2013 WSOP Event 46

Friday June 28, 2013 : In Event 46 $3,000 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low 8-or-Better, the Russian player Alexey Makarov held the lead over the 17 players remaining on the last day – survivors from an original entry field of 435 that generated a prize pool of $1,187,550, guaranteeing that the last 45 players would cash for at least $5,617.
 
Among the big names who cashed but did not make the final table were Mike Matusow, Gavin Smith, Amnon Filippi and Joe Hachem.
 
Makarov was able only to achieve a ninth placing on the final table, which emerged as Vladimir Shchmelev (St. Petersburg, Russia), Mel Judah (London, the United Kingdom), Ashly Butler (New Orleans, LA), Brian Hacker (San Diego, CA), Miami John Cernuto (Las Vegas, NV), Tyler Nelson (Rockford, IL), Andrey Zaichenko (Moscow, Russia), Allyn Jaffrey Shulman (Las Vegas, NV) and Alexey Makarov (Moscow, Russia).
 
Four of those players – Shchmelev, Cernuto, Judah and Schulman, were previous WSOP bracelet holders.
 
Ashly Butler looked firmly in control as final table action unfolded, personally eliminating at least four opponents before he was himself eliminated at third by 40-year-old Russian player Vladimir Shchmelev, perhaps better known to internet players on Pokerstars as GVOZDIKA55.
 
When the heads up was reached it saw Shchmelev facing the respected Brit pro Mel Judah, who was chasing his third WSOP bracelet.
 
Facing an almost 3:1 chip disadvantage, Judah continued to fight and was able to draw equal with the Russian just prior to the final hand of the brief heads up.
 
But it was just not on the cards, and Shchmelev was able to claim his second bracelet and the $279,094 main prize, despatching Judah to the cashiers cage and a second place pay check for $172,361.