2007 WSOP Event #12 – Jason Warner Wins $1,500 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em

A few years ago, Jason Warner might have been the youngest player to ever win a World Series of Poker bracelet.  Now, the 22-year-old hardware sales associate from Vancouver is just another in an increasingly long line of young twenty-somethings making final tables and winning bracelets.  A regular at the River Rock Casino, it looks like he may be able to move up to a bigger game now that he has won the $1,500 six-handed no-limit event and $481,698 (American!). 

Warner went into the final table as the chip leader, but it was really anyone’s game.  He had $945,000, but David Zeitlin had $899,000, Brian Miller had $831,000, and David Mitchell-Lolis had $736,000.  Even the short stacks, Steve Olek and Matt Brady, had $484,000 and $381,000, respectively.   

The final table was a roller coaster ride for Warner.  He eliminated his closest competition right off the bat, making a great call when Miller made a massive all-in move on the river of a board reading 8-7-7-3-K.  Miller only had Ace high, but Warner had K-10 for a pair of Kings.  Miller’s all-in must have been an attempt to force Warner out of the pot, but obviously, it didn’t work. 

On the next hand, Warner dispatched Matt Brady.  This time, Warner had A-6, dominating Brady’s K-6.  After these two eliminations, Warner was the prohibitive favorite with his monster stack looming over the table, now more than double that of anyone else.

Just before the first break, Steve Olek jumped right back into the competition.  After Warner limped pre-flop, Olek raised, and then Warner re-raised to $350,000.  Olek called and the two saw a flop of 10d-9d-2h.  At that, Olek pushed all-in with Ah-9h for middle pair and Warner called with 4-4.  Olek was in great shape…until the turn, which gave Warner a set of 4’s.  It was a heart, though, so Olek still had a shot at a flush.  He did, in fact, get there on the turn, as the 5h appeared, producing two suckouts in one hand.  That pushed Olek up to $1.375 million, while Warner dropped to $1.620 million.  Mitchell-Lolis was just shy of $1 million, while Zeitlin was languishing with only $305,000. 

In the hour following the break, Zeitlin made his way out of the basement.  First, he picked up around $175,000 by moving all-in pre-flop four hands in a row, grabbing the blinds and antes. Later in the hour, he won a tremendous pot.  Three players saw a flop of 6-4-3.  Mitchell-Lolis bet, Zeitlin pushed, and Olek folded.  Mitchell-Lolis insta-called, as he had 7-5 for a flopped straight.  Zeitlin was still alive, however, as he had 6-4 and a few outs for a full house.  The turn gave him the 6 he was looking for, and all of a sudden, he was in the chip lead. 

In the following hour, Warner found himself in deep trouble when he made a very questionable call.  On a flop of Q-J-Q, Olek moved his remaining $750,000 into the pot with Q-9.  Warner, with 7-7, decided he had the best hand and called, doubling-up Olek and damaging his own stack significantly. 

Shortly thereafter, Mitchell-Lolis, who had lost most of his chips when Zeitlin hit that boat, busted in 4^th place. 

Going into three-handed play, Zeitlin had a commanding lead with $2.9 million, followed by Warner with $689,000 and Olek with $590,000. 

While three-handed, Warner got healthy again, when his K-8 sucked out on Zeitlin’s A-K when an 8 flopped.  Just a couple minutes later, Olek was knocked out in 3^rd place.  The better hand pre-flop won this time, Zeitlin’s A-10 versus Olek’s K-10. 

Heads-up, Zeitlin had the chip lead, but Warner regained his earlier position on top quickly with a well-timed suck out.  All-in pre-flop with 5-5, he was dominated by Zeitlin’s 7-7.  Nothing on the flop, nothing on the turn…but a 5 on the river allowed him to double-up and take a 2-to-1 lead. 

It was all downhill from there.  Warner built his stack little by little and eventually had Zeitlin down to $600,000.  Zeitlin decided Q-4 was a good enough hand to push with pre-flop and Warner called him with A-6.  Zeitlin caught a 4 on the turn, but the river was once again kind to Warner, as he caught a 6 to win the pot and the bracelet.

Final Table Standings 

1. Jason Warner -- $481,698
2. David Zeitlin -- $269,778
3. Steve Olek -- $186,020
4. David Mitchell-Lolis -- $123,689
5. Matt Brady -- $92,523
6. Brian Miller -- $61,357