Jesse Rockowitz has won WSOP Event #45: $1,500 NL, after defeating a field of 3,097 players over three days to pick up his first career WSOP bracelet, as well as a massive $721,373 in prize monies.
From 2006 up until now, the Californian resident has been cashing in at poker tournaments in a small way, his biggest win coming at the 2009 LA Poker Classic where he finished in 6th place for a $13,526 pay-day.
His recent win at the WSOP now ensures Rockowitz a place in poker history as well as a major boost to his bankroll.
As the remaining nine players took their seats at the final table, Jesse Rockowitz got off to a good start by knocking Johan Jakobsson in 9th ($53,892), when all the money went in pre-flop with Jakobsson’s pocket 10′s badly dominated by his opponent’s pocket Q’s.
Next out was Justin Conley in 8th ($70,365), who must have considered himself unlucky after his pocket J’s were beaten by Michael Goldfarb’s pocket 5′s.
Sitting on a short stack, Shaun Malough pushed with Kd-5s and was sent to the rails in 7th ($92,900) by Ray Coburn holding pocket 10′s, while fellow short stacker Steven Brown exited in 6th ($124,006) with his A-10 badly dominated by his opponent’s A-10.
Jesse Rockowitz holding pocket A’s knocked Michael Goldfarb out in 5th ($167,405), whose 8-6 holding on a 3-5-2 flop failed to improve to a straight, while Kevin Odell finished in 4th ($228,614) after moving all-in pre-flop with A-Q only to be called and eventually busted by Nishijima’s 9-4 call.
Thiago Nishijima was then eliminated in 3rd ($315,828) by Ray Coburn, setting up a heads-up battle between himself and Jesse Rockowitz. Coburn had a slight advantage, sitting on a stack of 7.2 million chips compared to his opponent’s 6.8 million.
For over an hour the lead went back an forth until eventually Jesse Rockowitz was dealt 7h-2h to Coburn’s Kc-9c. With the board falling 7c-8d-2d-6s Coburn pushed all but could not improve his hand when an 8s falling on the river.
Ray Coburn had to console himself with the $446,274 runners-up prize for his deep run in the tournament, while full honours went to Jesse Rockowitz who won the $1,500 NL event, $721,373 in prize monies and of course the gold winners bracelet.
