The 2015 WSOP $1,000 Seniors Championship (No-Limit Hold’em) was completed with Oklahoma-based amateur player Travis Baker emerging victorious to capture his first WSOP cash and gold bracelet.
This special three-day event attracted a field of 4,193 entries who created a prize pool of $3,773,700. The first 423 finishers were paid, with the payouts starting from $1,886. As for the champion, he received the amount of $613,466, the Seniors Championship trophy, and his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet.
Most of the players at the $1,000 Seniors Championship nine-handed final table scooped their first WSOP cashes. In fact, apart from one-time gold bracelet winner Steve Gee, there were no other holders of the WSOP piece of jewelry. Gee got his first WSOP title in 2010, when he topped the field of a $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event for $472,479.
The final table lasted a little more than five and a half hours. Once play got down to only five players, Baker needed about 35 minutes to wipe out his four remaining opponents. The player faced Carl Torelli, who also made his WSOP final table debut, in one last heads-up duel.
Hand #124 turned out to be the last one in play. Baker raised to 560,000 and his opponent called. The board showed [5s][7s][Js][5d] on the turn. Torelli bet 1,500,000 and Baker re-raised to 4,000,000. Torelli went all-in and his opponent called. Baker tabled [Ks][10s] against Torelli’s [Jd][7c]. The [3h] appeared on the river and the name of the champion was announced.
Torelli, who currently resides in Pahrump, Nevada, was paid $378,766 for finishing 2nd in the event. This was his 2nd WSOP cash.
Jim Hopperstead from Cookeville, Tennessee took 3rd place to capture his 3rd WSOP cash of $274,989. Michael Smith from Union, Kentucky made his debut WSOP final table appearance to finish 4th and take the amount of $202,157.
Justin Tucker from Flushing, New York took 5th and was paid the amount of $149,929, his first WSOP cash. Lee Budin from New Albany, Ohio finished 6th and scooped a $112,154 share of the entire prize pool.
Stephen Nussrallah from Alpharetta, Georgia was paid the amount of $84,644 for his 7th place in the event. The player has cashed in 4 WSOP events so far. He also has 12 Circuit cashes and captured a Circuit ring earlier this year.
Former bracelet winner Steve Gee from Sacramento, California finished 8th in the event to receive $64,417. Rounding up the final table, Shane Goldsmith from Newton, Kansas added $49,435 to his poker bankroll.
