No ninth bracelet for Ivey

After skipping the 2011 WSOP, Phil Ivey didn’t need long to make his presence felt at this year’s series. But for those with a keen eye on his ongoing seven-figure bracelet bets, a ninth WSOP victory will have to wait after No Home Jerome was defeated heads-up in the $10k PLHE by Andy Frankenberger.

Ivey was the star name on a final table packed with experience and youth, with Frankenberger and the likes of Shaun Deeb, Hoyt Corkins and Ali Eslami among those standing in his way. And with Phil Hellmuth’s $2.5k Razz final table just a few yards away, the Rio was packed with rail birds hoping to see Ivey follow Hellmuth into this year’s winners’ circle.

But unfortunately for poker’s greatest player, Frankenberger’s unpredictable style proved too much and, sensing that the nine-time bracelet winner wasn’t too keen to get it in and flip, Frankenberger utilised the relatively shallow stacks to keep Ivey off balance.

‘The one thing I had going for me was that he didn’t want to play big flips against me and I don’t blame him. He’s a better player than I am so why would he want to flip when he could play small pots,’ said Frankenberger, who rates this victory ahead of his first bracelet back in 2011 due to Ivey’s presence.

‘I’d have to say this one is more satisfying because I beat Phil Ivey,” added the former Wall Street trader. ‘The $1,500 I won had a lot of good players, it’s kind of like avoiding the mines in a minefield, but this one was just loaded with good players and I had to adjust my game throughout so coming away with the victory in this one was just extra special.’

Ivey held a slight advantage going into heads-up play but was soon out chipped, and in the final hand, the ex-Full Tilt star check-shoved 7d-6d on a As-5d-4h flop but ran into Frankenberger’s Ah-Jd. The board ran out 5s-5c handing Frankenberger the trophy and seeing off Ivey’s dream of ninth bracelet. Well, for a few more days at least.

Here’s how the $10k PLHE finished up:

1. Andy Frankenberger  $445,899
2. Phil Ivey  $275,559
3. Ali Eslami  $199,345
4. Alex Venovski  $147,345
5. Manuel Bevand  $110,731
6. Shaun Deeb  $84,668
7. Matt Marafioti  $65,840
8. Daniel Weinman  $52,059
9. Hoyt Corkins  $41,829