WSOP 2018: Jeremy Perrin Takes Down Event #6: Giant $365 No-Limit Hold ‘em For $250,966

After running through five separate starting flights that raked in a massive 8,920 player field, Event #6: Giant- $365 No-Limit Hold ‘em at the 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has finally come to a close with Jeremy Perrin (cover image) taking home a payday of $250,966 and also the prized gold bracelet!

Of the entire roster at this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP), the Giant-$365 NLHE tournament has the smallest buy-in and allowed players to earn several cashes in their respective flights. Two Indian players, Nipun Java and Pratik Kumar were among the many challengers present at the event. While Java progressed to Day 2 from Flight C with a stack of 385,000, Kumar entered Flight E and bagged 430,000 for the second day of play. Both players ended their run on Day 2, with Java finishing in 184th place for $2,010 (~₹1.38 Lakhs) and Kumar in 280th place for $1,765 (~₹1.21 Lakhs).

For the American pro-Perrin, who has been around the WSOP Circuit, winning the bracelet in his very first WSOP is a huge achievement!

“I feel pretty good. I actually thought it was the PLO GIANT and then I got two cards instead of four, figured I might just ship it,” Perrin said, after his victory.

He was also aptly incentivized to do well with a very specific prop bet with a friend. “If we play in a tournament together, a ring or bracelet event and we both play, and I win or he wins, I get to pick a tramp stamp for him that he has to keep for a year. That is in stone. That’s all I have played for. The money doesn’t matter, I gonna take the bracelet and melt it down into gold fronts. I’ll take the money, put it into a shredder, and just want to get his tramp stamp,” added Perrin who prefers Omaha cash games.

It wasn’t an easy ride though, since Perrin entered the final table with just 19 big blinds. He took up the lead after doubling up with pocket jacks in the first orbit and kept aiming for pay jumps.

“I didn’t play a hand for two hours. Honestly, I played for sixth place, then I wanted to make third, and then for the win,” he recalled.

The nine-handed play on the final table began with Renato Kaneoya in the chip lead with a stack of 56,100,000, and Luis Vazquez trailing with 42,700,000. Alexander Lakhov held the third biggest stack with 38,300,000 in his bag and was followed by Kevin Rines (21,500,000) and Daniel Fuhs (18,300,000) as the other big stack holders.

Final Table Recap

Over the first few hands on the official final table, Matthew Smith doubled through Kaneoya and it wasn’t long before Daniel Fuhs bowed out of play in ninth place. The only former WSOP bracelet winner among the nine finalists, Fuhs, had ace-king against king-queen of Vazquez but the latter flopped a pair of queens and then paired his king on the turn while Fuhs could only manage one pair. He desperately needed an ace to pop up on the river but an eight came up instead, sending him to the cashier’s desk.

Over the next hour the final table was reduced to just four players. Here’s how it happened:

First, it was Matthew Smith who faced Kaneoya in a hand where he held ace-king and couldn’t improve further whereas Kaneoya flopped one pair and won the pot, railing Smith in eighth place.

Next, it was Lawrence Chan who bowed out in seventh place after he moved all-in for 7.4 Million and was called by Rines. Chan held pocket sixes but Rines held king-queen and rivered top pair.

Several hands later, it was Kevin Rines’ turn to leave the final table. Lakhov moved all-in for 17.9 Million from early position and Rines quickly called out of the big blind. Both players tabled their cards, Rines held pocket jacks against Lakhov’s pocket sixes however the board improved Lakhov to a set on the turn and a full house on the river, getting him a healthy double up. One hand later, Rines was forced all in from the small blind and he pushed his last remaining stack. Lakhov increased it to 3.3 Million and all other opponents folded leaving only Rines and Lakhov for the showdown. Lakhov flopped two pairs, of aces and sevens to take down the pot and eliminating Rines in sixth place.

Subsequently, Nestorov managed to double up through Vazquez and soon Russian pro Alexander Lakhov who was final-tabling his second WSOP event this summer faced Vazquez. Lakhov opened the action with a raise to 3.5 Million and Vazquez 3-bet to 10.8 Million from the small blind. Lakhov then jammed for more than 30 Million and was instantly called by Vazquez. Lakhov showed against Vazquez`s . Already reeling under Vazquez’s superior hand, Lakhov found no support from the rundown and exited in fifth place.

Nestorov then sent Brazilian player Renato Kaneoya packing in fourth place. He raised from under the gun to 4,800,000 and was called by Vazquez in the small blind. Kaneoya jammed all in from the big blind and Nestorov tanked for a while. When he called, Vazquez snap-folded, and Kaneoya revealed while Nestorov tabled . Kaneoya clipped two pairs on the flop and the turn gave Nestorov few extra outs but it was the on the river that swung the hand in his favor while Kaneoya was eliminated in fourth place.

After a lot of back and forth action, Bulgarian pro Svetlozar Nestorov shoved from the button for his remaining chips, and Perrin who was in the small blind decided to call. Vazquez quickly folded and Nestorov revealed while Perrin tabled . The flop got them both a pair, the turn , and on the river sealed Nestorov’s fate, relegating him to the rail in third place.

The first few hands of the heads-up saw Luis Vazquez doubling up through Perrin but the latter soon gained it all back and won the title in a hand where Vazquez shoved all-in on the button and Perrin called. Varquez held against Perrin`s . The flop kept Varquez ahead while also getting him a flush draw. The turn changed little but the river gave Perrin the higher two pairs with jacks and tens, winning him the bracelet!

Jumping in joy and running towards his rail, Perrin then walked back to runner-up Varquez to congratulate him!

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Jeremy Perrin – $250,966

2. Luis Vazquez – $155,478

3. Svetlozar Nestorov – $118,444

4. Renato Kaneoya – $90,599

5. Alexander Lakhov – $69,571

6. Kevin Rines – $53,751

7. Lawrence Chan – $41,953

8. Matthew Smith – $32,433

9. Daniel Fuhs – $25,319

Content & image courtesy WSOP.com

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