Jamie Dwan Wins First Bracelet “For Mom” as Hero Negreanu Denied

Outlasting legends of the felt such as the All-Time Money List leader Bryn Kenney and the eight-time WSOP winner and Poker Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu, Jamie Dwan won his first bracelet for $2.2m in the $50,000-entry NLHE High Roller Event #90. The World Series of Poker high roller event also saw in-the-money finishes for Chris Brewer and Kristen Foxen.

Big Names Bust Inside the Money

With 202 entries, a total of 31 players would make a return on their $50,000 entry fees for the event. Earning a $100,497 min-cash were players like Byron Kaverman (31^st), Jeremy Ausmus (29^th), Stephen Chidwick (26^th) and Faraz Jaka (21^st). Lasting a little London, Finnish pro Eelis Parssinen (16^th for $105,522), Chris Brewer (13th for $122,526), Sebastian Gaehl (12th for $122,526) and the Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel (11^th for $146,295) all missed out on the very deep run they craved while banking profit.

Only eight players made the final table and Canadian great Kristen Foxen was ‘bubble girl’ when she busted in ninth place for $179,480. All-in with pocket jacks, the six-time WSOP bracelet winner ran into the pocket kings of Josef Schusteritsch to depart. Soon, Foxen was joined on the rail by her compatriot Daniel Negreanu (below). Kid Poker lost a flip with ace-king as Jamie Dwan, whose pocket nines prevailed in the hand, admitted later that he took out one of his poker heroes, crediting Negreanu as being the player who inspired him to take up the game.

The German player Daniel Smiljkovic busted in seventh place for $292,221 when he moved all-in with ace-four but ran into the dominating ace-king of Paulius Vaitekunas. The Lithuanian pro never looked in trouble across the J-J-7-T-2 board, and the field was reduced to six players all battling to win $2.2m up top.

Kenney Won’t Be King

The Israeli player Timur Margolin was the next player to leave for $387,298 in sixth place. All-in with pocket queens on a board showing A-9-2-4, Margolin was outdone by Bryn Kenney, whose ace-ten easily held through the five on the river. Soon, five became four as the Austrian Schusteritsch left for a score of $526,030. All-in with king-six holding very few chips, he was called off by Dwan wit ten-nine, whereupon a ten on the turn sent the Austrian home.

The Lithuanian Paulius Vaitekunas was ousted in fourth for $731,733. Also short stacked, his eight-seven was no match for Dwan’s king-ten, as the British player hit the board of Q-6-4-J-T to reduce the field to the podium places. Dwan was knocking the players out, but Daniel Rezaei was the player doing a lot of the damage and as such, he was the chip leader pulling further ahead.

It wasn’t long before the All-Time Money List leader Bryn Kenney’s tournament ended in third place for $1,041,908. All-in with queen-ten, Kenney was correctly called by Rezaei with ace-six and the Austrian’s hand won through the board of J-6-5-7-3, hitting a pair on the flop for good measure.

Dwan Deals Defeat After Epic Comeback

When the final heads-up battle began, Daniel Rezaei had 80% of the chips in play, but after Jamie Dwan won the opening skirmishes, a bluff that stemmed more from desperation than domination went wrong for the Austrian. Dwan made the call and from there, always looked the more likely to take the title.

Both men held the lead on half a dozen occasions each before Dwan had the chip advantage and the final hand played out. Rezaei committed his chips with ace-ten but ran into Dwan’s ace-jack, and after a clean board ran out, the British player celebrated wildly with his friends on the rail before dedicating the win to his mother in an emotional speech.

“It means so much to me,” he said. “My mum’s not very well, and all I wanted to do this summer was to come back to her with a bracelet. I’ve done it in one of the biggest tournaments of the year. It means so much, so much.”

Amazingly, the event was the first time Dwan had ever put down to play a poker tournament. Winning his first-ever $50k felt sweet.

“This is my first-ever $50,000 [event]; it is the most I’ve ever had invested in a tournament,” said Dwan after the action. “It was a huge shot to take, and I’ve just won it. None of this feels real – it feels insane. I was having a winning summer. I was like, I’ll punt it. I’ll have a go at it, you know. It feels like a dream. It doesn’t feel real.”