Jim Harnden Wins 2012 WSOPC Palm Beach Kennel Club
February 28, 2012 2:26 pmCanada’s Jim Harnden, 58, has won the 2012 WSOPC Palm Beach Kennel Club, after defeating a field of 778 players over three days to lift the title, and collect the $226,395 first place prize.
It took four hours on Day 3 of the $1,600 Main Event to reduce the remaining 21 competitors down to nine, with Brian “Stinger 88” Hastings falling just short of the final table finishing in 11th place for $17,184.
Despite not eliminating anyone early on at the final table, Jim Harnden showed himself to be a shrewd, aggressive player, twice pushing opponents’ off huge pots by re-shoving over their raises. When just five players remained, however, Jim Harnden started knocking over his competitors like tenpins.
First to go was Jamil Wakil (Js-7s), who raised on the hijack with Jim Harnden calling on the big blind with pocket fours. Harnden’s lead out overbet on a Kc-Kh-3c flop was then called by Jamil Wakil, who then reraised Harnden’s 2/3 pot bet all-in after a 5h fell on the turn. Wakil was dismayed to have his bluff called and was subsequently eliminated in 5th ($57,294), after a 2 fell on the river.
Jim Harnden (A-K) then proceeded to dispatch Roman Valerstein (5-5) in 4th ($76,692) and Matthew O’Brien in 3rd ($102,898), whose K-8 bluff on a J-10-6-7-6 was called by Harnden (10-6) with a full-house.
As the heads-up phase of the competition got underway, Jim Harnden held an almost 4 to 1 chip lead over Rob Williamson, who soon after pushed his short-stack all-in holding Ah-Kh to his opponent’s Ks-Qs. With the board subsequently falling Q-10-7-6-8, Rob Williamson collected $139,574 for his runner-up finish, while Jim Harnden was crowned the 2012 WSOPC Palm Beach Kennel Club Champion.