Event #29: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Championship (6-Handed)

The debate about who the greatest poker player of all time could be endless, with a hundred different opinions from a hundred different people. But there is no doubt about one player who belongs in that conversation and he showed on Day 4 of Event #29: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship (6-Handed) that he's still got it.

Phil Ivey, acknowledged as perhaps the best player alive for 20 years, ended a decade-long drought at the World Series of Poker when he defeated Danny Wong heads up to win his 11th bracelet. The win moves him past Johnny Chan, Erik Seidel, and the late, great Doyle Brunson and into second place on the all-time leaderboard. Just Phil Hellmuth looms ahead of him.

"It's good. It feels good. It feels good to win always," Ivey said, with a large crowd gathering to capture the moment a true legend of the game achieved a new career milestone.

Final Table Results

Ivey Reigns Supreme

Poker has evolved significantly since the start of the 21st century. The game has seen the growth of online poker, young stars who played more hands in one day than some of the old-school pros played in a year. Solvers and game theory now predominate among a new generation of pros who spend more time looking at charts than staring down opponents.

Throughout it all, Ivey has ruled supreme. His first bracelet, back in 2000, was won against Amarillo Slim. He's now competing against some players who weren't even born when he first established himself as the game's premier player. The priorities have changed: Ivey is now a family man, unable to spend countless hours playing as he once did.

The fire is still there, and so is the elite talent. "I'm motivated. If I can play, I will. A lot of times I'm not in town," he said. "I keep showing up. Playing, performing. I want to keep winning."

Ivey has resumed the hunt for Hellmuth's record with his victory today, but that's not what motivates him going forward. "I'm not thinking about that. I'm just playing. Just playing tournaments when I can," he said.

He once seemed sure to challenge Hellmuth, winning five bracelets by the age of 30 and 10 by the age of 40. But 10 years went by without a title, during which Ivey sometimes didn't even appear at the WSOP. Other players arrived to snatch away the crown. Ivey showed he's not going away without a fight today.

Day 4 Action

The Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship (6-Handed) event drew 149 entrants for a prize pool of $1,385,700. Three players returned to play on the unscheduled Day 4 at 4 p.m. after 13 hours weren't enough to crown a champion on Day 3. Ivey entered as the short stack with 2,260,000, Wong was the chip leader with 3,730,000, followed by Jason Mercier with 2,955,000.

Ivey made his move early, drawing a wheel in a massive pot against Mercier to virtually tie Wong for the chip lead. Wong, though, began pulling away as he was dealt a pat eight to win a pot off Mercier, knocking Mercier down to less than 1,000,000.

Mercier doubled up twice before he got his last 170,000 in the middle against both Wong and Ivey. He finished with a 9-7-5 as Wong was drawing to an 8-6. Both players peeled Wong's last card, which turned out to be a seven and complete Wong's hand. Mercier was sent to the rail in third place as Wong led Ivey 5,315,000 to 3,630,000 at the start of heads-up play.

His lead wouldn't last long, however, as Ivey made another wheel against Wong's 9-8 to rocket into the chip lead.

Ivey left Wong with less than 1,000,000 after making an 8-7 as he began to climb closer toward the title. Wong doubled up once when he drew to his own 8-7, but he was soon after forced all in for 250,000. Wong patted a 10-8 while Ivey took one holding 7-5-4-3. He ended up peeling a deuce on his last card to make the wheel and a bracelet drought that began 3,639 days ago came to an end.

Ivey is back atop the poker mountain. He conquered one of the strongest fields on the WSOP calendar, proving, even after all these years, he's still among the best.

That concludes PokerNews coverage of the $10,000 2-7 Limit Triple Draw Championship. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the 2024 WSOP.

Phil Ivey raised on the button and Danny Wong called.

Wong drew three and Ivey took two. Ivey then bet and Wong called.

Ivey stood pat on the second draw while Wong took one and check-called a bet. Wong drew another card on the last draw and Ivey stood pat.

Ivey bet again and Wong tanked for a minute before giving up his hand, leaving himself with just 310,000.

Phil Ivey	8,600,000	600,000
Danny Wong	310,000	-660,000

Phil Ivey raised and Danny Wong called.

Both players drew three and Ivey bet. Wong called, leaving himself just 125,000 behind, as both players drew two.

Ivey then bet again and Wong called all in. He drew two, while Ivey took one.

Ivey finished with      , but Wong drew       to win the pot and double up.

Phil Ivey	8,000,000	-40,000
Danny Wong	970,000	65,000

Phil Ivey raised and Danny Wong called as both players drew two.

Wong checked and Ivey bet. Wong called and drew two as Ivey stood pat. Wong check-called again and drew one as Ivey again stood pat.

Wong checked once more and Ivey checked back before showing       to win the pot against Wong's paired      .

Phil Ivey	7,140,000	640,000
Danny Wong	1,805,000	-595,000

Phil Ivey raised on the button and Danny Wong called.

Both players drew three and Ivey bet. Wong called and they each drew one.

Wong then led out with a bet and Ivey called. Wong stood pat while Ivey drew one.

Wong bet again and Ivey called. Wong showed       and Ivey mucked.

Phil Ivey	5,700,000	-780,000
Danny Wong	3,245,000	780,000

Phil Ivey raised on the button and Danny Wong called.

Both players drew two and checked. They each took two again on the second draw and Ivey bet.

Wong called and they both drew one. Wong then led out with a bet and Ivey called.

Wong showed       for a pair of sixes, but Ivey had       and won the pot with his deuces.

Phil Ivey	5,280,000	600,000
Danny Wong	3,665,000	-600,000

Phil Ivey raised on the button and Danny Wong called.

Wong drew two and Ivey took three. Wong led out with a bet and Ivey called.

Wong then took one and Ivey two. Wong bet again and Ivey called.

Both players drew one on the last draw and Wong checked. Ivey then bet and Wong called with      , but Ivey had       for a wheel to win the big pot and take over the chip lead.

Phil Ivey	4,680,000	1,000,000
Danny Wong	4,265,000	-1,500,000

Phil Ivey raised on the button, Danny Wong reraised, and Ivey called.

Wong drew one and Ivey drew two. Wong then bet and Ivey called.

Both players drew one and Wong bet again. Ivey then raised and Wong called.

Wong stood pat and Ivey drew one on the last draw. Both players checked and Wong won the pot with      .

Danny Wong	6,100,000	785,000
Phil Ivey	2,800,000	-830,000

Phil Ivey raised in the small blind and Jason Mercier called for his last 110,000.

Ivey drew three on the first two draws, while Mercier drew two. Both players then took two on the final draw.

Mercier ended up with       and Ivey tossed his cards into the muck as Mercier doubled up again.

Phil Ivey	3,800,000	-100,000
Jason Mercier	220,000	110,000

Phil Ivey raised on the button, Jason Mercier reraised in the small blind, and Ivey called.

Both players drew two and Mercier bet. Ivey called and they both took one.

Action was checked to the final draw where they each took one again. Ivey then bet and Mercier called as Ivey showed       to win the pot.

Phil Ivey	3,900,000	1,000,000
Jason Mercier	560,000	-640,000