Wsop Event 2 won by Brent Hanks


Thursday May 31, 2012 :  FORMER SCHOOL TEACHER CLAIMS WORLD SERIES OF POKER BRACELET
 
Brent Hanks takes $517,725 home after winning event 2
 
Former school teacher turned live and online poker pro Brent Hanks claimed the first of the World Series of Poker open event winner bracelets Wednesday after besting an entry field of 2,101 in event 2, the $1,500 buy-in NLHE competition.
 
Hanks's monetary reward for his victory was $517,725 – his biggest win to date and his third WSOP final table.
 
Competing against him on the final table for event 2 were highly respected international aces like Vanessa Selbst and JP Kelly, along with Jacob Bazeley, Andrew Badecker, Ryan Schmidt, Abdyl Konjuhi, Michael Kaufman and Richard Park.
 
When Badecker was eliminated in the third spot for $224,029 it set the scene for a two hour heads up wrangle between Hanks and Jacob Bazeley in which the chip lead changed several times before Hanks managed to despatch his opponent.
 
Bazeley's second placing take-home was a useful $322,294.
 
Hanks's friendship with poker ace Jason Mercier was noted by several commentators, who reported that Mercier would profit from the Hanks victory because he had staked the player. Apparently Mercier has been putting up Hanks’ live tournament buy-ins for several years.