Ryan Bambrink, a 30-year-old day trader and online poker player from New Jersey, has taken down the $1,500 buy-in pot-limit Omaha competition at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas to earn his first WSOP bracelet and the main prize of $217,123.
It was his fourth cash in a remarkably successful Las Vegas trip with the sole intention of playing WSOP events.
A veteran online player who started out just after Chris Moneymaker started the boom in online poker interest, Bambrink bested 799 entrants in the POL event despite a relative sparse live tournament history. His reward far outstripped his previous top live tourney earning of $47,000.
Finnish player Sampo Ryynanen had the chip lead as the finalists reached three-handed action, but Bambrink scored a major double up which enabled him to wrest the lead from the Finn. He was able to retain that momentum, eliminating third placed Tim McDermott for $93,639 and entering he heads up stage against Ryynanen with a healthy lead.
Thirty minutes in it was all over as Bambrick sent Ryynanen to the exit and a second placing reward of $134,138.
Other final table cashes included:
4th: Phil Riley – $66,342
5th: Jared Ingles – $47,713
6th: Jody Fayant – $34,843
7th: Danny Woolard – $25,841
8th: Randy White – $19,469
9th: Pushpinder Singh – $11,596