WSOP 2009 - Poker Math Author Wins WSOP Event

In “Your Poker Library”, an article I wrote in BetUS poker school about Bill Chen and Jerrod Ankenman’s book The Mathematics of Poker:

This book by Chen and Ankenman is a masterpiece in many ways. Unfortunately, it requires a very high level of math knowledge, it’s extremely technical. The book outlines game theory applications of poker, and it does so methodically and completely. If you can get through the book, you’ll come out with a very different understanding of the game. Be warned though, if you didn’t do some college-equivalent level math, it will be a struggle.

The book is about to sell a lot more copies. Ankenman just won Event #42 at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) today. It was a $2500 buy-in Mixed Game tournament. Mixed games are a true test of a poker player’s logic and natural ability. There’s no way to have enough experience to have mastered all of the games, so it’s about general competency and quick thinking. In this mixed tournament, eight games were played: 2-7 Triple Draw (Limit), Limit Hold’em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, Stud 8, No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha.

This is Ankenman’s first WSOP victory, and any mixed game bracelet is something to really be proud of. There were 412 entries in the tournament, but by the third day (today), the field had been pared down to 14. Those 14 were quickly reduced to eight. Here’s how the chips stacked up when it got to the final table:

Jerrod Ankenman – 1.2 million

Jon Turner – 591,000

Sergey Altbregin – 387,000

Eric Crain – 355, 000

Jeff Tims – 260,000

Chris Klodnicki – 109,000

Dario Alioto – 103,000

Layne Flack – 60,000

As you can see, Ankenman had a serious chip lead to start the final table action, but hanging on to a lead like that is easier said than done. The only other big name at the table was Layne Flack, a three-time WSOP bracelet winner. He went out second, in seventh, just after Alioto. Alioto took home $25,860, while Flack pocketed $30,674. Both players were eliminated in a Stud round, with Flack’s two pair losing to a higher two pair for Eric Crain.

Crain himself was the next to go. He lost a sizeable stack in two big hands, both during a No Limit Hold’em round. In the first one he got all-in with AKs, but he ran into pocket aces. Then he got it all-in again with KQ, this time against Ankenman, who had 88. Ankenman hit his set on the flop and that was that. Crain won $38,075 for coming in 6th.

Turner went out in 5th for $49,569 when his AJ couldn’t hit anything. Ankenman was the killer again. Tims was next, another victim of a killer No Limit Hold’em round. His A5s lost to Klodnicki’s A6s when Klodnicki made a flush. Tims took home $67,848 for his effort.

Ankenman was out for blood again with AQs preflop, but he ran into Altbregin’s pocket kings and lost a massive 1.4 million chip pot and the chip lead. Then Klodnicki got it all-in against Ankenman in a Pot Limit Omaha hand when the flop came down 94 3 . Klodnicki held A963 for two pair, but he was in deep against Ankenman’s A K K2, the nut flush draw, an overpair and a gutshot draw. A spade came on the turn, and Klodnicki won $97,897 for third place.