2012 WSOP Event 56

Friday July 6,2012 :  FIRST WORLD SERIES OF POKER BRACELET FOR CZECH REPUBLIC (Update)
 
23-year-old internet pro doesn't really like live tournament action, but does well out of Event 56.
 
Tomas Junek, a 23-year-old internet poker pro from the Czech Republic secured his – and his nation's – first WSOP bracelet and a first prize of $661,022 Thursday when he won event 56 – $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em…but made the startling comment after the game that he didn't much like live tournament action!
 
Nevertheless, his biggest pay day to date, achieved against an impressive entry field of 2,798, will undoubtedly encourage him to participate more often in the genre.
 
The Prestavlky-based player was hardly the favourite on a final table that included previous WSOP main event winner Peter Eastgate (who finished fourth as it turned out), along with highly respected poker pros like Will Failla, Sam Holden and David Borg.
 
But the young Czech confounded the pundits by playing a consistently good game to end the event triumphantly after a heads up against Borg.
 
Interviewed after his big win, a tired Junek said that three days of tension and excitement had left him exhausted.
 
“I actually don’t like live tournaments, but this is the World Series of Poker,” said Junek. “It is the biggest action of poker."
 
Asked about his live tournament experience, Junek said he had not been especially successful in six previous tournaments, but that his major win in event 56 would persuade him to play more.
 
"I don’t have many cashes in live tournaments, but I think after this success I will play live tournaments a little bit more," he said.
 
The final table, along with individual pay days, looked like this:
 
Tomas Junek  $661,022 
David Borg  $410,517  
Donald Vogel  $289,530 
Peter Eastgate  $209,111 
Eliyahu Levy  $152,867
Andrew Taylor  $113,092 
Steven Goldberg  $84,649 
Tomas Trampota  $64,101 
Bassel Moussa  $49,105