Boutin Hits The Big Bucks

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WSOP'S $5 000 Pot Limit Omaha Hold 'Em features big names and big money

The biggest prizes to date were handed out in the World Series of Poker $5 000 Pot Limit Omaha Hold 'Em competition, and the aces were out in force to claim them. 145 entrants started in the contest with ambitions to pocket the main $825 956 prize before 2 days of hectic poker decided the final table. The large purses up for grabs attracted a good turnout of railbirds.

Around the final table were chip leader and high profile Brit pro Dave 'Devilfish' Ulliott on1,3 million; Erik Cajelais on 1.075 million; European pro Larry Jonsson (900 000); WSOP veteran Sirous Jamshidi (865 000); previous WSOP bracelet winner Burt Boutin (460 000); Rob Keston - an eight-year WSOP veteran (335 000); Costa Rican pro Humberto 'The Shark' Brenes (275 000); top player and triple WSOP bracelet holder John Juanda (220 000) and high stakes cash-game expert Minh Ly (240 000).   

First to fall was Keston, and followed within the next 15 hands by Brenes - the shark eliminated by the Devilfish in eighth place for a paycheck of $79 710. Erik Cajalais took down the next to leave when he outplayed Juan Juanda, leaving the seventh placed player to pocket $107 196. The victory put Cajelais second to chip leader Ulliott who was in fine form and playing strongly, but in a short space of time the lead changed several times.

Larry Jonsson was out in position 6 as the table headed into the really big money. Jonsson, eliminated in a clash with Sirous Jamshidi collected winnings of $134 682 as he left the Amazon Room. He was followed at hand 56 by Minh Ly in position 5, who bet his stack against Cajelais but failed in the gamble, leaving with $174 537.

With blinds going up to 40K/80K, the chip leader was Cajelais on 2.03 million, with the closest opponent - Devilfish - way behind on 895 000 and four men in the chase. There were no further eliminations - just tough, no-nonsense poker - for the next thirty hands or so when it was time to go for Jamshidi, a victim to the aggressive play of a confident Cajelais. The WSOP veteran left in position 4 with $230 833.

Deciding the heads up, Devilfish was the next to go just before the dinner break when he took on Cajelais and came short, heading to the rail with a $332 582 paycheck to collect for his third placing.

Going into heads up play after dinner, Cajelais was looking really good with a stack of 3.215 million and a string of victories behind him. Facing him was the calm, older Bert Boutin on 2.455 million who immediately went on to the attack as heads up play commenced. In a remarkable turnabout, and at only hand 96 Boutin's strategy paid off and he eliminated his opponent to win the main prize of $825 956.  Cajelais had 483 755 reasons not to be too disappointed, and earned respect as a gifted player in a tough competition.

With another WSOP bracelet to his credit, Boutin revealed that he had not really planned to enter the $5 000 Pot Limit Omaha Hold 'Em, and he had only done so on the urging of a friend, who he will no doubt be taking to dinner at the very least!