$10,000 Razz (Event #62)

Scott Seiver has been widely considered one of the best all-around players in poker for many years, playing in the biggest buy-in tournaments and the biggest cash games. On Saturday, Seiver added a third World Series of Poker gold bracelet to his mantle, besting a field of 116 players in the 2019 WSOP $10,000 Razz Championship for $301,421. While this result is only his 17th-largest career score, Seiver takes immense pride in giving it his all in these championship events.

"These limit games at the World Series are really the only time all year you get to play these tournaments for a real buy-in against good players, and it's just really fun to get to do," Seiver said after his win.

"I think they're really fun, really interesting games. Also, a lot of it for me is effort. These are a lot of the games I love the most, so I feel like I'm giving my most focus. People like to pretend otherwise, but it really does matter in poker. When you're trying to bring your A-game no matter what, it really does help a lot."

Final Table Results

When Day 3 began on Friday, there were 12 players returning of the initial 116. Seiver, who had bought in as registration closed at the beginning of Day 2, was sitting fifth in chips of the returning 12. When the players converged to one table at nine players, Seiver had nearly doubled up and was third in chips.

From there, Seiver maintained his stack as players began to fall. A tumultuous battle between the final five players saw each hold the lead at one point or another, and by the time play became three-handed Seiver appeared to be on the outs.

Down to below two big bets, Seiver found a fortunate triple up and in the span of 20 minutes went from extreme short stack to the chip leader. In the process, he scored his first elimination at the final table when he sent Chris Ferguson to the rail in third place, setting up a heads-up duel against Andrey Zhigalov which required a fourth day. They sparred for nearly an entire level, but in the end it was Seiver who prevailed.

Seiver was quick to point out how tough he felt the final table was, and how the importance of his seat and the players directly around him can really affect the way he approaches the game.

"When we got down to nine I was pretty happy with the table draw. There were some unbelievably difficult players at that table, and I was just separated enough and far away from some of the best that I was hopeful that I could just try and find spots."

Seiver added, "I honestly think, and this is true of all the stud variants which makes stud so interesting to me, is that more than any other game, you have to adapt to not just what your table is, but specifically the seats at your table because of the way the action goes on third street. You're forced to play a lot of hands with the people directly around you, so you have to be able to have the ability to cut the brake line and go as fast as possible in some spots, but also be able to slam on the brakes in other situations, and I think if you're always one or the other, you can never really survive these tournaments."

Being proficient and well-rounded at both tournaments and cash games has made Seiver so well-respected among his peers, and keeping a healthy balance between the two has helped feed his desire to play both while not tiring of one or the other.

"There are so many cash games going on during the summer that I feel the need to balance between the two. Times I've done all cash games I burn out too fast, and times I do all tournaments I burn out too fast and for whatever reason, in my brain, it feels like two separate entities so as I feel myself getting tired over one I switch to the other. So I've always kind of been a half-and-half person."

Now with three WSOP bracelets, Seiver was proud of his accomplishment and while he isn't chasing any specific goals, he did jokingly acknowledge winning a few...or 30 more...wouldn't be something he'd be opposed to.

"Everyone has some kind of goal in mind, and If I just win like two or three a year for the next 15 years, that'll be good. Try to get to like 33 or something in like a decade would be a nice goal."

Scott Seiver:    /     
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      fold

Scott Seiver completed with a trey and Andrey Zhigalov called with a five. Zhigalov bet the best board on fourth and both checked fifth. Seiver bet sixth and Zhigalov released his cards.

Scott Seiver:    /      /  
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      /  

Seiver completed with a seven and Zhigalov defended a king. Zhigalov bet fourth and fifth, which Seiver called. Zhigalov shut down when he paired his king on sixth and they checked both remaining streets.

Seiver announced a queen and rolled over     to leave Zhigalov on one big bet and an ante.

Scott Seiver	6,740,000	680,000
Andrey Zhigalov	220,000	-680,000

Scott Seiver:    /     
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      fold

Scott Seiver completed and Andrey Zhigalov called to see Seiver bet the best board through to the sixth street, on which Zhigalov folded.

Scott Seiver:    /      /  
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      /  

Seiver completed with an ace and Zhigalov called, then called a bet on fourth. Seiver also bet fifth to receive a call before his queen paired on sixth. Zhigalov bet and Seiver made the call. Zhigalov checked seventh and folded when facing a bet by Seiver.

The next two completions by Seiver were called by Zhigalov and he quickly folded fourth when catching a bad run out.

Scott Seiver	5,560,000	980,000
Andrey Zhigalov	1,400,000	-980,000

The vast majority of the recent hands ended upon completion and very few reached fourth or even fifth street. While Andrey Zhigalov caught the majority of the early pots, Scott Seiver got the chips back and some more after that to gain some chips.

Scott Seiver:    /    
Andrey Zhigalov:    /     fold

Seiver bet the best board on fourth and fifth, and the jack was too much for Zhigalov, who sent his cards into the muck.

Scott Seiver	5,120,000	210,000
Andrey Zhigalov	1,840,000	-210,000

Scott Seiver:    /      /  
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      /  

Scott Seiver completed with a trey and Andrey Zhigalov raised, which Seiver called. On fourth, Seiver bet the best board and Zhigalov called. As of fifth, Zhigalov bet the best board including seventh street where Seiver elected to raise. Zhigalov gave it some consideration and sent his cards into the muck.

Scott Seiver	5,040,000	890,000
Andrey Zhigalov	1,920,000	-890,000

Scott Seiver:    /     
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      fold

Scott Seiver completed with a nine and Andrey Zhigalov called with a ten. Seiver bet fourth with the best board and Zhigalov raised, Seiver called. They then checked fifth and Seiver's bet on sixth resulted in a tank-fold from Zhigalov

Scott Seiver:    /     
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      fold

Zhigalov completed with a seven and Seiver called. Zhigalov bet the best board on fourth, then checked fifth and folded sixth when picking up a king.

Scott Seiver:    /      fold
Andrey Zhigalov:    /     

Both had a six and Seiver completed, Zhigalov called. This time, Zhigalov bet the best board all the way to sixth and Seiver called until fifth before releasing his cards on sixth.

Scott Seiver	5,230,000	330,000
Andrey Zhigalov	1,730,000	-330,000

Andrey Zhigalov was on the verge to further decrease the gap to Scott Seiver when he scooped a pot on the sixth street, but essentially traded when he had to forfeit on sixth the next hand.

Scott Seiver:    /      fold
Andrey Zhigalov:    /     

Seiver completed with a seven and Zhigalov defended a jack. Seiver check-called a bet on fourth and Zhigalov then bet the best board on fifth and sixth to win the pot on the penultimate street.

Scott Seiver:    /     
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      fold

Seiver completed with a deuce and Zhigalov called with a nine. Seiver checked and called a bet on fourth, then bet fifth and sixth with the best board. Zhigalov called once and folded when Seiver once again had a wheel draw showing.

Scott Seiver	4,840,000	-10,000
Andrey Zhigalov	2,120,000	10,000

Andrey Zhigalov doubled for 350,000 when he made an eighty-seven against the trips of Seiver and shortly after the bets were flying again.

Scott Seiver:    /      /  
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      /  

Seiver completed with a trey and Zhigalov raised, Seiver made it three bets and received a call. Zhigalov bet the best board on fourth and fifth, picking up a call by Seiver both times. Zhigalov paired his deuce and Seiver checked, as did Zhigalov. No betting action took place on seventh either and Seiver announced a queen, flashed a jack.

Zhigalov had     for a jack-ten with trips deuces in his hand and nearly doubled, as he had kept fewer than one big bet behind.

Scott Seiver	5,610,000	-875,000
Andrey Zhigalov	1,350,000	875,000

Scott Seiver:    /      /  
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      /  

Scott Seiver was the bring-in, Andrey Zhigalov completed and Seiver called.

Seiver called bets from Zhigalov on fourth and fifth street before leading out on sixth. Zhigalov called and both checked on seventh.

Seiver tabled     for an eight-seven, Zhigalov flashed     for a nine-seven and Seiver won the pot.

Scott Seiver	6,080,000	580,000
Andrey Zhigalov	880,000	-580,000

Scott Seiver:    /      /  
Andrey Zhigalov:    /      /  

Scott Seiver was the bring-in, Andrey Zhigalov completed, Seiver raised, Zhigalov made it three bets and Seiver called.

Seiver check-called bets from Zhigalov on fourth and firth street before taking the on-board lead and betting on sixth and seventh. Zhigalov called both.

Seiver tabled     for a seven-perfect, Zhigalov mucked and Seiver won the pot.

Scott Seiver	4,890,000	940,000
Andrey Zhigalov	2,070,000	-940,000