Event #32: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E.

The man everyone thought was Jerome Graham got his start playing poker in the casinos of Atlantic City when he was just 21 years old. What the casinos didn't know was that Jerome's real name was Phil Ivey, and that his real age was 18. It was only after a few years of fake I.D. use that Ivey legally turned 21 and was of age to play in the casinos.

Upon turning 21, "No Home Jerome" as he was called, for the amount of time he spent playing in card rooms, strolled into his regular casino and introduced himself to the floor staff as Phil Ivey. Putting in long hours on the felt and honing his game just about every waking minute that he could, Ivey grew and grew as a player.

While Ivey had a very recognizable face on the East Coast poker scene, he didn't waste much time cleaning up in Las Vegas. In 2000, Ivey took on the World Series of Poker, cashing in three events. The third cash out of the three proved to be his best when he took home first first gold bracelet and almost $200,000 in prize money. Ivey wasted little time in returning to WSOP glory when, just two years later, he won three more bracelets after cashing in seven events.

Another year later in 2003, Ivey made a name for himself on the World Poker Tour circuit at the Five-Star World Poker Classis where he won two events and placed third in the Main Event. One can't forget back in 2003 when Ivey bubbled the final table of the WSOP Main Event at the hands of eventual winner Chris Moneymaker. Who knows which direction poker would have gone if Ivey had instead bested Moneymaker in the key matchup.

After that, the tournament winnings just seemed to pile up. In 2005, Ivey had his best year ever when he made multiple deep runs in WPT and WSOP Circuit events before winning his fifth bracelet in the summer at the WSOP.

Multiple big cashes were to follow his fifth bracelet. Some of the most significant wins include a first-place finish at the Monte Carlo Millions in 2005 and a first-place finish at the L.A. Poker Classic WPT event in 2008. Those two events alone netted Ivey over $2.5 million.

Tournaments aren't all that Phil Ivey does, though. He is a regular fixture in the largest cash games in the world where he locks horns with some of the greatest players in the game today including Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein, Chau Giang and Tom Dwan. It's even reported that Phil won over $16 million from banker Andy Beal after he challenged some of the best high-stakes players to a match.

Widely considered as the best player in the game today by his peers, Ivey is confident, yet humble. Ivey is often referred to as the "Tiger Woods of poker" for his resemblance to the golf professional and also because he expects to win every time he performs to his greatest ability. There aren't many comparable professional figures that have such a successful record as Ivey, which makes the Woods comparison fit so much. He also loves to gamble and can regularly be seen shooting dice, wagering on sports, prop betting, or gambling on a game of golf while away from the poker table.

Ivey has eight WSOP gold bracelets and over $16.5 million in live tournament earnings, which is good for second all time. He's already made three WSOP final tables this year, making this his fourth.

Omaha 8

John Monnette raised from the hijack seat and Matt Waxman called from the big blind. The flop came down     and Waxman check-called a bet from Monnette.

On the   turn, both players checked and the   landed on the river. Waxman checked and Monnette bet. Waxman tanked for a bit and even pump-faked a fold with his cards at one point. He also commented about how a lot of river cards have been putting him in touch spots. Then he made the call.

Monette tabled the      for two pair, nines and threes. Waxman had that beat with the      and won the pot. Neither player had a low.

John Monnette	1,032,000	-248,000
Matt Waxman	420,000	180,000

Hold'em

On the     flop, Phil Hellmuth checked and John Monnette bet. Hellmuth check-raised and Monnette called.

After Hellmuth checked in the dark, the turn was the   and Monnette bet. Hellmuth called.

On the   river, both players checked.

Hellmuth quickly tabled the    and Abe Mosseri chimed up, "Trapping!" Monnette mucked and Hellmuth won the pot.

Stud 8

Here is how a few small hands played out during that round of Stud Eight-or-Better.

• Dan Kelly brought it in with a  . Phil Hellmuth called with a   and John Monnette completed with his  . No player wanted to rumble and Monnette took it down.
• Phil Hellmuth was the bring-in with a   on the board. The whole table got out of the way until Matt Waxman completed with a   out front. Hellmuth didn't want to play and Waxman took it down.
• Paul Sokoloff brought it in with a  . Abe Mosseri completed with a  . Dan Kelly called with a   showing and Phil Ivey called with a   on the board. Mosseri checked his   on fourth, Kelly bet his   and both Ivey and Mosseri got out of the way, sending the pot to Kelly.

The final table of Event 32: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. is stacked with bracelets. Phil Hellmuth and Phil Ivey own the vast majority of them, and of the eight remaining players, only two are without hardware:

If Hellmuth or Monnette are fortunate enough to win, then they'll become the first multiple-bracelet winner of 2012. Last year, only Brian Rast won more than one bracelet, and in 2010, only Frank Kassela was able to capture two. Solokoff and Waxman would be ecstatic if they were able to capture their first WSOP gold bracelet, while Mosseri, Baker, and Kelly are all looking for their second career WSOP win.

Of course, all eyes will be on Ivey and Hellmuth – Ivey has predicted that he'll win 30 career bracelets, Hellmuth has set is goal at 24.

Stud 8

With the exit of Mori Eskandani in 9th place, we are heading to the final table. But first, let us explain how Eskandani's gallant elimination occurred.

It was during a hand of Stud Eight-or-Better and it all started when Paul Sokoloff brought it in with a   out front. Matt Waxman then made the call with his   and John Monnette called with a  . Mori Eskandani then completed with his   and Monnette, Waxman and Sokoloff all made the call.

On fourth street, Monnette bet his pair and his three opponents called. Fifth street saw Monnette again bet and another three calls came along for the ride. On sixth street, Monnette led again and this time Eskandani raised. Sokoloff made the call and Waxman got out of the way. Monnette threw in the extra chips to call and we would see the final card dealt out.

Monnette checked on seventh and Eskandani shoved his remaining 38,000 into the pot. Sokoloff called and then Monnette check-rasied. Sokoloff called and the three players turned their hole cards over.

Eskandani held     was good for a flush, but Monnette's     gave him the full house. With no low for Eskandani, he was sent home. The remainder of the pot was chopped up, with Sokoloff holding    , enough for a low.

Mori Eskandani

0

-180,000

Razz

After John Monnette brought it in with a  , Phil Ivey completed with his deuce. Abe Mosseri then raised it up with his deuce and Ivey called. On fourth street, Ivey led out and Mosseri called. Fifth street and Mosseri would lead and Ivey fold to send the pot to Mosseri.

Abe Mosseri

565,000

95,000

Omaha 8

John Monnette opened the action with a raise from under the gun. Mori Eskandani called a couple of spots to his left and Phil Hellmuth called out of the big blind. The     flop would see Hellmuth lead and Monnette call. Eskandani also called and a   was dealt on the turn. This time the play would be checked to Eskandani and he would be. Hellmuth called and Monnette got out of the way as a   was the last card to hit the felt.

On the river, Hellmuth check-raised a bet from Eskandani and a call would see the two players turn their hands over.

It was the full house for Hellmuth and the nut-low for Eskandani as they split up the pot.

Omaha 8

From middle position, Phil Hellmuth raised. Matt Waxman made the call from the big blind and the flop came down    . Waxman checked and Hellmuth bet. Waxman folded and Hellmuth won the pot.