Tyler Patterson has scored eighteen World Series of Poker cashes, and made it to three final tables in poker’s biggest tournament, but never cracked a winner’s bracelet…until Thursday night.
The 31-year-old Washington state pro managed to survive a field of 990 other poker fans eager for a share of the $1,337,850 prize pool in event 48, a $1,500 buy-in PLO Hi-Low Split8 or Better competition to claim the honours after a six-and-a-half-hour final table that included a hard-fought heads up against the very experienced Scott Clements, who was hunting aggressively for his third bracelet.
Just eleven players survived into Day 3, and that quickly distilled to a final table that comprised Patterson and Clements, along with Cody Crawford, Jeff Madsen, Gary Kosakowski, Tom Schneider, Derek Raymond, John Flournoy and Dylan Wilkerson.
Patterson lingered carefully around the middle of the chip stacks until a major pot went his way in a clash against Wilkerson, which gave him the wherewithal to open up into a more aggressive style that took him into the lead for most of what remained of the game.
Clements fought a talented and well-constructed tactical game, but there was no stopping Patterson this time, and it was Clements who busted, denied his third bracelet but perhaps consoled by the $167,686 second prize.
Patterson was clearly delighted to have snagged the bracelet at last, along with $270,992 in prize money.
Other final table pay-outs were:
Cody Crawford $104,914
Jeff Madsen $76,150
Gary Kosakowski $56,216
Tom Schneider $42,142
Derek Raymond $32,054
John Flournoy $24,710
Dylan Wilkerson $19,305