Event #8: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball

Johannes Becker busted the $100,000 High Roller at the 2018 World Series of Poker and found himself a little down in the dumps. As a mixed-game cash player whose favorite games are 2-7 triple draw and badugi — two of the games in Event #8: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball — it seemed only natural he would hop in, but playing poker in a negative mindset is rarely a good idea.

"I was kind of wondering whether I should play or not," he said. "But given that I've been looking forward to this specific tournament and it's kind of my mix, I decided to give it a shot anyway."

So, the German registered late and gave it a go. Two days later, he emerged atop a 321-player field for his first WSOP bracelet and $180,455 in prize money.

Official Final Table Results

Becker came into the final day with the second-shortest stack out of 12 remaining players. He figured any headway he made was gravy given his chip position.

"I didn't expect to win," he said. "I started catching cards and that worked out great."

Becker's initial good run allowed him to maneuver past bracelet-winning competition like Mike Leah, Bryce Yockey and Frank Kassela en route to the final table. Limit crusher Chris Vitch and Scott Seiver, who had built up a monster stack of twice the next player, still stood in his way, though.

Vitch surged into the lead early, and as a former winner of this event, he seemed the favorite. However, Becker had shown off his mixed-game chops as well here at the WSOP, taking second in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship last year.

While he was unknown to most at that point due to a light history of live cashes, he had been a big player in mixed online cash. PPC champ Elior Sion hinted as much when he told PokerNews that he and Becker had history battling online. Becker confirmed he has long been a regular at stakes as high as $200/$400.

"Whenever I'm home I sit down at the tables online and wait for anyone to join," he said. "Quite often, there're slow days and nobody is playing me at all."

Given that fierce reputation, it's little surprise that Becker got past even the tough grinders he had to face at the final table. Luis Velador fell early on, and while short stack George Trigeorgis hung on for awhile, he eventually found an all-in pot he couldn't win.

Seiver eventually reversed Vitch's takeover, topping him in a number of pots. Vitch slid into fourth place, where he went bust to fall just short of a third bracelet.

Becker at one point had the shortest stack three-handed, and Seiver controlled nearly three-quarters of the chips. However, Becker took over from that point and just couldn't be stopped. He bested Seiver in a number of pots and crushed first Jesse Hampton and then Seiver.

Becker said he was happy to win his first bracelet, but it still doesn't compare to his run in the PPC, since that field was so elite and the event so prestigious. He'll be back in there this year along with a number of other "fun events" like the Heads-Up Championship and the two 2-7 triple draw events.

A couple of other pressing matters may pull Becker away from other events. For one thing, he's got to leap over the last hurdle on the way to his economics degree by finishing up his thesis. For another, he's going to be looking to fire in plenty of big cash games.

This particular event could have easily been one he skipped, but luckily for him, he didn't let the $100K bustout blues keep him down.

"It was a good decision," he said.

Badugi

Scott Seiver raised and Johannes Becker called. Both pulled two and Becker came out betting. Seiver raised and Becker called. Becker took a card and Seiver was pat. Becker check-raised and Seiver folded.

"Bluff?" Seiver asked.

"It doesn't matter to you," Becker said with a smile, referencing an earlier comment from Seiver that whether an opponent bluffed or not didn't really matter to him.

Johannes Becker	2,895,000	-440,000
Scott Seiver	230,000	-440,000

2-7 Triple Draw

Jesse Hampton went to the battle with Johannes Becker who raised. Hampton defended his big.

Becker discarded one on the first draw. Hampton took two and called a bet.

Then they changed one apiece and Becker kept pushing. Hampton called the big bet, leaving himself with just 10,000 in shrapnel.

Becker patted his made hand and Hampton pitched one. Then he called for the rest, finishing his tournament appearance as Becker announced "Number Two," confirming it by showing      .

Hampton mucked and shook hands with the two remaining players and headed away from the feature table area. He claimed $71,547 for the bronze.

Becker and Scott Seiver agreed to take a short break.

Johannes Becker	3,335,000	235,000
Scott Seiver	670,000	70,000
Jesse Hampton	0	-260,000

Badugi

Scott Seiver raised and Johannes Becker re-raised. Seiver called and then called bets on each of the following streets. He drew two in the first round and one on the next two draws while Becker initially changed three and then twice discarded one.

Seiver's calldown failed as Becker made a nine-perfect with     , adding another big chunk to his chip-leading stack.

Johannes Becker	2,850,000	300,000
Scott Seiver	900,000	-200,000
Jesse Hampton	260,000	-500,000

Badugi

As seen after the first draw, Johannes Becker bet in position and both Jesse Hampton and Scott Seiver called. All of them changed one card and Becker then fired once again. Hampton called but Seiver opted for a check-raise, provoking a three-bet from Becker. Hampton released his hand but Seiver matched the price.

He drew one and Becker stood pat. Seiver checked and decided that he had to call the last bet, even though he didn't look particularly happy about it. Becker turned up      and raked in a decent pot.

Scott Seiver	1,700,000	-400,000
Johannes Becker	1,450,000	295,000

2-7 Triple Draw

It's a star-studded rail following the final encounter with Justin Bonomo and Dan Smith siding with Scott Seiver while Christoph Vogelsang rails Johannes Becker in the German booth.

Vogelsang has now more reasons to smile as Becker just won another pot against Seiver to pull further ahead.

Seiver drew two on the first draw in a hand of 2-7 Triple Draw and Becker took three. He fired a shell in position and Seiver called before discarding two. Becker drew one and fired again, getting a call again.

Seiver then changed one and Becker stood pat. Seiver checked one more time but finally gave up to Becker's final bet.

Johannes Becker	1,830,000	230,000
Scott Seiver	1,400,000	-150,000
Jesse Hampton	760,000	-90,000

A-5 Triple Draw

Johannes Becker is winning small but key pots and slowly increasing his stack. He's currently playing 1.2 million after a streak of hands against Scott Seiver which saw him claim a few bets.

Becker raised in A-5, then drew one on the first two draws and fired after both of them. Seiver called on both occasions, drawing two and one, respectively. Becker patted the last draw and Seiver took one again. The river was checked and Becker locked it up with      .

Scott Seiver	2,050,000	-450,000
Johannes Becker	1,200,000	400,000
Jesse Hampton	785,000	85,000

Badugi

Scott Seiver raised on the button and Johannes Becker made it three bets in the small blind. Seiver called and took two, with Becker taking one.

Becker kept the lead and bet the next two rounds as each player drew one both times. On the end, it went check-check and Becker's     three-card was good for the pot.

Scott Seiver	2,100,000	-230,000
Johannes Becker	940,000	420,000

Badugi

All three players saw the second draw and Johannes Becker took one, as did Jesse Hampton, while Scott Seiver pulled two from the button. Hampton bet and only Becker called. Becker took a card and Hampton patted. Becker checked and Hampton bet. Becker called but couldn't beat     .

2-7 Triple Draw

Johannes Becker bet from the small blind after the first draw and Jesse Hampton called. Becker was ahead drawing one against two but he checked. Hampton bet and Becker called. Becker took a card and Hampton patted. Becker checked and Hampton bet.

Becker went into the tank for about a minute, leaning back in his chair and studying his opponent. After about a minute, he tossed in calling chips and mucked to      .

Jesse Hampton	900,000	450,000
Johannes Becker	550,000	-350,000

A-5 Triple Draw

Jesse Hampton raised in the small blind and got action from Scott Seiver. Hampton took two and Seiver four. Hampton bet and Seiver called. Hampton patted and Seiver took two. This time, Seiver raised Hampton's bet. Hampton called and patted again. Seiver thought a bit.

"Stupid break," he said, throwing a card away.

They checked the end and Hampton showed      . Seiver said he broke a slightly worse seven.

Scott Seiver	2,800,000	400,000
Jesse Hampton	800,000	420,000
Johannes Becker	400,000	-480,000