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Isaac “Ike” Haxton has finally made it to the WSOP bracelet winner’s enclosure, scooping the $25k High Roller for a monster $1,698,215 cash and some hitherto elusive and exclusive gold jewellery...
Haxton was one of 301 entries to event #16 on the WSOP’s annual Vegas summer schedule, a record-breaking field for a WSOP $25k and it contained almost everyone of note.
Joe Cada, Phil Hellmuth, Martin Jacobson, Espen Jorstad, and Joe McKeehen were there from among Main Event champs, with Daniel, Negreanu, Erik Seidel and Freddy Deeb from the ‘legends’, and the Foxens and Jake Schindler from the modern notables.
The money bubble burst midway through day two when Cary Katz’s top pair lost out to Ike Haxton’s turned kings, leaving the top 40 with a guaranteed $40k payday, Nick Schulman, Jake Schindler and Martin Zamani among them.
By the time day three arrived, the field had been whittled down to just 13, Haxton joined by Brian Rast and Darren Elias among the big names still in, with Kristen Foxen also in the mix...
The fairest of the Foxen family couldn’t turn her deep run into a third WSOP bracelet though, eventually falling in 12th spot for a $79,335 cash.
Brian rat ‘s dreams of joining the very exclusive ‘six bracelets gang’ fell short when Haxton eliminated him in 7th spot, and he was followed to the rails by Frank Funaro, who staked his tournament life on a flopped open-ender...
Funaro: Q♣ 4♣
Spencer: A♦ A♣
Flop: 3♥ 2♦ 5♦
Turn: 3♠
River: 9♠
Spencer would fall in 4th spot, a $500k+ score doubling the Stockport, England man’s lifetime live tournament earnings. There was another Englishman in the mix, Ryan O’Donnell producing the performance of a lifetime.
Three-handed with Haxton and WPT record-holder with four wins, Darren Elias, it was the London-based pro who struck next, his squeeze against a Haxton open looking like it would backfire as Elias re-shoved...
Elias: A♣ J♦
O’Donnell: K♠ J♠
Flop: 10♣ 7♦ Q♣
Turn: Q♥
River: A♥
That river handed O’Donnell a guaranteed seven-figure cash and a heads-up shot against Haxton for WSOP gold.
However, fate gives and fate takes, the final hand proving to be almost a mirror image of Elias’ exit...
O’Donnell: A♦ 10♥
Haxton: A♣ J♠
Flop: 10♣ 3♥ 3♦
Turn: Q♦
River: J♦
Final results
| 1 | Ike Haxton | $1,698,215 |
| 2 | Ryan O’Donnell | $1,049,577 |
| 3 | Darren Elias | $725,790 |
| 4 | Lewis Spencer | $511,782 |
| 5 | Roman Hrabec | $368,134 |
| 6 | Frank Funaro | $270,238 |
| 7 | Brian Rast | $202,532 |
| 8 | Joao Vieira | $155,037 |
“I've finished second and third many times for my biggest cashes so it's nice to finally win,” Haxton told reporters afterwards, adding: “A three hundred-player field for a $25k, yeah I guess it's gotta be up there with one of my biggest accomplishments."
Haxton revealed that there would be no rest, explaining: “I'm gonna go try to win the $50k tomorrow.”
We’ll bring you all the best of that event and all the other WSOP happenings right here, so be sure to check in regularly and share your thoughts on our social media channels.
