Often times Mike Matusow may seem like just another disgruntled bustout grimacing over bad beats and rivers gone dry. If one delves into his resume, though, they’d find he’s one of the most decorated champions the WSOP has ever seen. Yes, the man they call "The Mouth" has a way of making sure you hear about his misfortunes… but Event 13 was all about his triumphs.
Matusow won the $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event that included a who’s who of poker professionals. In addition to $266,503, he was awarded his fourth gold bracelet. The victory moves him into an elite club of four-time champions that includes Puggy Pearson, Amarillo Slim, Bobby Baldwin, Huck Seed and a handful of other WSOP legends.
Coincidently, one player who sits ahead of him with five bracelets, Allen Cunningham, came up short of bracelet number six in Event 12, a $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em event that played out alongside the Event 13 final table.
Joining Matusow as the Event 13 headliner was Gavin Smith. Smith lays claim to one WSOP gold bracelet and more than $1.5 million in career earnings. Both players are known for their outgoing pesonalities that can sometimes get them in trouble. Saturday, though, it was smooth sailing for the pair as Gavin Smith finished 7th for $34,268.
David "Bakes" Baker and Matthew Ashton also went deep in the event, becoming the third and fourth players to make multiple final table appearances at the 2013 WSOP. Baker previously finished 6th in Event 9 for $51,997 while Ashton finished 3rd in Event 5 for $86,437. The second time was not a charm for either player as Baker exited 4th and Ashton matched his 3rd-place finish.
Vladimir Shchemelev (8th) final tabled this event in 2010, finishing 7th.
Event 13 was one of two Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better events on the 2013 schedule. The next takes place June 21 and boasts a $1,500 buy-in.
Final table results:
1st: Mike Matusow – $266,503
2nd: Matthew Ashton – $164,700
3rd: Mike Leah – $108,412
4th: David "Bakes" Baker – $79,078
5th: Yuval Bronshtein – $58,835
6th: Tony Cousineau – $44,543
7th: Gavin Smith – $34,268
8th: Vladimir Schemelev – $26,757
