Kijoon Park raised on the button and Andre Akkari defended his big blind.
Each player then drew two cards, and after Akkari checked, the aggressive Park put out a bet.
Akkari called and then each player drew only one.
Again Akkari checked, and once more, Park bet.
Akkari called again, and each player still needed a card.
The players then checked the end, with the Brazilian showing for the winner to drag another pot, as he's been heating up of late with the boisterous Brazilian rail now surrounding "The Horseshoe" in the Bally's Event Center in support of their man.
Kijoon Park raised on the button and was called by Andre Akkari in the big blind.
On each street of a runout, Akkari check-called bets from Park, only to see Park show at the end for a seven-high straight and a six-five low to scoop the pot and give him almost three-quarters of the chips in play.
From the small blind, David Bach announced, "Pot." In the big blind, Kijoon Park took stock of his opponent's stack, it was around 800,000 left, then called.
On the flop, Bach bet pot and then called off when Park raised.
David Bach:
Kijoon Park:
Park made a set on the flop to crack Bach's queens, and after the turn and the river, David Bach was eliminated. Park now owns the vast majority of the chips in play.
New York online grinder Kijoon Park overcame a star-studded field of 456 players, including some of the best mixed game players in the world, to win what’s become affectionately known as “The Mini PPC”, the $2,500 Nine-Game Mix, for a career-best $219,799 and his first World Series of Poker bracelet.
He entered heads-up play with a massive chip lead before defeating Andre Akkari, in front of a boisterous Brazilian rail, in just two hands to claim the title.
Event #52: $2,500 Nine Game Mix 6-Handed Final Table Results
Place
Player
Country
Prize
1
Kijoon Park
United States
$219,799
2
Andre Akkari
Brazil
$135,848
3
Phil Long
United Kingdom
$90,411
4
David Bach
United States
$61,588
5
Taylor Paur
United States
$42,965
6
Michael Chow
United States
$30,713
Winner’s Reaction
Park’s previous best results have come online, where he’s won a WSOP Circuit ring in 6-max No-Limit Hold’em and has over $100,000 in online earnings. He said his experience playing online mixed games was key to his victory.
“I play a lot of 8-Game on PokerStars New Jersey, so it paid off I guess.”
With this event being just his second-ever live WSOP event, (he was eliminated from the $1,500 8-Game event on Day 1) he says with the bracelet and $219,799 now to his name, he might just play a few more events before the series is done.
“The plan might be to play more and play the rush. I might just grind every day!”
He’s also excited to play the Tournament of Champions at the end of the WSOP and has already signed up for the $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. and the $600 Mixed PLO/NLH event later in the series.
The Day’s Action
Despite 24 players starting the day, the first two levels of play saw lightning-fast eliminations, leaving only 13 players at the first break. Among those sent away early were Phil Hellmuth, who was the first to go in 24th place, Scott Seiver in 22nd place and Joey Couden in 21st place.
Once back from break, the next round of eliminations began, with GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanunext out the door in 13th place. More bracelet winners were sent away before the final table including Mike Gorodinsky in 11th place and Scott Bohlman in eighth place.
The Kijoon Park Show Begins
Once the unofficial final table began, so did the Kijoon Park show. With eight players remaining, he steadily built up a chip lead before solidifying it in a massive Omaha 8 or Better pot that ended with him stacking more than half the chips in play.
After the elimination of Nick Guagenti in seventh place, the final break of the day was taken with six players left, and while Park wasn’t involved in the eliminations of Michael Chow in sixth place or Taylor Paur in fifth place, he continued to win crucial pots to build his chip stack with another big Omaha 8 or Better pot sending him over the ten million chip mark.
Park then took the rest of the eliminations into his own hands, sending David Bach home in fourth place, Phil Long in third and finally Akkari heads-up to claim the bracelet.
This concludes our coverage of Event #52. Congratulations to Kijoon Park on his impressive victory. Stay close to PokerNews for continuing coverage of the 53rd World Series of Poker from its new home at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas.