2013 WSOP Event 49

Barney Boatman and Brandon Wong celebrate important wins.
 
Two veteran players well respected on the WSOP scene, Brit Barney Boatman of the Hendon Mob and Californian pro Brandon Wong, cracked their first World Series of Poker bracelets – at last – over the weekend, besting large fields to win major prizes.
 
In event 49, a $1,500 buy-in NLHE tournament, 58-year-old British pro Barney Boatman was clearly delighted to win after well over a decade of attending the annual WSOP festival and achieving 24 cashes but no bracelet.
 
This time he made no mistake, despite having to fight his way through an entry field of 2,246 players, many of them big names in the international game, who generated a prize pool of $3,033,450.
 
It was worth the effort – after three days of tough poker Boatman was able to claim his first bracelet and the $546,080 main prize, watched by his brother Ross and a slew of loudly cheering Brit supporters.
 
The final table in the event saw Boatman pitted against Brian O’Donoghue, Van Tran, Taras Kripps, Aditya Prasetyo, Robin Ylitalo, Paul Dasilva, Noah Sandler and Roger Lussier.
 
Down to three handed play, Tran, O'Donohue and Boatman struggled for the lead for just on 30 hands before Tran was dismissed at third for $239,339, opening the way to the heads up between O'Donohue and Boatman with the chip counts almost even.
 
It was a final confrontation that was to last for almost 175 hands before Boatman managed to eliminate his talented and never-say-die opponent.
 
O'Donohue's second placing was worth $338,745.