Ram Vaswani Wins Event No. 53 at the WSOP

Square one, back to the drawing board, it's a whole new ball game. Whichever metaphor you choose to describe starting over, it can be applied to a shootout tournament. At 8 p.m. last night, the final eight players took their seats at the final table of the $1,500 limit hold'em shootout (event #53) behind a stack of $300,000 each. This made the first two hours of play similar to a day one of any tournament. A few chips changed hands here and there, but no big-time action occurred until the first bustout got the ball rolling. Here is a summary of each player's swan song at the final table, and one player's victorious roar, from the CardPlayer.com event logs:

Raye Puckett Eliminated in Eighth Place ($9,582)

David Baker moved all in preflop and both David Mosca and Raye Puckett made the call. The board of A J 4 8 9 was checked down by Mosca and Puckett, before Puckett moved all in for her final $10,000. Mosca made the call and turned up K J to take down the side pot when Puckett mucked her hand. Baker showed down A 5 to take down the main pot and triple up to $45,000. Puckett was eliminated in eighth place and she took home $9,582 in prize money.

David Baker Eliminated in Seventh Place ($12,776)

Andrew Ward bet $10,000 on a flop of Q J 2 and David Baker made the call. The turn brought the 2 and Baker checked. Ward bet $20,000 and Baker reraised all in. Ward called and flipped over A Q. Baker showed Q 9 and after the 8 was no help on the river, he was eliminated in seventh place. Baker took home $12,776 in prize money.

Sondre Sagstuen Eliminated in Sixth Place ($19,656)

On a flop of Q 5 3, Sondre Sagstuen bet $15,000 and Andrew Ward raised to $30,000. Sagstuen then reraised all in for $35,000 total, and Ward made the call. Ward flipped up 6 4 and Sagstuen showed down 10 7. The turn and river brought the 8 and another 6. This paired Ward's 6 and Sagstuen was eliminated in sixth place. He took home $19,656 in prize money.

Ishak Noyan Eliminated in Fifth Place ($31,450)

On a flop of 10 5 4, Ishak Noyan bet $20,000 and Ram Vaswani raised to $40,000. Noyan reraised all in for $55,000 total and Vaswani made the call. Noyan flipped up K 9 and Vaswani flipped over 10 6. The turn and river brought the 7 and the Q. Noyan hit the rail in fifth place, and he took home $31,450 in prize money.

David Mosca Eliminated in Fourth Place ($58,968)

After David Mosca four-bet a pot preflop, during heads-up action, Ram Vaswani made it five bets to play. Mosca made the all-in call for $90,000 and flipped over A 2. Vaswani showed pocket tens and the board was dealt J J 9 8 6. Mosca was eliminated in fourth place and took home $58,968 in prize money.

Ahn Van Nguyen Eliminated in Third Place ($83,538)

On a board of A 6 5 8, Ram Vaswani bet $60,000 and Anh Van Nguyen raised all in for $110,000. Vaswani called him down and turned up K 8. Nguyen showed down A 6 and the river brought the 7. That made Vaswani the flush and eliminated Nguyen in third place. He took home $83, 538 in prize money.

Ram Vaswani Wins Event No. 53 ($217,438)

Andrew Ward bet $30,000 preflop and Ram Vaswani raised to $60,000. Ward then three-bet the action to $90,000 and Vaswani made the call. The flop rolled out A J 2 and Ward bet $30,000. Vaswani called and the turn brought the 8. Ward bet $60,000 and Vaswani raised to $120,000. Ward made the all-in call and turned up A 10. Vaswani showed down K Q for the nut flush, and the river brought yet another heart, the 5. Vaswani won the gold bracelet and $217,438 for his victory in the $1,500 limit hold'em shootout. Ward took home $124,816 for second place.