2012 WSOP Event 30

Monday  June 18, 2012 : PHILANTHROPIC TEXAS RANCHER WINS WORLD SERIES OF POKER EVENT
 
WSOP vet Larry Wright plans to donate his prize to African missionary
 
Texas cattle rancher and World Series of Poker regular player Larry Wright (58) upended many predictions on Father’s Day by besting some of the most recognisable names in international poker, winning event 30 – $1,500 Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball.
 
Wright faced a formidable final table that included Brandon Cantu, Andrew Lichtenberger, Michael Mizrachi, Erick Lindgren, Rep Porter, Ryan Tepen and John Phan, all that remained of a starting field of 285 players.
 
Admitting that he had been "pretty well intimidated at every table I played in this event," the modest rancher nevertheless ended up playing, and beating, Brandon Cantu in the heads up to win his first WSOP bracelet and the grand prize of $101,975, which he immediately donated to a missionary friend running an operation in the war-torn and famine-plagued country Sudan, in Africa.
 
Wright played a skilful and patient game, waiting for the high-powered poker aces around the table to bust each other out before making his own moves to victory.  
 
"I had to wait for a few of the stars to get out of the way, and when they wiped each other out, I switched gears,” he told reporters after the game.
 
Known to many on the poker circuit as a generous and kindly man, Wright has tournament winnings of over half a million dollars to his name in several decades of experience, including three previous WSOP cashes this year.
 
Other final table cashes in the event were:
 
Brandon Cantu  $63,048 
Andrew Lichtenberger  $41,445 
Michael Mizrachi  $28,198 
Erick Lindgren  $19,676
Rep Porter  $14,078
Ryan Tepen  $10,318
John Phan  $7,748