flop and was able to eliminate Derden while also taking a nice sized side pot off of Parker. Parker would soon after be eliminated in fifth place when he moved in with before the flop and was called by both Meinders and Vitch. Meidners was able to turn pocket nines into nines full of kings by the end of the hand, sending Parker packing.
Team PokerStars pro Victor Ramdin ended the day with a fourth place finish when he moved his short stack in with a gutshot on the flop and was eliminated by Meinders' middle pair.
After the dinner break, Christopher Vitch found himself losing a few pots and eventually moved all in with against Darin Thomas' . Thomas flopped a deuce and Vitch was unable to improve, sending him to the rail in third place and thrusting the two remaining players into heads up play.
Meinders had a fairly large chip advantage going into heads up play and he continued the aggressive style that he had been employing throughout the entire final table. Thomas put up a good fight but in the end if was Meinders who came out victorious.
Thomas got his short stack all in with on a board. His pair was ahead of the of Meinders.
The turn gave Meinders straight outs and Meinders was able to make the winning hand when the peeled off on the river. Thomas will take home $71,704 for his efforts.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|
| 1 | Brian Meinders | $116,118 |
| 2 | Darin Thomas | $71,704 |
| 3 | Christopher Vitch | $51,861 |
| 4 | Victor Ramdin | $37,897 |
| 5 | Brock Parker | $27,986 |
| 6 | Preston Derden | $20,886 |
| 7 | Matthew Schreiber | $15,747 |
| 8 | Sean Rice | $11,992 |
| 9 | Ian Johns | $9,225 |
| 10 | Christopher Hartman | $7,164 |
Here at PokerNews we send our utmost congratulations to the newest bracelet winner and WSOP champion Brian Meinders!
That does it for our coverage of Event 25: $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout. Be sure to follow along on coverage of further events here at the 2012 World Series of Poker.
Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:32 PM Local Time
Brian Meinders raised preflop and a short-stacked Darin Thomas called. The flop was and Thomas checked. Meinders bet and Thomas raised, and after a series of raises the two got it all in.
Meinders:
Thomas:
Meinders was looking for spades and found even more outs when the turned. The drilled the river, fulfilling both his straight and flush, and giving him the winning hand. Thomas will take home $71,704 for his efforts.
| Brian Meinders | 1,647,000 | 247,000  |
| Darin Thomas | 0 | -150,000  |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:30 PM Local Time
Darin Thomas' stack has been constantly up and down the last few minutes, firstly bleeding chips over a couple of hands. Eventually he was down to just 75,000. He then got his stack in preflop holding and was up against Brian Meinders' .
The board ran out , with the ace-queen good enough for the victory. Despite that double-up, Thomas is still in need of some desperate help.
| Darin Thomas | 150,000 | 10,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:25 PM Local Time
With the flop of Brian Meinders bet and Darin Thomas called. The turned and Meinders bet once again. Thomas raised and Meinders flicked out a call.
The river was the and Meinders bet once more. Thomas called but mucked when Meinders showed for a flopped pair of nines.
| Brian Meinders | 1,400,000 | 100,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 140,000 | -60,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:20 PM Local Time
Aggression is picking up here at this heads up match. Immediately after doubling up Darin Thomas four-bet his hand preflop and was called.
The flop was and Thomas continued out. Brian Meinders raised and Thomas called. The turned and Meinders led out this time, causing Thomas to muck his hand, flashing the . Meinders showed pocket fours and took the pot.
| Darin Thomas | 200,000 | -150,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:20 PM Local Time
Darin Thomas just got the remainder of his stack in preflop when he and Brian Meinders put in just shy of seven bets (betting is uncapped when heads-up).
When the two players turned their hands over, it was looking like we would have our champion, Meinders well ahead of Thomas.
Board:
Thomas survived, while he still has a huge chip deficit.
| Brian Meinders | 1,300,000 | -160,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 350,000 | 175,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:17 PM Local Time
Darin Thomas is hurting now, with his stack a pittance of what it was just a short while ago. The hand started when Brian Meinders opened the button. Thomas made the call and a flop was dealt . Thomas check-called here and the hit the turn. Thomas again check-called and a completed the board. Thomas went with the check-call again and then he mucked his cards when Meinders tabled his .
| Brian Meinders | 1,460,000 | 180,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 175,000 | -195,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:12 PM Local Time
In a raised pot, Brian Meinders bet out on the flop of . Darin Thomas raised and Meinders called.
The turned and Meinders check-called another bet from Thomas. The river brought a fourth diamond in the form of the and Meinders let out. Thomas called and Meinders showed for a flush with the five of diamonds. Thomas mucked and Meinders took down the pot.
| Brian Meinders | 1,280,000 | 130,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 370,000 | -130,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:01 PM Local Time
Brian Meinders just took down a pot and then within a minute's time, Darin Thomas had done the same.
- Meinders just took down a pot on a board when he called bets on the turn and river and then bet when checked to on the river. Thomas called the bet on the river and mucked his hand when Meinders turned over .
- The next hand, Meinders opened the button and Thomas called. On the flop, Thomas check-raised and Meinders called. The turn would see Thomas lead out and Meinders let his hand go.
| Brian Meinders | 1,150,000 | 30,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 500,000 | -30,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:55 PM Local Time
We caught up with the two players on a board of . Brian Meinders checked to Thomas who fired out a bet. Meinders raised but quickly found himself faced with a three-bet from Thomas. Meinders called and Thomas showed for fours full of aces.
A dejected Meinders flung the , the last remaining four in the deck to the felt and mucked his other card. Thomas is now sitting on about 530,000.
| Brian Meinders | 1,120,000 | -155,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 530,000 | 160,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:48 PM Local Time
A huge hand just played out where Darin Thomas had the majority of his chips in the middle against Brian Meinders. It was three-bet preflop and a board was spread out. Meinders led on the flop and Thomas called. The turn would see Meinders bet, Thomas raise, Meinders re-raise and Thomas call.
On the river, Meinders led out again and Thomas raised it up. Meinders gave a shrug as he made the call and the two players turned their hands over.
Thomas had Meinders up until the river, and if it fell differently, may have doubled-up. However, a split pot wasn't the worst case situation as he is still in this tournament and in with a chance of taking it down.
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:42 PM Local Time
Level: 8
Blinds: 20000/40000
Ante: 0
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:38 PM Local Time
A flop was spread out when Darin Thomas led with a bet. Brian Meinders then made it two to go and Thomas made the call. A on the turn would see Thomas lead and this time Meinders would simply call. The was the last card to hit the board and again Thomas would lead out. Another call from Meinders and Thomas would turn over his , which would award him the pot.
| Brian Meinders | 1,275,000 | -100,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 370,000 | 100,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:36 PM Local Time
The lead that Brian Meinders holds over Darin Thomas is growing larger at the moment, with another pot going the way of Meinders. In this hand, it was a raised pot that saw a board spread along the felt. Meinders led with a bet on every street and Thomas called on every street. On the river, Meinders turned over his , enough to rake in the pot.
| Brian Meinders | 1,375,000 | 75,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 270,000 | -75,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:32 PM Local Time
Darin Thomas and Brian Meinders both committed three bets preflop to see a flop hit the felt. Meinders led here and Thomas raised. A call from Meinders and the would hit the turn. This time Meinders checked and then raised when Thomas fired out a bet. Meinders made the call and a landed on the river. It is here that Meinders led and then Thomas thought for some time before letting it go, sending the pot to Meinders.
| Brian Meinders | 1,300,000 | -20,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 345,000 | -105,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:29 PM Local Time
Brian Meinders raised preflop and Darin Thomas called. A flop came and Thomas bet. Meinders called and the was on the turn. Thomas bet out and Meidners put out a raise. Thomas opted to three-bet and Meinders slowed down by calling.
The river was the and Thomas put out one more bet. Meinders called but mucked his hand when Thomas flipped up for quad fours.
| Darin Thomas | 450,000 | 120,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:25 PM Local Time
Brian Meinders has been catching the right cards at the right time here, with another handy pot going his way. A recent hand saw Meinders holding and after rumbling on each street of a board, Thomas' hand went straight into the muck and Meinders took down the pot.
| Brian Meinders | 1,320,000 | 70,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 330,000 | -60,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:21 PM Local Time
Brian Meinders has taken down a couple of pots recently, with the largest of them going like this. Darin Thomas opened the button and Brian Meinders raised it up. Thomas called and a flop was dealt. Meinders led and received a call, which was the same result as the turn ( ). On the river, Meinders again fired out, but this time Thomas let his hand go and Meinders took it down.
| Brian Meinders | 1,250,000 | 100,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 390,000 | -60,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:08 PM Local Time
Darin Thomas popped it up from the button and Brian Meinders called. The flop was spread in front of the two and Meinders led out into Thomas. Thomas called and the two saw the turn. Once again Meinders fired and was called by Thomas.
Meinders opted to check the river, causing Thomas to push out one last bet. Meinders called and Thomas tabled for a diamond flush that was good enough to drag the pot.
| Darin Thomas | 450,000 | 150,000 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:03 PM Local Time
Darin Thomas started the heads-up battle strong, managing to take down a few small pots. That continued to be the case until Brian Meinders picked off a couple of hands. The first nice pot that Meinders took down saw him too strong holding on a board, with the flush scooping up the pot.
A couple of hands later and Meinders would be taking it down again. This one started when Meinders opened it up from the button. Thomas three-bet and Meinders called as a flop hit the felt. Thomas led and Meinders called. The turn would see Thomas check-call a bet from Meinders and Thomas would check again on the river ( ). This time when Meinders bet, Thomas would let his hand go, sending the pot to Meinders.
| Brian Meinders | 1,350,000 | 150,000 |
| Darin Thomas | 300,000 | -140,000 |