Score one for the guys up north. Tyler Bonkowski has claimed Canada’s first gold WSOP bracelet of the summer with a win in event no. 14, the $3,000 limit hold’em tournament.
Bonkowski banked $220,817 for defeating a 337-player field. This was the first career bracelet for the 26-year-old poker pro who had to beat out a final table that included runner-up Brandon Demes, Shawn Keller, Matt Sterling, Mitch Schock and Card Player’s own Jeff Shulman, who made his fifth WSOP final table.
The score was significant for the Regina, Saskatchewan native, whose previous best tournament finish was a 14th-place showing at the Aussie Millions. This was his fourth WSOP cash.
Bonkowski was at one point down 12-1 during heads up play, but fought back for the title. “When I was down to 250,000, I was really mad,” he said. “But I didn’t let it affect my play at all. But it was very frustrating. But then I got a couple of hands in a row and I started playing with confidence again and it just kind of went on a roll.”
Here’s a look at the action according to Card Player’s live updates page:
Jeff Shulman Eliminated in 9th Place ($18,547)
Jeff Shulman opened for a raise from under the gun, Casey McCarrel three-bet from the big blind and Shulman called all in.
Shulman turned over A
7
for the lead against McCarrel’s J
8
.
The board came J 8 4 5 K, giving McCarrel top pair on the flop. Jeff Shulman was eliminated in 9th place ($18,547).
Ron Burke Eliminated in 8th Place ($24,095)
Shortly after tripling up at the beginning of the level, the crippling blinds finally got the best of Ron Burke.
Andrew Brongo button-raised, Ron Burke three-bet from the small blind and Brongo called. The flop came A Q 5, Burke bet and Brongo called.
The turn was the 5, Burke bet, Brongo raised, Burke three-bet all in and Brongo called.
Burke turned over A J for top pair on the flop but Brongo showed A 4 for two pair on the turn.
The river was the 8, no help to Ron Burke who was eliminated in 8th place ($24,095).
Casey McCarrel Eliminated in 7th Place ($31,547)
Casey McCarrel opened for a raise and Brandon Demes called from the big blind.
The flop came 6 3 2, Demes checked, McCarrel bet, Demes check-raised and McCarrel called.
The turn was the J, McCarrel got it all in and turned over 10 10 for a a pair but was drawing dead to Demes’ 5 4 made straight. Demes jumped up the leaderboard this hand while Casey McCarrel was eliminated in 7th place ($31,547).
Mitch Schock Eliminated in 6th Place ($41,621)
Mitch Schock opened for a raise, Tyler Bonkowski three-bet from the small blind and Schock called.
The flop came Q Q 5, Bonkoswi bet and Schock called.
The turn was the Q, Bonkowski bet and Schock called.
The river was the 9, Bonkowski bet, Schock raised, Bonkowski three-bet and Schock called.
Bonkowski showed A Q for quad queens and Schock threw his hand into the muck. After this hand, Schock was left with just 5,000 in chips.
Schock managed to quadruple up shortly thereafter, but then got it all in pre-flop with J 6 against Tyler Bonkowski’s A A.
The board came 9 7 4 Q 5, no help for Mitch Schock who was eliminated in 6th place ($41,621).
Matt Sterling Eliminated in 5th Place ($55,338)
Matt Sterling and Andrew Brongo capped the betting before the flop and Sterling got the rest of his chips in on a flop of J 4 2.
Sterling turned over 10 9 but was behind Brongo’s Q Q.
The turn and river were the A and the 5, no help to Matt Sterling who was eliminated in 5th place ($55,338).
Shawn Keller Eliminated in 4th Place ($74,171)
Shawn Keller was knocked down to just over one big blind after running into Andrew Brongo’s trip kings earlier, shipping nearly of all of his chips to Brongo in that hand.
The next hand he moved all in before the flop for his last 30,000 and Brandon Demes called.
Demes was in the lead with K 3 against Keller’s J 8.
The board came A Q 3 3 7, giving Demes trip threes on the turn. Shawn Keller was eliminated in 4th place ($74,171).
Andrew Brongo Eliminated in 3rd Place ($100,198)
Andrew Brongo button-raised and Brandon Demes called from the small blind.
The flop came A 7 2, Demes bet and Brongo called.
The turn was the A, Demes bet, Brongo raised, Demes three-bet, Brongo four-bet and Demes called.
The river was the 10, Demes checked Brongo bet, Demes check-raised, Brongo three-bet, Demes four-bet, Brongo moved all in and Demes called.
Brongo showed A 7 for a full house but Demes turned over A 10 for a higher full house. Andrew Brongo was eliminated in 3rd place ($100,198) while Demes raked a huge pot, nearly evening out the chip stacks heading into heads-up play.
Brandon Demes Eliminated in 2nd Place ($136,419)
Tyler Bonkowsi and Brandon Demes came into heads-up play nearly even in chips with just about 1.5 million each, and it wasn’t long before Demes jumped out in front, even amassing a 4:1 chip lead against Bonkowski at one point in Level 26. Bonkowski played aggressive from the short stack and by Level 27 he had narrowed the gap to almost even in chips once again. Bonkowski returned from the break and continued on his ascent until he had Demes by a chip lead of nearly 4:1.
On the final hand of the night, Bonkowski button-raised and Demes called from the big blind.
The flop came 6 5 5, Demes bet, Bonkoswki raised, Demes three-bet and Bonkowski called.
The turn was the 10, Demes checked, Bonkowski bet, Demes check-raised all in and Bonkowski called. Bonkowski turned over K 10 for top pair while Demes showed K Q.
The river was the 8, and Brandon Demes was eliminated in 2nd place ($136,419). Tyler Bonkowski wins the gold bracelet for event No. 14 and the $220,817 grand prize.
