2012 World Series of Poker Event 37

Saturday June 23, 2012 : TEXAN POKER PRO IN WORLD SERIES OF POKER VICTORY (Update)
 
Tournament veteran David Baker wins his first WSOP bracelet
 
39-year-old Texan poker pro David Baker finally topped a World Series of Poker career that has seen him make 26 cashes with one that also carried a winner's bracelet Friday.
 
Baker bested 476 other entrants to win event 37 – $2,500 buy-in Eight Game Mix and claim the top prize of $271,312 and the coveted jewellery.
 
It was no mean feat, as the final table had more than its fair share of high powered players, including Greg Mueller, Kevin Calenzo, Joseph Couden, Donnacha O’Dea  $56,277, Konstantin Puchkov, Chris McHugh and Chris Viox.
 
Kevin Calenzo's departure in the third spot saw Baker facing off against the tough and experienced Greg Mueller heads up, a battle royal that stretched into Day 4 of the event with Mueller holding a 3 to 1 chip advantage going into the final day.
 
However, Baker's tournament experience – he's played in six previous WSOP final tables – helped him stay focused and unfazed as he fought his way back into the match with steady gains.
 
It paid off – just over an hour after the start of play Baker managed to overtake his opponent, enabling him to leverage the advantage over the next sixty or so minutes and finally defeat Mueller, sending him home with a second placing check for $167,637.
 
The win brings Baker's total tournament earnings to over $2.5 million in some 74 cashes over an eight year professional career.