WSOP: Richard Ashby Comes Back to Win $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Event

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WSOP: Richard Ashby Comes Back to Win $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Event

Paul Oresteen | June 13, 2010

Richard Ashby pulled off a remarkable comeback to win the bracelet.

Christine Pietsch was almost the first woman to win a World Series of Poker gold bracelet in 2010. Richard Ashby overcame a two to one chip deficit when heads-up play began. Ashby worked his way back and won the tournament in just one level. Ashby took home $140,467 along with a gold bracelet.

“I’ve played so many tournaments out here and put in so many hours, when you’re finally able to achieve it, but it hasn’t sunk in yet, it means a lot to me to win it. I’m happy,” Ashby said. “She (Pietsch) played really well, and aggresively. She wasn’t scared, she was a fearless player. I knew once the pots got going it would be hard to the brakes on. There was one key pot where I was bluffing and caught a third deuce, that was the turning point.”

Jon “PearlJammer” Turner entered the final table the second shortest stack with just over five big bets. Turner completed on third street and brought Owais Ahmed and Darren Shebell came along. Shebell folded after Turner had two queens showing on fifth, but Ahmed made the call. Turner had all his chips in and made trip queens, but Ahmed made a king high club flush and Turner was the first victim of the final table.

Pat Pezzin took a huge hit to his chip stack when he got involved in a three-way pot with Dan Heimiller and Ashby. He made two pair with sixes and sevens but Ashby had him beat with aces up. Pezzin only had a couple bets left after that hand and he wouldn’t wait long to get them all in again. Sorel Mizzi made the completion and Pezzin was able to raise all in. The turned their hands face up and Pezzin made a pair of sixes, but Mizzi’s three jacks knocked the last PokerStars Team Pro out of the field.

Mizzi’s good fortune would not last though, although he took the rest of Pezzin’s chips he was still short on chips. Mizzi, Shebell and Pietsch all took the hand to fifth street, but only Ashby and Mizzi were in by sixth. Mizzi only managed a pair of eights and Ashby had a set of deuces. Mizzi was out but headed directly to his unattended seat in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship.

Pietsch had worked her way the leaderboard, eventually leading all the men. Ahmed, Shebell and Pietsch built the biggest pot of the tournament together with Ahmed all-in at sixth street. Pietchs and Shebell each fired another bet at seventh street. Ahmed aired on his straight and flush draws only managing a queen high, Shebell had a the K K exposed for a pair of kings but mucked when Pietsch showed the broadway straight with the A K Q J Tx. Ahmed was out and Pietsch had about half the chips in play.

Four-handed play proceeded slowly with Heimiller, Ashby and Shebell mostly staying out of Pietsch’s way. Heimiller wasn anteing his stack off and finally made a stand and Ashby made the call. Heimiller was ahead with split fours but Ashby caught his gutshot straight draw. Ashby pounded the suede armrest of the table when he caught the 8 on seventh street to make the ten high straight.

Shebell found himself short stacked, on a diamond draw and with a pair of sixes on sixth street. Ashby called him all the way down to fifth street, when Shebell went all in for less than a whole bet and caught another six for a set. Ashby had kings and eights for two pair, but rivered the K make a full house and clear the way for heads-up play for the bracelet.

Pietsch and Ashby took to heads up play with Pietsch having Ashby outchipped two to one. They traded a few pots back and forth with Ashby working his way back. Ashby overcame the deficit and reversed the tables to hold the lead. Ashby kept steady pressure on the amateur player showcasing his years of experience.

On the final hand Ashby had wired queens and caught another seven on sixth street to make two pair and Pietsch missed her straight draw making only a pair of tens on her board of K T J 8 T A 2. Ashby booked the win and through the winner photos and interviews it was visible he desperately wanted to get back to the felt and play his unattended chips in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship.

Final Table Payouts for $1,500 Seven-card Stud: