Michael Gracz Wins WSOP Event #7

In what has become a trend at this year’s World Series of Poker, another player overcame a major chip deficit at the final table to earn a bracelet. This time it was Michael Gracz, as he won the $1,000 Re-buy No-Limit Hold’em event, taking home the $594,460 check.

Gracz, who also won the PartyPoker.com Million IV tournament in March, was in 6th place going into the final table, with only $173,000, almost $400,000 behind the chip leader, Chuck Thompson. When they were down to 7 players, he was the shortest stack, $500,000 behind the leader. He was even farther out of the lead, $750,000, when one more player had been eliminated. With 4 players remaining, Gracz found himself in an $800,000 hole, and the deficit had grown to $900,000 with 3 competitors left.

Gracz began his comeback by knocking out former chip leader Thompson to begin heads-up play “only” $650,000 behind C.T. Law. On the very first hand against Law, Gracz picked up a large pot, forcing Law to fold on the turn, and just like that, the gap was $200,000.

Gracz then doubled-up 18 minutes into the heads-up match by becoming a calling station. Pre-flop, post-flop, and on the turn, Law bet harder and harder, each time watching Gracz simply call each bet. When the river came, creating a board of A-8-2-3-4, Gracz finally raised Law’s $200,000 bet to $430,000 and Law called. Law had a strong hand, A-K, but Gracz flipped over A-5, catching the straight on the river. At this point, Gracz took a commanding lead, $1,700,000 to $600,000.

A short time later, however, Law caught up when he hit his own straight on the river, as Gracz played the role of calling station once again.

Gracz increased his lead again after Law almost evened the score, but Law soon doubled-up when he went all-in with 6-3 on a 5-2-2-6 board. Gracz’s J-5 did not improve on the river and Law retook the chip lead.

Gracz took 6 out of the next 8 hands to take a $700,000 lead. After widening the lead a bit more over the next several hands and almost knocking Law out once (they ended up splitting a pot in which Law was all-in), Gracz finally took the title over two hours into heads-up play. In fitting fashion, he had to come from behind to win the hand.

Law called a pre-flop raise to $60,000 by Gracz, and the two saw the flop of Jh-8c-5c. Gracz bet hard, putting $75,000 on the table. Law re-raised an additional $100,000 and Gracz went over the top all-in. Law took his time deliberating over his next move and finally called, which put him all-in, as he was the short stack. Law had Gracz dominated, Qd-Jd to Qs-8s, but Gracz pulled the miracle 8 on the turn to hit his trips. The river 6 didn’t help Law and Gracz was the champion.

Complete Final Table Standings

(Place/Player/Prize Money)

1. Michael Gracz - $594,460
2. C.T. Law - $311,555
3. Chuck Thompson - $176,145
4. David Pham - $154,125
5. Shane Schleger - $132,110
6. Shae Drobushevich - $110,090
7. Pascal Perrault - $88,070
8. Phil Gordon - $66,055
9. Meng La - $44,035

Originally published June 11, 2005