2006 WSOP Event 10 - Seven-Card Stud

Place  PlayerPrize1David Williams$163,1182John Hoang$110,9203Jack Duncan$71,7724Michael Ledis$45,6735Miami John Cernuto  $35,8866Ivan Swertzer$29,3617Johnny Chan$22,8368Matt Hawrilenko$16,312  Event 12 - 3 day $1,500 Seven-Card Stud event - was highly anticipated by those poker players eager to stretch non-hold 'em muscles that often go unused these days. With around 600 players crowding the tables this year, the field was up from last year's 472. The action got underway on July 5th with Seven-Studders ready and raring to go, and right from the start it looked like an interesting event.  One player seemed to have a target on his head for anti-luck on day one, as Allen Kessler seemed to breathe bad beats. When he thought he made quad fives it looked like it was time to clean house; unfortunately, Greg Raymer was actually holding a hand that could beat him - quad queens. Some time after that Kessler had two pair, queens and threes, only to find the Spook Factor of Ted Forrest when he later enjoyed a set of aces that evolved into a flush. Some days you are the hammer, some days the nail.  Day two was a clearing house, churning through players until the final eight were determined, and some big names were included in that list:PlayerChip StackJohn Hoang170000David Williams142000Ivan Swertzer118500Jack Duncan106000Miami John Cernuto  86000Michael Ledis43500Matt Hawrilenko32000Johnny Chan26500  Getting an eleventh WSOP bracelet for Chan might be like breaking the four minute mile. Chan was knocked out in 7th place when his two pair was crushed by Miami John's trips. In the end it was down to David Williams, the second place finisher to Greg Raymer in the 2004 WSOP Main Event, and John Hoang, although his chip lead had fallen behind Williams.