Event #79: $10,000 Razz Championship

This year's version of the Razz Championship saw a field of 139 buy in and create a prize pool of $1,165,625. Only 13 of those starters made it through to Day 3, and after 12 hours of play on Day 3, it was Julien Martini that captured his fourth WSOP bracelet in this star-studded event. Martini secured the first-place prize of $328,604 in Event #79: $10,000 Razz Championship for a career-best WSOP cash.

"I know it's very late, but I don't feel tired at all," said the newly crowned Razz champion "I just feel very excited. What a final table, what a feeling." The French poker pro was supported by a full rail of friends and fans the whole day. He sits in ninth place on the French all-time money list, but first place for number of bracelets, being the most decorated French poker player.

"I was very close in 2018," Martini said, referencing his third-place finish in the 2018 $10,000 Razz Championship, "This year I felt like it could be possible and thankfully I ran well and things went my way."

Final Table Results

Action Of The Day

It took slightly under two levels to get to the final table. Laith Salem (13th - $20,746), David Benyamine (12th - $20,746), and Chance Kornuth (11th - $25,375) all fell prior to the final table. The final player to be eliminated before the final table was Joao Vieira whose jack-nine could not best the eight-six of Yueqi Zhu; Vieira left the tournament in tenth place for $25,375.

Final Table Action

Ziya Rahim came into the final table as the shortest stack after a bluff gone wrong against Martini. Rahim got all of his chips in against Zhu with a ten-eight, but it was no good against the nine-seven of Zhu, and Rahim exited the tournament in ninth place for $31,456.

Shortly after Rahim, it was the start of day chip leader Brandon Shack-Harris following him to the door. Shack-Harris could not get any momentum going throughout the day and ended up getting all of his chips in against Zhu with a ten-seven against a nine-eight and bowed out in eighth place for $39,561.

The other start-of-day big stacked player, Brian Hastings, found himself on the wrong end of pots with Martini with two tables left and was one of the short stacks at the final table. Hastings got his remaining chips in with king-nine against Martini who had made a wheel and he left the tournament in seventh place for $50,295.

After that, it would take some time before another player fell, but after much chip jockeying, Italy's Max Pescatori found himself all-in and at risk with the shortest stack at the table up against Martini. Martini made a perfect ten to beat Pescatori's ten-seven and Italy's five-time bracelet winner exited the tournament in sixth place for $64,847.

Brazil's Felipe Ramos saw himself vying for the chip lead with six players left, but after a few pots did not go his way, he found himself nursing one of the shorter stacks. He eventually got all of his chips in on a seven draw, only to run into the wheel of Martini. Ramos busted in fifth place for $84,683.

Some time passed before the next player fell as three of the four players each fell to the shortest stack at the table. Eventually, it was WSOP Main Event champion Koray Aldemir who crashed out when he committed his short stack with a nine-eight against Hal Rotholz' seven-five, and Aldemir headed to the cashier to collect fourth place prize money worth $111,991.

Martini then took a huge chip lead, putting both Zhu and Rotholz at below three big bets. Despite holding a big stack most of the final table, Zhu was left with just one ante and was eliminated when his king-nine could not beat the nine-seven of Martini. Zhu scooped $149,958 for his third-place finish.

Rotholz began the final table as one of the shortest stacks but managed to ladder up to a heads-up match for the bracelet. Sitting at a twelve-to-one deficit, it seemed probable that the chips would go in quickly and they did. Rotholz found himself drawing to an eight against the nine-seven of Martini and he did not make it, leaving Martini with the bracelet and Rotholz with a career-best score of $203,281 for his runner-up finish.

Congratulations to Martini for winning his fourth bracelet in Event #79: $10,000 Razz Championship. Thank you to all who played and thank you for reading along. Stay tuned to PokerNews for all updates regarding the 2022 World Series of Poker.

Julien Martini completed with a   up and was called by Hal Rotholz with his   up.

Julien Martini:   /    
Hal Rotholz:   /     (Folded on sixth street)

Martini bet on fourth, fifth and sixth street and by sixth street Rotholz was left shaking his head and tossing his hand into the muck.

Julien Martini	7,500,000	600,000
Hal Rotholz	840,000	-600,000

Hal Rotholz completed with a   up and Julien Martini called with an   up.

Hal Rotholz:   /   
Julien Martini:   /    (Folded on fifth street)

Rotholz bet on fourth street and Martini called.

Rotholz moved all in on fifth street and Martini quickly folded.

Julien Martini	7,840,000	180,000
Hal Rotholz	505,000	-175,000

Julien Martini:   /    / 
Yueqi Zhu:   /    / 

Julien Martini and Yueqi Zhu exchanged bets through to fifth street, where Martini put out a bet and Zhu called.

Zhu called again on sixth. On seventh, Martini sat motionless for a moment before betting. Zhu called and Martini turned over    for 9-7-5-2-A.

"He can't miss," Hal Rotholz said as Martini now controls more than 85 percent of the chips in play.

Julien Martini	7,200,000	850,000
Yueqi Zhu	210,000	-760,000

Julien Martini:   /    / 
Yueqi Zhu:   /    / 

Julien Martini completed and was called by Yueqi Zhu. Martini continued betting on fourth and fifth streets, with Zhu calling.

Zhu called another bet on sixth as Martini kept up the pressure with a bet on seventh. Zhu again called as Martini showed    for 9-6-4-3-A to take thepot.

Julien Martini	5,900,000	190,000
Yueqi Zhu	970,000	-130,000

Julien Martini:   /    / 
Hal Rotholz:   /    / 

Julien Martini completed and was called by Hal Rotholz. Martini continued betting through to seventh street, with Rotholz calling each bet.

Martini bet again on seventh and Rotholz called. Martini showed    for an 8-7-6-5-4 and Rotholz turned over his own    for a nine-low before throwing his cards into the muck.

Julien Martini	4,900,000	1,250,000
Hal Rotholz	1,950,000	-785,000

Hal Rotholz completed with a   up and Julien Martini raised with a   up, which Rotholz called.

Hal Rotholz:   /    / 
Julien Martini:   /    / 

Rotholz bet on fourth which saw Martini raise. Rotholz re-raised it back to Martini who called.

On fifth street Rotholz bet and Martini called down on sixth and seventh as well. Rotholz turned over     for a perfect eight-five and Martini tossed his hand into the muck as Rotholz inched closer to the top of the leaderboard.

Julien Martini	3,650,000	-1,675,000
Hal Rotholz	2,565,000	865,000

Hal Rotholz completed with a   up and Julien Martini called with a   up.

Hal Rotholz:   /    / 
Julien Martini:   /    / 

Rotholz called a bet from Martini on fourth street and the same thing happened on fifth street.

On sixth street Martini bet and Rotholz raised all in which Martini called. Rotholz made an eight six on seventh street to best Martini's ten-nine and Rotholz doubled up to stay in contention in this tournament.

Julien Martini	5,325,000	-175,000
Hal Rotholz	990,000	340,000