WSOPE Event #10: €2,000 8-Game Mix

In 2008, Obama was battling McCain for the leadership of the free world, Robert Downey Jr. first donned the Iron Man suit, and French poker pro Patrick Bueno found himself under the bright lights of the final table in one of the most prestigious tournaments on the calendar.

Bueno finished in eighth place in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship in that year's World Series of Poker, playing with the likes of Scotty Nguyen, Erick Lindgren, Matt Glantz, and Barry Greenstein. "It was a long time ago. I did very good. It was very nice," Bueno said, reminiscing back at his run from 16 years ago.

But then Bueno disappeared from the WSOP scene, only to emerge this week in Rozvadov as the latest bracelet winner when he took down Event #10: €2,000 8-Game for €43,400 and his first gold bracelet.

Event #10: €2,000 8-Game Final Table Results

Bueno hadn't cashed in a WSOP event since that final table until this week at King's Resort, but he made his first final table in 16 years count. "I'm very happy. I feel very good. I'm very happy to take it," he said upon prevailing over the 90-player field.

Bueno has been playing poker longer than some of his competitors have been alive. His first WSOP cash was 36th place in the 2001 Main Event. Those decades of experience proved fruitful today at the final table.

"My experience helped, for sure, because I played a lot of mixed games in my life. So I have a lot of experience in mixed games," he said.

Day 2 Action

Day 2 began with 18 players remaining out of 90 entrants, with three-time bracelet winner Anson Tsang in the chip lead with 674,500. Bueno began the day in sixth place with 284,000.

Only the top 14 players would finish in the money and earn a share of the €156,510 prize pool. Aaron Duczak entered with just 21,500 and busted on the first hand, while Dzmitry Urbanovich was left short after losing to Symeon Alexandridis' jack-low in Razz. Urbanovich, who belongs on the list of best players without a WSOP bracelet, busted shortly after when Sami Bechahed made trip fours in Pot-Limit Omaha to ensure the Polish pro would have to wait another day for his breakthrough.

Fabian Scherle was eliminated in 16th place to bring the field down to the bubble, and it lasted just one hand as Jeremy Trojand hit a set of jacks in Limit Hold'em to beat Sebastian Cantzler's ace-jack.

Bueno eliminated €5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha bracelet winner Dennis Weiss in 14th with a 7-6. Arto Loikkanen fell in 13th to Philipp Krieger as Krieger made a full house on the turn in Omaha Hi-Lo.

Bueno led the field with 740,000 as they went down to the last two tables. Martin Schamaun gave him a slight hit as he doubled up with top two pair, while Daniel Habl made a full house to double off Tsang for 116,500. Tomasz Gluszko then moved all in on the flop with a set of jacks, but Habl spiked a flush on the turn to bust Gluszko in 12th place.

Ilija Savevski had his last chips in the middle with straight and flush draws but he missed everything against Trojand to finish in 11th. Alexandridis was then eliminated in tenth when he shoved for 89,000 with two kings. Tsang called with ace-six and spiked an ace on the flop to win the pot.

Alessandro De Michele also fell during a No-Limit Hold'em round as Trojand flopped top pair with ten-nine to send De Michele to the rail in ninth place. Andreas Bremer then shoved for 40,000 with jack-nine. Tsang had ace-jack and his ace-kicker played to set the final table of seven.

Tsang was the only player above 1,000,000 at the start of the final table, with Bueno in second place with 870,000. Trojand was quartered by Bueno and left an extreme short-stack before he was eliminated a few hands later by Schaumaun in seventh. Schamaun got his last chips in the middle on a queen-high flop in Pot-Limit Omaha against Bueno, but Bueno rivered two pair to win the pot and bust Schamaun in sixth.

Bueno took a big hit when he ran his ace-king into the aces of Bechahed in Limit Hold'em. Habl then scooped Bueno in Stud Hi-Lo and ended up with an 8-7 against Krieger's seven-draw. Krieger instead made a pair on the last draw as he was sent to the rail in fifth place.

Bueno had a pair of kings showing to win a Stud hand as he crossed 2,000,000 but doubled up Bechahed as Bechahed made two pair with a low to scoop an Omaha Hi-Lo pot. Tsang doubled up off Bechahed, who was left with just 300,000. Bechahed was then eliminated in fourth place when he got his last chips in with queens in Omaha, but Bueno flopped a full house.

Bueno opened up a big lead when he turned a straight against Habl in Limit Hold'em. Bueno then scooped Tsang with a straight and low in Stud Hi-Lo as he controlled nearly 85 percent of the chips in play three-handed. Tsang was eliminated in third when Bueno made a flush on seventh street. Bueno led Habl 4,200,000 to 300,000 at the start of heads-up, and the match wouldn't last long. In 2-7 Triple Draw, Habl got his last chips in and drew a queen-low, standing pat on the last draw. Bueno took two with a 7-4-2 showing and peeled an eight and a six to win the pot and the tournament.

The end was fitting for Bueno, who describes 2-7 as his favorite game of the mix. "I play a lot of 2-7 in the past. I know exactly how to play this game," he said.

His last turn in the WSOP spotlight all those years ago proved short-lived, but today, Bueno finally stood atop the field as he can call himself a WSOP bracelet winner.

That concludes PokerNews' coverage of Event #10: €2,000 8-Game. Stay tuned for more updates as the 2024 WSOP Europe enters its final stages, including the start of the Main Event tomorrow.

Stud Hi-Lo

Anson Tsang:   /    / 
Patrick Bueno:   /    / 

Anson Tsang got his final few chips in on third street against Patrick Bueno. Tsnag made two pair by fifth street to take the lead, but Bueno made a flush on seventh street to secure the elimination.

Tsang came close to capturing his fourth bracelet, but his quest ended in third place.

Patrick Bueno	4,200,000	400,000
Daniel Habl	300,000	-125,000
Anson Tsang	0	-275,000

Stud Hi-Lo

Daniel Habl:   /    - folded fifth street
Patrick Bueno:   /   

Daniel Habl brought in and Patrick Bueno completed. Habl called to fourth street, where he check-called a bet.

He checked again on fifth street and faced a second bet from Bueno. He mulled things over for a little while before folding and leaving himself with less than three big bets.

Patrick Bueno	3,000,000	50,000
Daniel Habl	425,000	-295,000

Limit Hold'em

Daniel Habl raised his button and Patrick Bueno defended his big blind. Bueno check-called Habl's bet on the     flop before the   turn went check-check.

Bueno led out on the   river and received a quick call. He tabled    for two pair, seeing Habl muck his card in defeat.

Patrick Bueno	2,500,000	900,000
Daniel Habl	1,125,000	-975,000

Pot-Limit Omaha

Patrick Bueno had opened from under the gun when Sami Bechahed three-bet his stack of 250,000 all in from the button. Bueno tossed in a call and the cards were tabled.

Sami Bechahed:     
Patrick Bueno:     

Bechahed stood up as soon as Bueno made a full house on the     flop. He needed a queen to survive but none came on the    runout, ending his tournament in fourth place.

Patrick Bueno	1,440,000	240,000
Sami Bechahed	0	-300,000

Razz

Anson Tsang:   /   
Sami Bechahed:   /    - folded on fifth street
Daniel Habl:   /   - folded on fourth street
Patrick Bueno:   /   - folded on fourth street

Sami Bechahed completed and all three opponents called.

Anson Tsang then bet on fourth street and only Bechahed called. Both players made a pair on fifth and Tsang bet again. Bechahed began muttering to himself as he flung his cards away in frustration.

Tsang also took down the next three pots with completions as he climbed up past 1,000,000 yet again.

Daniel Habl	2,100,000	100,000
Patrick Bueno	1,200,000	190,000
Anson Tsang	1,100,000	420,000
Sami Bechahed	300,000	-250,000

Razz

Daniel Habl:   /    
Anson Tsang:   /     - folded on sixth street
Sami Bechahed:   /  - folded on third street

Sami Bechahed completed and Daniel Habl raised. Anson Tsang called, while Bechahed got out of the way.

Tsang then bet on fourth street and Habl called. Habl opened the betting on fifth and Tsang called.

Habl bet again on sixth and Tsang, with a pair of jacks showing, gave up his hand as he dropped to just two big bets.

Daniel Habl	2,000,000	270,000
Sami Bechahed	700,000	-270,000
Anson Tsang	280,000	-170,000

Omaha Hi-Lo

Daniel Habl limped in from the small blind and Anson Tsang checked his option.

Habl bet on the     flop and Tsang called. Habl then bet again on the   turn, Tsang raised all in, and Habl called.

Tsang had      for trip threes, while Habl had     . Tsang was ahead with his ace-kicker as the   river improved him to a full house, but Habl made a low to chop the pot.

Daniel Habl	1,730,000	-70,000
Anson Tsang	450,000	-80,000

Seven Card Stud

Daniel Habl:   /    / 
Patrick Bueno:   /    / 

Patrick Bueno completed and Daniel Habl called.

Bueno bet on fourth street and Habl raised. Bueno called as Habl continued betting on fifth and sixth.

Bueno called down to seventh where both players checked. Habl turned over     for two pair and Bueno flashed the   before mucking.

Patrick Bueno	1,550,000	-450,000
Daniel Habl	1,300,000	400,000

No-Limit Hold'em

In a limped pot between the blinds, Anson Tsang and Patrick Bueno checked to the turn on a board of     . Bueno then bet 30,000 and Tsang called.

Bueno bet another 100,000 on the   river and Tsang again called. Bueno showed    for a rivered flush and Tsang mucked.

Patrick Bueno	1,600,000	260,000
Anson Tsang	750,000	-210,000