Eric Froehlich Becomes Youngest WSOP Bracelet Winner

Los Angeles resident Eric Froehlich continued this year’s march on the World Series of Poker (WSOP) record books when he won the $1,500 Limit Hold’em event Monday night (Tuesday morning, officially), becoming the youngest bracelet winner in WSOP history.

Froehlich just barely qualified for the tournament, as he turned 21 years old on February 9. While it confused some people when his age was announced along with “professional poker player” as his career, it soon became apparent that he made a wise choice of occupations. Before the final table started, prior to the announcement of his age, Froehlich was asked when he graduated from college.

“Ha, that’s a good one,” he replied. “I dropped out a couple months ago.”

That would explain his career description. He appeared to have not lost his affinity for his “almost” alma mater, as he wore his navy blue University of Virginia hat, emblazed with an orange “V”, proudly through the duration of the competition.

Froehlich started as the fourth largest stack at the final table, but soon unveiled an aggressive, yet disciplined, style to take the lead by the time the field was narrowed to eight. While he lost the chip lead for a while, he stayed close and eventually began to pull away from the field.

By the time Froehlich reached heads-up play with eventual runner-up, Jason Steinhorn, he had a 2-1 advantage.

Froehlich actually increased his lead and had Steinhorn on the ropes, but Steinhorn charged all the way back and held the big stack after collecting a huge pot when he flopped a set of tens.

Froehlich took the $361,910 prize after almost an eight hour final table, however, rivering a spade flush and drowning Steinhorn.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

The tough luck award goes to the first player eliminated from the final table, Zelong Dong.

On the very first hand, he lost a big pot when Peter Costa, holding A-J, flopped a full house, Aces full of Jacks. The hand was played to a showdown, and while Dong mucked his cards, rumor is that he held A-K.

Three hands later, Dong raised pre-flop with his pocket Queens, with Todd Witteles calling the raise out of the big blind. Dong hit his set when the flop showed Qh-6d-Td, but only called when Witteles bet. When the 8d was dealt on the turn, Witteles bet out, Dong raised, Witteles re-raised, and Dong called. Witteles bet and Dong called on the river 2s. Witteles took down the pot with a flush, as he held As-5s.

The strange thing about that hand was that Witteles cheered when Dong called his turn re-raise. Add that to the fact that Witteles was actually calling for a “black deuce” (which he got) on the river, it was obvious that he hit the nut flush. Either that, or it was an extremely demonstrative bluff. Regardless, it made for a questionable river call by Dong.

Dong was eliminated on the next hand.

Sometimes Chasing Works

The thing about fixed limit poker is that it makes chasing hands much easier, since players can't make huge raises to protect their hands. Witteles used this to advantage, coming from behind in several hands to take down healthy pots.

The first happened on the fourth hand of the tournament, as described above, when Witteles hit his flush on the turn to beat Dong’s set of Queens.

On the hand that sent Dong home, Witteles hung on to river two pair, Queens and Jacks, to overcome Costa’s pair of Jacks. Witteles had Q-J in the hole, while Costa had A-J.

Not long after those two, Witteles pulled off one of the more shocking hands of the tournament. Costa raised preflop, Brian Mogelefsky and Witteles called. After a flop of A-10-2, Costa bet after the action was checked to him. Mogelefsky folded, Witteles called. The turn was a King and Witteles check-raised Costa. Costa called the raise. The river was a Jack and Witteles bet. Costa thought for a while, with Witteles standing up, hovering over him. Costa finally called, showing pocket Aces for a flopped set. Witteles took down the pot, however, with Q-J, hitting his inside-straight draw on the turn. There were a few audible groans from the crowd, as many appeared to think Witteles was crazy for playing the draw when Costa was showing strength.

Later, when Mogelefsky was eliminated in 9th after his pocket Kings fell to a set of Tens, Witteles chatted with friends during a short break. He said several times that he almost cracked three sets on that hand (where the three sets were, who knows). Apparently, he was chasing a backdoor diamond flush before wising up and folding on the river.

He must have done something right, though, as he finished in 3rd place.

Complete final table standings

(Place/Player/Prize Money)

1. Eric Froehlich............$361,910
2. Jason Steinhorn........$182,040
3. Todd Witteles............$115,810
4. Adam Hersh..............$101,335
5. Christian Van Hees....$86,855
6. Devin Armstrong.......$72,380
7. Peter Costa..............$57,905
8. Wing Wong...............$43,430
9. Brian Mogelefsky.......$28,950
10. Zelong Dong...........$15,925

Originally published June 7, 2005