Event #4 – $10,000 Short Deck

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Player Spotlight: Ben Yu

Posted February 17, 2019 at 12:40 am ET by Jon Sofen

Ben Yu is a small but imposing figure at the poker table.

He’s quietly carved a niche as one of the top performers each summer during the World Series of Poker. And, oh yeah, he can dominate the high-stakes cash games as well.

The 2008 Stanford University graduate has over $6.1 million in lifetime live tournament earnings, per Hendon Mob. But that’s a bit misleading and doesn’t show how dominant he’s been over the past few years. Prior to 2015, Ben had just $525,000 in earnings.

Since then, he’s been one of the most consistent performers at the WSOP. In 2015, he won his first of three bracelets in $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship, good for $291,456. Two years later at the summer series, he was a strong contender for Player of the Year before bowing out to eventual champion Chris Ferguson.

During that summer, the Los Angeles native cashed in 12 events, including another bracelet in the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship for $232,738. Last year, he won his third bracelet, this one in the $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller (Big Blind Antes) for a career-best $1,650,773.

Yu told Poker Central in a 2017 interview that he wasn’t far removed from financial struggles.

“Six years ago, I had just come off being broke and was pulling my life together,” he said. “My poker goals for the year were often WSOP-directed – playing the $10K Limit events and the Players’ Championship – so I wouldn’t have been that surprised, but glad I hit my goals,” he said. “I had just finished digging myself out of a hole and it wasn’t so certain I’d make it in poker.”

Those financial problems are no longer an issue. Yu has developed into one of the most skilled players in the game.

TAGS: Ben Yu

Ben Lamb vs. Ben Yu

Posted February 17, 2019 at 12:36 am ET by Tim Duckworth

Ben Yu limped in for 20,000 and Ben Lamb raised to 115,000. Yu called, and then both players checked the [6s9c8s] flop.

The turn landed the [8h] and Yu bet out 200,000 and Lamb called.

The river fell the [Kc] and both players checked.

Yu tabled his [Qh9h], but it would be Lamb’s [KsJs] that would earn him the pot.

Player		Chips	Change
Ben Yu		2,210,000	-675,000
Ben Lamb		1,330,000	455,000

Seth Davies vs. David Peters

Posted February 17, 2019 at 12:34 am ET by Tim Duckworth

David Peters raised to 80,000 and Seth Davies called in the cutoff.

The flop landed [QhJdTd] and both players checked to reveal the [Qs] on the turn.

Peters bet out 140,000 and Davies called as the [Kh] fell on the river.

Peters checked, Davies bet 375,000, and Peters used one of his time extension banks before calling.

Davies tabled his [KsKc] for a rivered full house, and Peters mucked.

Player		Chips	Change
Seth Davies		2,550,000	700,000
David Peters		1,520,000	-630,000

Updated Chip Counts

Posted February 17, 2019 at 12:25 am ET by Tim Duckworth

Player	Chips	Change
Ben Yu	2,885,000	185,000
David Peters	2,150,000	100,000
Seth Davies	1,850,000	335,000
Stephen Chidwick	1,070,000	100,000
Ben Lamb	875,000	325,000
Anthony Zinno	835,000	50,000
Martin Zamani	785,000	485,000
Sean Winter	775,000	125,000
Manig Loeser	710,000	-140,000
Koray Aldemir	384,000	284,000
Joelle Weinand	356,000	-96,000
Jerry Robinson	91,000	-9,000