From fourth to first: Buchman wins $203K and first WSOP title

Eric Buchman — who finished fourth in the World Series of Poker's Main Event last year, won the $2,000 buy-in Limit Hold'em tournament (Event #18) on Friday night. It marked his first gold bracelet victory following 13 previous WSOP cashes and three final table appearances dating back to 2006.

Buchman is known for last year's Main Event finish, where he netted a cool $2.5 million and immortality as a permanent fixture on ESPN's televised reel of poker broadcasts.

"You see yourself win a big hand (on televised final table), and it's great," said Buchman. "You see yourself lose a big hand, and it's sad. I can't really watch too much of it, because it kind of makes me upset, to be honest. I've seen it already. I wish I did better. That's really an event you don't get too many chances to win."

The 30-year-old from Hewlett, N.Y., started playing poker as a teenager and has been working as a successful poker pro for several years.

The limit Hold'em tournament attracted 476 entries, which was a slight increase in attendance over last year. The top 45 finishers collected prize money.

"I spent a lot of time playing limit Hold'em," said Buchman. "I'm very comfortable with the game. I really like it because you play no limit so much it becomes like work. You do not get to play very many Limit tournaments. The WSOP is the only place where they really have big limit tournaments."

Brent Courson, a 28-year-old general manager and part-time poker player from Grand Rapids, Mich., was the runner up to claim $125,737. The final hand came when Buchman was dealt 10-seven, and Courson held ace-king. Courson was all-in after the turn, when Buchman paired his seven, and Courson did not improve on the river.

The third-place finisher was Steven Hustoft, from Lacey, Wash., Flavio Ferrari, from Rome, Italy, was fourth, Hansu Chu, from McLean, Va, was fifth, William Jensen, from Silver Spring, Md., was sixth, Matt Grapenthien, from Chicago, Ill., was seventh, and Gary Bogdanski, from Lyndhurst, N.J., was eighth.

Matt Matros, a Brooklyn-based writer and poker player who won his first WSOP gold bracelet in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em event a week earlier, finished ninth.

Other former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event included Ivo Donev (26th) and Ralph Porter (40th). Jeff Shulman, the President of Card Player magazine and also a player in the November Nine last year, finished 13th.

Modified from notes provided by Nolan Dalla for www.wsop.com