Event #69: $1,500 Razz
Day 3 Completed
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #69: $1,500 Razz
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$565,650
Entries
419
Level
30
Limits
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
20,000
Level 30
: 100,000/200,000, 20,000 ante
After a monster six-hour heads-up battle Jason Gola finally saw off David “ODB” Baker to win his first bracelet in Event #69 $1,500 Razz.
Gola was all-in for his tournament life for just one big bet during Level 28, and it was from there he mounted his come back. Gola takes home $132,957 for his victory and the first WSOP gold bracelet of his career.
Ten players returned on Day 2 led by the aforementioned Baker and it didn’t take long for the first elimination of the day, Grzegorz Wyraz, who departed in 10th place for $8,477.
With the unofficial final table confirmed, Yordan Petrov (9th - $8,477), Jim Schaaf (8th - $11,024) and Gerard Rechnitzer (7th - $14,645) all departed before the day had its first big casualty.
Phil Hellmuth had come into the day as the short stack and was looking for his 15th WSOP gold bracelet. Sadly for him he was coolered in a hand against Baker. With action on sixth street, Hellmuth needed a non-pair below a seven. However, he hit two jacks and was eliminated in 6th place for $19,865.
Benny Glaser was looking for the fourth bracelet of his career, but sadly fell short in 5th for $27,503. Glaser and Wendy Freedman both made seven-lows in Level 23, with Freedman’s slightly better leaving Glaser with just 2,000 chips, which he lost to Freedman the very next hand.
Freedman would depart in 4th place for $38,847, the deepest WSOP run of her career, before Brad Ruben left in 3rd for $55,958.
Coming into heads-up, Baker held the lead, and time and time again looked to push the advantage to close out the match and win his second WSOP bracelet.
However, Gola wouldn’t give up and always clinged to the prospect of mounting a comeback, even when he was down to one big bet. Eventually, just after 1 a.m. local time, he bested his opponent and won his first WSOP gold bracelet.
| Place | Name | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Gola | United States | $132,957 |
| 2 | David "ODB" Baker | United States | $82,174 |
| 3 | Brad Ruben | United States | $55,958 |
| 4 | Wendy Freedman | United States | $38,847 |
| 5 | Benny Glaser | United Kingdom | $27,503 |
| 6 | Phil Hellmuth | United States | $19,865 |
| 7 | Gerard Rechnitzer | United States | $14,645 |
| 8 | Jim Schaaf | United States | $11,024 |
“I know [a comeback] was possible,” said Gola after his victory, “I wasn’t going to just fling in my last chips. I wanted to find a spot to get my chips in good.
“I knew it was possible. Especially in Razz it’s a bit different where you have blinds. There’s no big blind coming where it’s really urgent that you get your chips in before the big blind. The stud games are a little different in that way.”
Gola had nothing but praise for his opponent.
“ODB is a very skilled player,” he said. “He’s good at all the games and he played really well today. He played really well all tournament.
"I’m very blessed to have beaten him. I didn’t give up. Happy to make the comeback. I’m just over the moon right now; I’m so happy."
The newest WSOP bracelet-winner also heaped praise on his close friend Brandon Shack-Harris.
“He’s a really good friend of mine and I’ve watched and sweated him in tournaments. I don’t know if anyone can bring back a small stack back better than Brandon. He’s got to be one of the best in the world at it. I’ve watched him do it on a number of occasions to win a bracelet and go deep in tournaments he inspired me.
“I know I shouldn’t give up when I didn’t have that many chips.”
Gola didn’t give up, and now has a gold bracelet to his name.
Level 30
: 100,000/200,000, 20,000 ante
David "ODB" Baker had just enough chips for the bring in and Jason Gola called.
David "ODB" Baker: 
/ 
/ 
Jason Gola: 
/ 
/
Baker was drawing dead by sixth street and he got to his feet to shake his opponent's hand. Baker takes home $82,174 for his second place finish.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 30
: 100,000/200,000, 20,000 ante
Jason Gola: / /
David Baker: / 
/
David Baker bet the whole way until he got to seventh street and he had 40,000 behind. He checked and Jason Gola bet. Baker folded and seemed pretty pained after holding the chip lead and now being left with only 40,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,060,000
760,000
|
760,000 |
|
||
|
|
40,000
-760,000
|
-760,000 |
|
|
||
Level 30
: 100,000/200,000, 20,000 ante
Jason Gola: / 
/
David "ODB" Baker: / 
/
Baker brought-in, and Gola completed. Baker called. Gola bet on fourth street, and Baker called. Gola bet on fifth street, Baker raised all in, and Gola called.
On seventh street, Gola drew an , making a ten-low. Baker drew a and doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,300,000
-240,000
|
-240,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
800,000
240,000
|
240,000 |
|
|
||
Level 30
: 100,000/200,000, 20,000 ante
Jason Gola: / /
David Baker: / /
David Baker bet on fourth and fifth streets with the lead, and Jason Gola called both streets. Gola gained the lead and bet sixth and seventh. Baker called both streets, and Gola showed a six-low, revealing from his hand.
The lead has changed hands several times since the heads-up match began, but this is the shortest Baker has been during the duel.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,540,000
670,000
|
670,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
560,000
-670,000
|
-670,000 |
|
|
||
Level 30
: 100,000/200,000, 20,000 ante
Jason Gola: / - fold
David "ODB" Baker: /
Jason Gola brought-in, and David "ODB" Baker completed. Gola raised, and Baker called. Baker bet on fourth street, and Gola called. Baker bet again on fifth street and took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,870,000
-670,000
|
-670,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,230,000
670,000
|
670,000 |
|
|
||
Level 30
: 100,000/200,000, 20,000 ante
Jason Gola: /
David "ODB" Baker: / - fold
Gola brought-in, and Baker completed. Gola raised, and Baker called. Gola bet on fourth street, and Baker called. Baker caught another jack and shot an exasperated look at his rail before folding to a bet on fifth street.
After that and a number of other hands, Baker slipped well under 1,000,000 in chips.
Gola: / /
Baker: / /
In this hand, Baker brought-in with a seven, and Gola completed. Baker called. Gola then bet on fourth, fifth and sixth streets, with Baker calling each. Gola checked on seventh, and Baker checked behind and motioned to see what Gola had.
Gola showed for a jack-low, and it was good enough to take down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,540,000
980,000
|
980,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
560,000
-980,000
|
-980,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 30
Limits: 100,000/200,000
Ante: 20,000
Level 29
: 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
David Baker: /
Jason Gola: /
Jason Gola had the lead on fourth street and bet. Baker called. Baker took the lead on fifth and bet. Gola called. Baker bet again on sixth, and Gola folded.
After that hand, the two players had basically even stacks.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,560,000
-380,000
|
-380,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,540,000
380,000
|
380,000 |
|
|
||