Poker player grabs second WSOP bracelet after 18 years

Name: Mike Wattel
Nationality: American
Birthplace: n/a
Current Residence: Chandler, Arizona
Age: 46
Profession: Poker player
Number of WSOP Cashes: 46
Number of WSOP Final Table Appearances: 18
Number of WSOP Gold Bracelet Victories (with this tournament): 2
Best Previous WSOP Finish: 1st – 1999 WSOP: Event #15: $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo ($134,865)
Career WSOP Earnings: $2,247,383
Personal Facts: Wattel first began playing poker in 1991. His first bracelet win, in 1999, was also his first-ever WSOP cash.

Mike Wattel won the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship to claim his second WSOP gold bracelet and the $245,451 first prize.

Just after 2 a.m. local time, Wattel hit a flush on seventh street and left his opponent with less than a big bet. His opponent was none other than Chris Ferguson. Ferguson needed a win to take over first place in the WSOP Player of the Year race. He was also looking for his first bracelet since 2003.

On the very next hand, Wattel got all in on third, and Wattel would make kings up to knock out Ferguson after six hours of heads up play and win his second WSOP gold bracelet. Wattel had also had a long stretch without a bracelet, winning his second bracelet 18 years after his first.

"I was wondering if the second one was ever coming," Wattel said after the victory. "Second one better than the first. I'm just feel relieved that I finally won one again."

Wattel and Ferguson were both at risk during heads up play. On one seventh street, Wattel pulled trip fives to double up and would eventually go on to finish off Ferguson and claim his second WSOP win.

"It was an epic battle," Wattel added. "He plays great and I had him, then he had me. I pulled it off at the end."

The final table for this event started Saturday evening, and David Benyamine was eliminated in eighth place. He was eliminated by Perry Friedman when Friedman made aces up.

When play started Sunday at 2 p.m. Shaun Deeb was the short stack, entering the day with less than a big bet. He busted shortly after play began when he went four to a flush on fourth, but bricked the remaining streets and was eliminated by Sean Mirrasouli.

Bryce Yockey was next to go. He got a pair of sixes in against Ferguson and couldn't improve. John Monnette finished in fifth place after being eliminated by Wattel, who started with split aces and made aces up to beat Monnette's single pair of aces. Monnette will jump into first place in the Player of the Year race with his fifth place finish in this event. Ferguson will now be in second behind Monnette thanks to his finish here as well.

Sean Mirrasouli busted in fourth place when Wattel made a wheel on seventh street. Then Perry Friedman, who entered the day with a big chip lead, fell to Ferguson in third place. Ferguson made a pair of nines after getting Friedman all in on fourth street and Friedman couldn't improve on his pair of threes.

Heads up play lasted longer than the rest of the final day up to that point, but when all was said and done it was Mike Wattel who added another WSOP gold bracelet to his resume. He was unconcerned about the Player of the Year ramifications or that a majority of the poker world was cheering for him to beat Ferguson and lock him out of the top spot on the POY leaderboard.

"I was trying to win for me. I didn't care who the opponent was."

1. Mike Wattel, $245,451
2. Chris Ferguson, $151,700
3. Perry Friedman, $104,416
4. Sean Mirrasouli, $73,810
5. John Monnette, $53,621
6. Bryce Yockey, $40,066
7. Shaun Deeb, $30,817
8. David Benyamine, $24,419

(Article courtesy of World Series of Poker)