Event #74: $1,000 MINI Main Event No-Limit Hold’em

Start of the day low-stack Bradley Gafford has won Event #74 $1,000 Mini Main Event No Limit Hold'em for $549,555. Gafford from San Diego, California came into the day with only six big blinds and made the biggest comeback since Lazarus to take the top prize and the coveted World Series of Poker Gold Bracelet.

Gafford, who outlasted 5,257 players over three days of play, secured their biggest recorded cash despite coming into Day 3 with only six big blinds. In the first significant hand of the day, Gafford doubled up against Jennifer Abad when his pocket threes bested Abad's ace-king.

The power shift came when Gafford doubled through Josh Reichard twice in the space of three hands. Firstly, Gafford flopped quad threes, then shortly after his pair of aces beat Reichard's kings which spearheaded a chain of momentum that Gafford did not surrender.

The winning moment was when Gafford in the small blind forced Reichard all in with only three big blinds. Gafford hit a three on the turn to make two pair to knockout Reichard to win their first-ever bracelet.

Event #74: $1,000 Mini Main Event Final Table Results

Winners Reaction

PokerNews asked Gafford if he believed he could win the bracelet despite being short-stacked coming into the final day. "I knew that there would be a possibility if I could win the first flip of the day. I just thought everything would go my way today and it did!"

Gafford was asked how it felt to win his first bracelet. "It has come way earlier than I thought, and I haven't really processed it yet and I am sure there will be a lot of deeper thinking over the next couple of days."

And finally, Gafford was asked if he was planning on jumping into the Main Event. "Absolutely I was planning on playing tomorrow (Day 1c) but we will see what happens tonight and I might jump in the final flight (Day 1d).

Day 3 Action

It looked like Reichard would steamroll his opponents throughout the two hours of play. Starting the day fourth in chips Reichard soon amassed a huge chip lead thanks to an aggressive style of play. He knocked out Oliver Berens after flopping a set of tens against their ace-queen.

Jennifer Abad had the most eccentric rail at the final table, one member of her squad was giving out t-shirts with 'Jenny for the Mini' printed on them and tried to coax members of her rivals' rails to join them. Unfortunately, this exuberance didn't help Abad out who finished fourth after getting it in with king-jack and running into Reichard's ace-high which held.

The overnight chip leader Jeremy Oleon could not get going on the final day. The Frenchman struggled to make any hands and was knocked out in third place after Reichard made a flush against their pair of kings.

Despite knocking out Berens, Abad, and Oleon, Reichard could not find the knockout moment on Gafford, and the start-of-day short-stack was not going to be denied their first WSOP Gold Bracelet.

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Josh Reichard bet for 16,000,000 from the button. Bradley Gafford defended from the big blind.

The flop came     and Gafford was quick to check to Reichard. He led out for 12,000,000 and was quickly raised to 36,000,000. Reichard jammed all in and was snap-called by Gafford.

Bradley Gafford:   
Josh Reichard:   

The board completed    for Gafford to scoop the pot and a commanding chip lead.

Bradley Gafford	297,000,000	162,000,000
Josh Reichard	18,400,000	-160,600,000

Bradley Gafford moved all in from the small blind and was snap-called by Josh Reichard in the big blind for 75,900,000.

Josh Reichard:   
Bradley Gafford:   

The flop of     gave Gafford a gutshot straight draw and the   turn produced the backdoor flush draw for Gafford. But the   was the massive brick that Reichard requested to secure a double up which brought both players virtually dead level.

Bradley Gafford	158,000,000	-51,800,000
Josh Reichard	156,000,000	87,000,000

Josh Reichard moved all in from the button and Bradley Gafford called for 102,400,000 in the small blind.

Bradley Gafford:   
Josh Reichard:   

Gafford was ahead and had to dodge Reichard's flopped open-ended straight draw on the board of      , but made a straight of his own to take the pot and hold two-thirds of the chips in play.

Bradley Gafford	209,800,000	98,800,000
Josh Reichard	69,000,000	-90,000,000

Josh Reichard bet 8,000,000 from the button. Jérémy Oleon defended from the big blind as both players headed to the flop.

The flop came     and Oleon made a quick check to Reichard. He led out for 8,000,000 and was raised by Oleon to 30,000,000. Reichard called.

When the   peeled off on the turn, both players checked.

The river was the   and Oleon once again checked. Reichard took some time before announcing a bet of 52,500,000. Oleon carefully considered and eventually made the call. Reichard showed    to scoop the pot and a commanding stack among the final three players.

Josh Reichard	209,000,000	84,000,000
Jérémy Oleon	87,000,000	-61,000,000
Bradley Gafford	15,400,000	-24,400,000

Josh Reichard bet 6,000,000 from under the gun and Oliver Berens moved all in from the small blind for 50,000,000. Reichard called within an instant.

Oliver Berens:   
Josh Reichard:   

A fair flip which was over on the turn as Reichard flopped a set and turned a boat on the runout of       to move into the chip lead, to the rapture of his strong rail, and send Berens to the payout desk .

Josh Reichard	137,000,000	49,500,000
Oliver Berens	0	-63,300,000

Bradley Gafford raised from under the gun to 12,000,000. Jennifer Abad jammed all in from the big blind, and Gafford was quick to make the call. Both players revealed their hands.

Bradley Gafford:   
Jennifer Abad:   

The board ran out       for Gafford to get the clean double up.

Jennifer Abad	57,400,000	-22,600,000
Bradley Gafford	39,800,000	21,400,000