YOUNG GUN, BIG MONEY AT WSOP EVENT 22

22 June 2007

Bracelet goes to 21 year old

640 entrants signed up for the $5 000 No Limit Hold 'Em competition in the World Series of Poker over the weekend at the Rio in Las Vegas, creating a seriously large prize-pool that would eventually cough up a main prize worth $730 740 after three days of hard and competitive poker.

By the second day the field was down to 85,and of those only 63 made the money bubble and cashed...and only nine of those made it to a largely experienced final table where Karga Holt held an imposing chip lead on 1 211 000, with the closest competition young gun James Mackey (21) on 1 074 000 and the low man on the chip count Michael Binger on 240 000.

The final table event was one of those selected for webcasting on a one hour delay, and was therefore held before a restricted live audience in the Bluff tent.

Hand 16 saw the first elimination when Michael Gracz moved all in and was called by James Mackey, with pocket queens. Gracz tabled nines and was on his way to the rail in ninth place after the board brought only another queen for Mackey instead.

A confident and aggressive young Mackey dominated the game and built up a significant chip lead as it progressed, with Tex Barch the next to exit, eliminated by Stuart Fox in eighth place. European pro and WSOP bracelet holder Jan Sorensen followed after a bad beat from Michael Binger, pushing back his chair in seventh place.

Mackey was in action again soon after, in a confrontation with Nick Schulman that saw the young player raise from the small blind, only to have Schulman move all in. Mackey made the call with A-10 off, and was ahead of Schulman's A-5. Once the board blanked for both players, Schulman was on his way to the door in sixth place, collecting the first of the six figure checks at $108 457 and giving Mackey an even bigger lead in the game.

The original chip leader, Karga Holt had a poor run of luck and was eventually taken down in fifth place on $140 091 after clashing with Binger. After that, it took less than thirty hands to decide the game in quick and expert poker from the remaining four players. Mackey took down William McMahon in the number 4 slot ($194 319) and then went on to eliminate third placed Binger ($295 245) from a commanding 3 to 1 chip lead.

Four hands after that the Mackey vs. Fox heads up was all over, too as an aggressive Mackey moved all in. Fox held K-4, and it led Mackey's 10-2. The flop missed both, but the turn gave the lead to Mackey and, after another ten arrived on the river, the young gun claimed the victory, the bracelet....and a giant of a main prize worth $730 740. The 21-year amateur from Colombia, Missouri took time off from the University of Missouri to pursue his poker career. He said after the tournament that he plans to head back to school at some point, but will continue to play for the time being.

Mackey is the third-youngest player to win a bracelet at 21 years and 4 months. Jeff Madsen and Steve Billirakis rank one and two.
Second placed Fox did well out of the generous prize-pool, too - his take-home was a check for $448 892.

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