Event #55: $50,000 Poker Players Championship

For Matthew Ashton, the fourth time was the charm here at the 2013 World Series of Poker. At this, his fourth final table of the summer, he finally captured that elusive gold bracelet, and it comes in one of the most marquee tournaments of the year, the $50,000 Poker Players' Championship. Not only does Ashton earn the gold and nearly $1.8 million, but his name will now be etched on the trophy next to legends like Chip Reese, Freddy Deeb, Scotty Nguyen, David Bach, Michael Mizrachi, and Brian Rast.

The fifth and final day of this event started with an official final table of eight, and on the fourth hand, Jonathan Duhamel exited in a hand of pot-limit Omaha. The 2010 Main Event champ was all in and at risk with kings and an open-ended straight draw against his teammate George Danzer's two pair, but was unable to improve.

Mike Wattel was the next to exit in a hand of no-limit hold'em, and Minh Ly followed him out the door in sixth place. Ly, who was making a return trip to the Players' Championship final table, made two pair, but David Benyamine bested him with an ace-high flush.

After a quick turn of events, Danzer was eliminated in fifth place. He and Don Nguyen engaged in a ferocious raising war in pot-limit Omaha on an     flop, and eventually the money went in. Both players held trips, Danzer was ahead holding an ace, but Nguyen paired one of his other cards on the river to make a winning full house. Not only did Nguyen record a knockout on this hand, he also surged into the chip lead.

Including the 60-minute dinner break, four-handed play lasted a little over three hours. During this time, John Hennigan climbed into the chip lead, and David Benyamine got shorter and shorter. Finally, during Level 24, Benyamine busted in a hand of stud. Nguyen made a full house against the Frenchman, and reassumed the chip lead.

When play reached three handed, Ashton started to pull away. By the 192nd hand he had more than half of the chips in play, and despite dipping a bit at the end of Level 25, the Brit never relinquished the lead. He eliminated Hennigan in Hand #257, flopping two pair in pot-limit Omaha, and heads-up play lasted only seven hands.

On the final hand, which you can read below, both Nguyen and Ashton made top pair, but Ashton out-kicked Nguyen and was crowned champion.

Congratulations to Ashton, the second British player to win a bracelet here at the 2013 WSOP. With that the coverage of this event comes to an end, but stay tuned for coverage of the remaining bracelet events, including the Main Event. For now we will leave you with Lynn Gilmartin's table-side chat with our champion, and until then, good night from Las Vegas.

Limit Hold'em

Don Nguyen raised the button and Matthew Ashton called, bringing about a flop of    . Ashton checked, Nguyen bet and Ashton woke up with a check-raise. Nguyen called and then called a bet on the   turn. Both players checked the   river and Ashton tabled the   . Nguyen double checked his cards and then mucked.

Matthew Ashton	18,100,000	800,000
Don Nguyen	1,700,000	-800,000

Pot-Limit Omaha

Hand #256: Don Nguyen raised to 300,000 out of the small blind, John Hennigan defended his big blind, and the flop fell    . Nguyen bet out, and Hennigan called all in for 345,000.

Nguyen:     
Hennigan:     

Hennigan's trip nines held as the turn and river came  ,   respectively, and he doubled.

Hand #257: Hennigan limped in from the small blind, Matthew Ashton raised to 300,000, and Hennigan re-raised the pot (900,000). Ashton called, and Hennigan moved all in before the flop fell    . Ashton called.

Hennigan:     
Ashton:     

Ashton had flopped two pair and a flush draw, and Hennigan was unable to catch up as the board finished  ,  . Hennigan is out in third place, earning $686,568.

John Hennigan

0

-2,195,000

Omaha-8

Hand #243: Don Nguyen raised on the button, Matthew Ashton called in the big blind, and the flop fell    . Ashton check-called a bet, then check-called another when the   turned. The   completed the board, Ashton led out, and Nguyen called.

Ashton showed      for aces and sevens with the second-nut low, scooping the pot.

Matthew Ashton	13,500,000	1,500,000
Don Nguyen	4,600,000	-1,000,000

Omaha Hi-Lo

Hand #239: Matthew Ashton called from the small blind and then put in more chips when Don Nguyen raised from the big. Ashton then bet the     flop, Nguyen called and the action repeated itself on the   turn and   river.

Ashton rolled over the      for a straight flush and it was good enough to scoop the pot as Nguyen sent his hand to the muck.

That was the last hand before the break, so we'll have official counts for you in just a moment.

No-Limit Hold'em

Hand #224: John Hennigan opened for 200,000 from the small blind and Matthew Ashton defended from the big. The latter then called a bet of 175,000 from the former on the     flop and the dealer burned and turned the  , which both players checked.

When the   completed the board on the river, Hennigan bet 300,000 and Ashton called.

"You got it," Hennigan admitted prompting Ashton to table the    for the win.

Hand #226: Ashton made it 160,000 from the button, both his opponents called and it was three-way action to the     flop. Two checks put action on Ashton and he bet 240,000. Don Nguyen folded and then Hennigan woke up with a check-raise to 500,000, which Ashton called. Both players checked the   turn and then Hennigan fired out 700,000 on the   river. Ashton thought for a brief moment and then folded his hand.

Matthew Ashton	9,400,000	-800,000
John Hennigan	5,700,000	700,000

2-7 Triple Draw

Hand #213: Matthew Ashton raised from the small blind and Don Nguyen defended from the big. Both players drew two and then Ashton check-called a bet from Nguyen.

Ashton drew one and Nguyen on the second draw. Ashton checked, Nguyen bet and the Brit woke up with a check-raise. Nguyen called, both players stood pat and then Nguyen bet when Ashton checked. Ashton folded.

Matthew Ashton	8,200,000	-1,800,000
Don Nguyen	4,900,000	2,500,000

Limit Hold'em

Hand #195: Matthew Ashton raised from the button and then called when John Hennigan three-bet from the big blind. Hennigan then bet dark before the flop came out     and Ashton called. Both players then checked the   turn and the   completed the board on the river. Hennigan bet and Ashton called.

"Made it," Hennigan said and showed   . Ashton then showed the    for the same straight.

"Well that worked out famously," Hennigan said as the dealer chopped the pot.

Pot-Limit Omaha

Hand #192: Matthew Ashton raised to 160,000 on the button and John Hennigan called from the big blind. Hennigan then check-called a bet of 160,000 on the     flop and the   appeared on the turn. Again Hennigan check-called a bet, this time 480,000, and then the   completed the board on the river.

Hennigan checked for a third time and Ashton fired out a healthy 980,000. Hennigan called only to muck when Ashton rolled over the      for a full house.

Matthew Ashton	11,500,000	2,900,000
John Hennigan	5,400,000	-2,400,000