Event #25: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better

After 33 hours of play, Benjamin Dobson is feeling good about his Stud game after winning his first World Series of Poker bracelet in Event #25: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better for his biggest live cash of $173,528.

"I'm on top of the world right now," Dobson said after his win.

While Stud 8 is one of his favorite games to play, he simply doesn't get to play it too often in Europe and the majority of his more than $1 million in live tournament earnings have come in no-limit hold'em events.

After scooping Mike Matusow in a big pot on Day 2 with boat over boat to take the chip lead, Dobson led for the majority of the final couple days of play. He was able to hold on, despite plenty of high-level competition in two-time bracelet winner Jesse Martin who busted in third, and runner-up Tim Finne, who took fourth in this event last year. After closing it out, Dobson felt relieved.

"I kind of had high expectations for myself, but it was also really tough because Timothy and Jesse are both probably better than me at Stud 8 so I felt like I was a bit of an underdog. But I managed to hold my own and ran good in some of the crucial parts so, I feel great."

Even holding the chip lead, as the blinds got so big on Day 3 and into the final day, Dobson knew that if he got scooped in a couple pots, he would lose the lead and easily become the short stack.

"While I was playing quite loose on third street, I was making sure that I wasn't trying to overcommit on fifth, sixth, seventh, like chasing stuff which you know might cost me a large percentage of my stack. But I managed to just kind of stay afloat with small pots and then obviously running good in some of the big ones to scoop. And that's the key: Just don't brick on 7th street," Dobson said with a chuckle.

The event drew 596 runners to generate a prize pool of $804,600, of which 90 players got a piece. After bagging big on Day 2, three-time bracelet winner Barry Greenstein hit the rail in 18th place for $4,899 and another three-time champ, Eli Elezra, fell a bit short of the final table in 12th for a payout of $9,165.

Official Event #25 Final Table Payouts

Final Table Action

With the elimination of PJ Cha in ninth ($11,724), the official final table was set. Peter Brownstein was the first casualty of the final table, followed by bracelet winner Georgios Sotiropoulos in seventh and James Nelson in sixth.

Next to go was Tom McCormick, who was playing at his 15th WSOP/WSOP-C final table. He added his 72nd WSOP cash with his fifth-place finish for $37,504. Richard Monroe would be the last one out before the final three bagged up to return for an unscheduled Day 4.

The final three returned on Thursday with Dobson holding almost 60 percent of the chips in play, Martin with the shortest stack and only 24 big bets in play. Martin saw his stack fluctuate a good amount, but he eventually got down under two big bets and got it in with a pair of aces on fourth street against Dobson's 8-7 low draw. Both players bricked their lows, but Dobson ended up with sevens up, good enough for the scoop to send Martin out short of a third bracelet.

Heads-up didn't last long. Dobson started out with a nearly 3-1 chip lead over Finne and pretty soon, Dobson scooped Finne when he made a flush on seventh street, knocking Finne down under three big bets.

The blinds went up and Finne committed the rest of his stack on fourth street. He was drawing dead on sixth as his board ran out   /    /  against Dobson's   /    /  that made a 6-5 low and a straight on fifth street, good for the scoop and the win.

With his wife flying into town tomorrow, Dobson will take a few days off and probably do a bit of shopping. After that though, it's back to the WSOP grind, armed with a bankroll and confidence boost.

"I'll be playing some more events. I might try the 10k Stud 8 now that I feel confident. I'm probably a loser in that field, but I'll go give it a go."

That marks the conclusion of Event #25, but there's still plenty of World Series of Poker action to follow as the PokerNews live reporting team continues to bring live updates from the tournament floors of the Rio.

Tim Finne had the bring-in and Benjamin Dobson completed. Finne called, and then called a bet on fourth street.

Both players checked fifth and sixth streets.

Finne:    /      /  
Dobson:    /       

On seventh, Finne bet out and Dobson raised. Finne called, and Dobson tabled his     for a flush, and Finne mucked.

Benjamin Dobson	3,645,000	475,000
Tim Finne	800,000	-505,000

Benjamin Dobson and Tim Finne are taking a short break before heads-up play begins.

Jesse Martin had the bring-in and Benjamin Dobson called.

Martin bet fourth and Dobson called, but on fifth, a bet from Dobson would take the pot down.

Dobson:    /    
Martin:    /    

Benjamin Dobson	2,600,000	480,000
Jesse Martin	370,000	-330,000

Jesse Martin had the bring-in, Tim Finne called and so did Benjamin Dobson. On fourth street, Dobson bet, Martin raised, Finne folded, and Dobson made it three bets. Martin called for his remaining stack and they went to show down.

Martin:   /    / 
Dobson:   /    / 

Neither player ended up with a low and Martin got the scoop with his pair of nines.

Benjamin Dobson	2,600,000	-95,000
Jesse Martin	780,000	400,000

Tim Finne had the bring-in and Benjamin Dobson completed. Jesse Martin made it two bets to go and Finne tank-folded.

Dobson called, and on fourth street, he check-folded to Martin's 100,000-chip bet.

Dobson:    /   
Martin:    /   

Benjamin Dobson	2,695,000	-215,000
Jesse Martin	880,000	215,000

Jesse Martin had the bring-in, Tim Finne completed and Jesse Martin called. On fourth and fifth streets, Martin check-called a bet from Finne.

On sixth, Martin took the betting lead and Finne called.

Martin:   /    / 
Finne:   /    / 

On seventh street, Martin bet and got a call from Finne.

Martin showed     for a seven-low and Finne tabled     for the high and the chop.

Jesse Martin	880,000	205,000
Tim Finne	860,000	-325,000

Cards are now in the air.

What should have been a three-day affair is now a four-day event. After three days of action, three players still remain with a chance at the title in Event #25: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better.

There's a bracelet to win, and the three players eager to get their hands on it are all well accomplished players. Benjamin Dobson, Tim Finne, and Jesse Martin return to the battlefield at 2 p.m. to decide who becomes the latest bracelet winner of the summer.

Last night, play ended some time after Richard Monroe busted in fourth position. The three remaining players are each guaranteed at least $74,324, but can win well more than double that by outlasting just two more opponents.

Final table results and remaining payouts:

Play resumes with a bring in of 30,000 while completing takes 100,000. PokerNews will have all the action until a winner is crowned.