WSOP Event #8: Jack Zwerner Scoops the Pot

There were no ESPN cameras filming the action, and it was Omaha high-low split, so in all honesty, one wouldn’t expect much excitement at this final table. Don’t tell that to the crowd, though, which was as boisterous as we have seen so far at the 2006 WSOP. With some exceptions, the fans were evenly split between the two final competitors, Jack Zwerner and Rusty Mandap, eventually watching Zwerner finish on top, earning the coveted gold bracelet and $341,526 in the $2,000 buy-in Omaha high-low split event.

Most of the other spectators were there rooting for the biggest name at the table, Daniel Negreanu. Even a couple poker celebrities showed up to watch the festivities – Erick Lindgren and Phil Hellmuth. Negreanu frequently ran over to Lindgren to celebrate the few pots he won (he busted out in 7th place). Hellmuth seemed to simply come over to grab attention, as he actually walked up to the table during play to speak with Negreanu. Of course, an ESPN camera did come over then. Amusingly, several crowd members were yelling at Hellmuth to leave.

As for the play, it was a bit hard for observers to follow, as the lack of a formal television crew meant that the community cards were not displayed for all to see. The final table announcer did do an admirable job of detailing the action, though.

The players fell off relatively quickly for a limit, split pot game. Steve Lustig, who entered the final table as a severe short stack, was first to go, only about twenty minutes into play. Forty minutes later (including a fifteen minute break), Russ Salzer, who had taken a big hit right away, was eliminated in 8th place.

Then, starting with Negreanu’s exit, the hits came fast and furious. First it was Negreanu, then Bob Mangino, then Robert Collins, almost in a row. The player who benefited most from this was Cong Do, who sat way behind in eight position to start the final table. He had moved up about $50,000 in prize money as the others fell by the wayside.

Cong Do was eventually the next to go and for a while it looked like Rusty Mandap was going to be knocked out in 3rd place, as he took a huge hit and was on life support. But Mandap went on a massive run over the course of only about half an hour and soon found himself in 2nd place, having overtaken the original table chip leader, Jeff Madsen. Mandap even took the chip lead himself by the dinner break. Jeff continued to fall after dinner and eventually Mandap and Zwerner were heads-up.

Zwerner did not take long to defeat Mandap, only another thirty minutes. He simply took control of the game and beat Mandap down. With a flourish, Zwerner locked down the final hand with the nut-nut (nut low and high). He held A-4-7-8, with the suited Ace of hearts, and the board read 6-5-3-7-2, with three hearts. He had the wheel for the nut low, plus the Ace-high flush. And since he had the four of hearts, there was no way Mandap could have a straight flush, even though the 6-3-7 was suited.

This was Jack Zwerner’s first WSOP bracelet and first major tournament victory.

Originally published July 6, 2006