WSOP Event #34

The winner of Event #34, the $3,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em championship was 24-year-old poker pro from Columbus, OH, Alexander Borteh. This is his third year playing at the World Series of Poker, and it was third time time lucky as he chalked his first ever tournament victory.

Borteh finished third in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout in 2005, and this was his fourth time to cash at the WSOP meaning he now has finishes of 72nd, 70th, 3rd, and 1st.

In his post tournament interview, Borteh noted that Limit Hold’em is much more complex than many people realize. In his remarks, he explained that Limit Hold’em requires different strategies than No-Limit games and is often not given the same level of respect in some poker circles. Yet, in his view – Limit Hold’em is a more skillful game.

Borteh studied Philosophy at Ohio State University. "I like to think about life," he said in a post-tournament interview. "When I’m alone, I enjoy thinking about the meaning of things and trying to figure it all out."

First place paid $225,483. He was presented with the gold bracelet by WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

The runner up was Brandon Wong, who has now cashed in all three Limit Hold’em tournaments at this year’s WSOP.

The third-place finisher was Shawn "Lightening" Keller. He is the twin brother of Thomas "Thunder" Keller, who won an event at the WSOP in 2004. David "the Dragon" Pham followed in fourth. The two-time gold bracelet winner was one of the top ranked players in tournament poker during the late 1990s.

Another notable cashees included, former WSOP gold bracelet winner Max "the Italian Pirate" Pescatori finished 14th, and Richard Brodie, a.k.a. "Quiet Lion," finished 22nd. Brodie was one of the earliest employees of Microsoft and is one of the inventors of Microsoft Word.

Phil Hellmuth, Jr. did it again. He cashed for the fourth time at this year’s WSOP. He continues to distance himself from the field and is the all-time lifetime leader in WSOP cashes, now with 61.

Final results:
1. Alexander Borteh, Columbus, OH, $225,483
2. Brandon Wong, Fresno, CA, $135,615
3. Shawn Keller, Chandler, AZ, $92,316
4. David Pham, Cerritos, CA, $62,906
5. Matthew Kelly, Ft. Worth, TX, $46,567
6. Vivek Rajkumar, Seattle, WA, $36,763
7. Michael Byrne, Oak Lawn, IL, $27,777
8. Marco Johnson, Walnut Creek, CA, $20,424
9. Petri Pollanen, Toronto, Canada, $14,705