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2017 48th Annual World Series of Poker The Official WSOP Live Updates

Wednesday, June 14, 2017 to Friday, June 16, 2017

Event #28: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw

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  • Buy-in: $1,500
  • Prizepool: $440,100
  • Entries: 326
  • Remaining: 0

EVENT UPDATES

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Friday, June 16, 2017 8:12 PM Local Time
Brian Brubaker Wins Event #28: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw ($109,967)

Brian Brubaker - 1st Place

Los Angeles-based mixed-game pro Brian Brubaker overcame a field of 326 to win his first World Series of Poker bracelet, topping Event #28: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw for $109,967 in first-place prize money.

Out of a final table that lasted roughly five hours, about two of those were devoted to heads-up play between Brubaker and start-of-day leader Brendan Taylor, who won a bracelet in a limit hold'em shootout event back in 2010 and was seeking his second piece of gold.

"It was a lot of fun. Pretty intense, there were a lot of swings throughout the final table," Brubaker said. "Luckily, I pretty much just won the majority of the [heads-up] pots and went straight up."

Just getting there took some work, as Brubaker had to overcome some tilt that was completely unrelated to poker. He came into the day on short sleep after an especially irritating night just looking for somewhere to sleep.

Brubaker had a room booked until the start of Day 2 of this event, when he checked out with the plan of simply finding a place to crash if he advanced to the final table. Turns out, that was easier said than done with Electric Daisy Carnival in town. The famed music-and-dance festival had hotels throughout Las Vegas packed to the brim.

"I finally found a room at Cosmo, but it was like the eighth place I called," Brubaker said. "It was 3:30 in the morning and I was tilted for not being able to go to sleep before the final table."

Nonetheless, Brubaker persevered through those first-world problems. Short stacks Rick Fuller and Dean Kerl fell early at the final table, and they were followed by one of the biggest stars in the event, though not one necessarily known to poker fans.

German soccer star Max Kruse, who often takes breaks from filling up nets in front of tens of thousands to fire a few events at the WSOP every year, made his way to the final table. He seems to be particularly adept at draw games, having finished third in a 2-7 single draw event in here in 2014.

Kruse had the loudest — and most heavily drinking — rail, but the Germans filtered out with him after he fizzled out in fourth. Jason Riesenberg followed in third, and the heads-up battle began.

Taylor's high level of aggression had induced some of his opponents to make mistakes that cost themselves bets. Brubaker said he definitely noticed how hard Taylor was pushing, but Brubaker didn't let it faze him or make too many adjustments to go outside of his normal game plan.

"He's a good player," Brubaker said. "With no antes and just blinds, and I had a comfortable stack today, I didn't need to get involved in every pot. I made some adjustments, but I didn't want to over-adjust and start battling him when I'm second in chips with really rough draws that are just gamble spots."

The lead changed hands several times, but with limits relatively large — just 40 bets total were in play by the end — one sustained swing could tilt things heavily in one direction. That sustained swing went Brubaker's way, and Taylor couldn't recover after being hammered down to just a few bets.

Brubaker's previous best cash was $70,743 for third place in $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw in 2013. He confirmed he plays a fair amount of draw in his usual haunts. The one-time big-bet player now calls the mixed-game tables in L.A. his office, and he knows what to do when switching to the tournament tables.

"I guess I'm pretty good at draw altogether, especially in a tournament," he said. "I make some adjustments in tournaments I think are successful. I don't know if they're necessarily what other people would say are good.

"But, I've been successful with it and now I have something to prove it."

Official Final Table Results

PlacePlayerHome CountryPrize
1Brian BrubakerUSA$109,967
2Brendan TaylorUSA$67,952
3Jason RiesenbergUSA$43,597
4Max KruseGermany$28,740
5Dean KerlUSA$19,482
6Rick FullerUSA$13,591
Friday, June 16, 2017 7:21 PM Local Time
Brendan Taylor Eliminated in 2nd Place ($67,952)

Brendan Taylor - 2nd Place

Brendan Taylor raised and Brian Brubaker called. Both drew two and Brubaker check-called. Both drew one and Brubaker again check-called. They each drew again but this time checked. Brubaker took it with      .

A few hands later, Taylor raised and Brubaker made it three bets. Taylor called. Brubaker took two and Taylor three. Brubaker bet, Taylor raised, and they got Taylor's 65,000 in there. Brubaker was pat on both final draws, while Taylor took one, mucked it, and took another.

Brubaker rolled over      . Taylor had a draw plenty good enough to beat that with     . He peeled his card slightly.

"Three across diamond," he said. "Should be good."

It was the   though, pairing him and locking up the tournament for Brubaker.

Brian Brubaker2,445,000325,000
Brendan Taylor0-325,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 7:15 PM Local Time
Brian Brubaker Breaks 2 Million

Brian Brubaker has Brendan Taylor down to under 400,000 after he took down a pot after the third draw.

Brubaker raised predraw and Taylor called. Both players drew three and Taylor checked. Brubaker bet and Taylor called.

Then each player drew one and Taylor check-called another Brubaker bet.

Taylor drew one and Brubaker bet. Taylor folded.

Brian Brubaker2,120,000225,000
Brendan Taylor325,000-225,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 7:02 PM Local Time
Pat-Pat Goes Brubaker's Way

Brendan Taylor raised and Brian Brubaker called. Brubaker took three and Taylor one, and Brubaker check-called. Brubaker took two and Taylor one, and Brubaker checked again. Taylor bet and this time Brubaker raised. Taylor reraised and Brubaker called. Both patted and Brubaker's       was a winner.

Brian Brubaker1,895,000125,000
Brendan Taylor550,000-125,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 6:56 PM Local Time
Brubaker Leads Again

The final two players in Event #28 have been going back and forth, minus a few stages where one of them slowly builds a lead.

Brian Brubaker is the latest to build a bit of a lead and is approaching 2 million.

There has been a lot more three-betting pre-draw since coming back from break.

On this hand, Brubaker raised and Brendan Taylor three-bet. Brubaker called. Both players drew two and Taylor bet. Brubaker called.

Taylor drew one and Brubaker drew two and Taylor bet again. Brubaker called and stood pat behind a one-draw by Taylor. Both players checked and Brubaker won the hand with      .

Brian Brubaker1,770,000670,000
Brendan Taylor675,000-670,000
Playtika - Jason Alexander
Friday, June 16, 2017 6:41 PM Local Time
Taylor Back in Front

Brendan Taylor raised and Brian Brubaker called. Brubaker was ahead in the draw though, taking two while Taylor took three. Brubaker bet out and Taylor called. Brubaker took one and Taylor two and Brubaker fired again. Taylor raised this time though, and Brubaker called.

Brubaker took a final card and Taylor patted. They both checked and Taylor won with      .

Brendan Taylor1,345,000515,000
Brian Brubaker1,100,000-550,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 6:31 PM Local Time
Level 25 started
Level: 25
Blinds: 30000/60000
Ante: 0
Friday, June 16, 2017 6:19 PM Local Time
Break Time

Players are on break for 15 minutes.

Friday, June 16, 2017 6:18 PM Local Time
Brian Brubaker Pulling Away

Heads Up Brendan Taylor Brian Brubaker

There was a steady divide building between Brian Brubaker and Brendan Taylor heading into the break.

There wasn't really one hand that stood out, but a series of hands where Brubaker got the majority of the small pots the two played.

Brubaker won a hand when he defended the big blind against a Taylor raise. Both players drew two and Brubaker checked. Taylor bet and Brubaker raised. Taylor called.

Brubaker stood pat and Taylor drew one. Brubaker bet and Taylor called.

Brubaker stood pat again and Taylor drew one. Both players checked and Brubaker won with      .

Brian Brubaker1,650,000350,000
Brendan Taylor830,000-315,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 5:59 PM Local Time
Taylor Pips Brubaker

Brendan Taylor raised on the button, and Brian Brubaker called. Brubaker took two and Taylor three, with the former betting after seeing he was ahead in the draw. Taylor called and Brubaker was pat. Taylor took two, called a bet, then took one. Brubaker bet again on the end, and Taylor paused briefly and announced a call.

Brubaker fanned      , but Taylor had made      .

Brian Brubaker1,300,000-125,000
Brendan Taylor1,145,000125,000
Playtika - Jason Alexander
Friday, June 16, 2017 5:50 PM Local Time
Brian Brubaker Retakes Lead

Brian Brubaker

Brian Brubaker has retaken the lead heads up after a big pot against Brendan Taylor.

He raised and Taylor three-bet predraw. Brubaker called and each player drew one. Taylor bet and Brubaker called.

Both players stood pat on the final two streets and Taylor bet both of them. Brubaker called both and won the hand with an      .

Brian Brubaker1,425,000380,000
Brendan Taylor1,020,000-380,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 5:42 PM Local Time
Taylor Surges into Lead With Two Eight-Perfects

Brian Brubaker raised and Brendan Taylor called. Both players drew two and Taylor came out betting. Brubaker called. Taylor was pat and bet again, and Brubaker called after drawing one. Both players patted and Brubaker called a final bet, but Taylor showed       and took the pot.

On Brubaker's next button, he raised again and Taylor called. Both players drew three and then checked, and both players drew two on the second pull. Taylor bet, Brubaker raised, and Taylor reraised. Brubaker called and both were pat again going to the last pull. Brubaker again called a bet and was again shown an eight-perfect.

Brendan Taylor1,400,000580,000
Brian Brubaker1,045,000-580,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 5:39 PM Local Time
Brian Brubaker Ahead After Making Number Two

Brendan Taylor raised and Brian Brubaker called.

Brubaker called and drew two and Taylor drew one. Brubaker check-called a bet from Taylor.

Brubaker drew two again and Taylor drew one. Brubaker checked, Taylor bet, and Brubaker called.

Both players drew one on the final draw and Brubaker bet. Taylor called and Brubaker showed      . Taylor mucked.

Brian Brubaker1,625,000155,000
Brendan Taylor820,000-155,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 5:32 PM Local Time
Brubaker Takes First Big Showdown

Brendan Taylor raised on the button and Brian Brubaker defended. Both took two and Brubaker came out betting. Taylor called. Brubaker must have liked what he pulled as he was pat while Taylor drew one and called another bet. Draws went the same and Taylor called a final bet, mucking to      .

Brian Brubaker1,470,000170,000
Brendan Taylor975,000-170,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 5:29 PM Local Time
Jason Riesenberg Eliminated in 3rd Place ($43,597)

Jason Riesenberg

Jason Riesenberg has been eliminated in third place after Brian Brubaker drew two to a wheel.

Brubaker raised from the small blind and Riesenberg defended the big blind.

Brubaker drew two and Riesenberg drew one. Brubaker check-called a Riesenberg bet.

Brubaker drew one and Riesenberg stood pat. Brubaker checked and Riesenberg bet. Brubaker raised and Riesenberg went all in for his remaining chips, less than a complete three-bet. Brubaker called. Both players stood pat.

"Do you have a wheel?" Riesenberg questioned Brubaker.

As he was asking, Brubaker flipped over       and did have a wheel to beat the       of Riesenberg and eliminate him in third place.

Brian Brubaker1,300,000300,000
Brendan Taylor1,145,000-105,000
Jason Riesenberg0-125,000
Gorilla Gaming
Friday, June 16, 2017 5:20 PM Local Time
Level 24 started
Level: 24
Blinds: 25000/50000
Ante: 0
Friday, June 16, 2017 5:19 PM Local Time
Taylor Crushing Riesenberg

Brendan Taylor and Jason Riesenberg each drew two and Taylor bet after the draw, getting called. Draws went one, one, and then one, one again with a couple of checks in between, and Taylor checked on the end. Riesenberg bet, but Taylor called and fanned       when Riesenberg announced a pair.

Then, after dropping another pot to Taylor when he bet-folded after the second draw, Riesenberg completed the blind and Taylor checked. Riesenberg took three and Taylor four, but Riesenberg check-called a bet. Riesenberg then took three and Taylor was pat. Riesenberg check-called again, then did the same after drawing one.

Taylor showed       and took the pot.

Brendan Taylor1,250,000330,000
Jason Riesenberg125,000-325,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 5:13 PM Local Time
Brian Brubaker Just On Top of Brendan Taylor Three-Handed

Brian Brubaker has taken the chip lead just barely over Brendan Taylor after both players won a pot off Jason Riesenberg.

The first hand, Brubaker raised from the small blind and Riesenberg from the big three-bet. Brubaker called.

Brubaker drew one against the two draw of Riesenberg, then he bet. Riesenberg called.

Brubaker stood pat and Riesenberg drew one. Brubaker bet and Riesenberg called.

Brubaker stood pat again and Riesenberg drew one. Both players checked and Brubaker won the hand with      .

Then Taylor took some chips from Riesenberg:

Riesenberg raised and Taylor called from the big blind. Riesenberg drew two against the three-draw of Taylor. Riesenberg bet and Taylor raised. Riesenberg called. Both players drew one and Riesenberg check-called a bet from Taylor.

Riesenberg drew one again and Taylor stood pat. He check-folded when Taylor bet.

Brian Brubaker1,000,000345,000
Brendan Taylor920,000-90,000
Jason Riesenberg450,000-310,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 4:54 PM Local Time
Capped Pot to Riesenberg

Jason Riesenberg raised in the small blind and got reraised by Brendan Taylor. Riesenberg put in four bets and Taylor capped it. Both drew one and Riesenberg bet out. Taylor called. Riesenberg was pat and Taylor kept drawing, calling another bet after the pull. Draws repeated and Riesenberg checked. Taylor checked back but couldn't beat      .

Brendan Taylor1,010,000-270,000
Jason Riesenberg760,000340,000
Friday, June 16, 2017 4:50 PM Local Time
Max Kruse Eliminated in 4th Place ($19,482)

Max Kruse

Brendan Taylor is cruising with more than half the chips in play and just eliminated Max Kruse in fourth place.

Taylor opened with a raise, which he has done seemingly every hand since the final table began, and Max Kruse three-bet from the big blind. Taylor called.

Kruse drew one and Taylor drew three. Kruse bet his last 10,000 and Taylor called.

Kruse drew one again and Taylor drew three.

"I have a chance," said Kruse.

On the final draw, both players drew one.

Kruse laid out      and Taylor showed     , each awaiting their final draw.

Taylor turned his over first, completing his hand with a nine:      .

Kruse peeled his card and eventually showed a nine as well, giving him       and sending him home in fourth place.

Brendan Taylor1,280,00040,000
Max Kruse0-65,000
Playtika - Jason Alexander
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