Robert Wells has not had a protracted profession on the World Sequence of Poker, however he is aware of what it feels prefer to fall quick on the final hurdle. Not is that the case for the Welshman, who has simply laid declare to his first WSOP Bracelet. After two second-place finishes in 2024, Wells joined the elite bracelet winners membership after a career-best payout.
A complete of 409 entries had been tallied for Occasion #58: $3,000 9 Sport Combine. After three days of play, it’s Wells who sits alone on the prime, taking dwelling a $228,115 payday after defeating Thomas Taylor heads-up.
This occasion is thought to many because the “Mini-PPC”, a mixture of the identical 9 video games which are included in Tuesday’s $50,000 Poker Gamers Championship. All the finest combined recreation gamers on the planet tried their luck on this match, however it’s Wells hoisting the bracelet as soon as the mud settled.
Occasion #58: 9 Sport Combine Closing Desk Outcomes
Winner’s Response
Wells spoke with PokerNews following an important victory of his profession, and the sense of aid was palpable.
“I really feel tiredness principally, not likely feeling prefer it’s actual. It’s wonderful,” Wells admitted after a protracted battle.
“I got here second twice final 12 months, so I do know that ache on the opposite facet, so being on this facet of it’s wonderful. If I might have picked any match to win, this could most likely be two on the checklist, in addition to the PPC.”
I got here second twice final 12 months, so I do know that ache on the opposite facet, so being on this facet of it’s wonderful.
Wells joked round along with his good buddy Yuri Dzivielevski, final 12 months’s champion of this occasion, following the victory, with Dzivielevski commenting that he should play the PPC after profitable right now.
His relationship with the Brazilian began after they had been launched to one another round 5 – 6 years in the past. On the time, Wells was a low-stakes combined participant who brainstormed some methods with Dzivielevski, and the 2 have been shut ever since.
Regardless of being 42 years previous, Wells doesn’t fairly have the expertise that a lot of his rivals do. He mentioned that he has performed at “varied ranges of seriousness” for round 20 years, however after a visit to Vegas just a few years in the past, he bought bit by the match bug and has been a daily within the combined recreation fields ever since.
Wells credit his heads-up expertise and good playing cards for his victory over Taylor. He elaborated that, “Among the video games I [have] performed an honest quantity of heads-up, so I felt fairly assured. Principally the playing cards helped me, however he [Taylor] performed nice as nicely.”
“There was one second the place he bought coolered a bit with two pair in no-limit, however mine was larger. I guess massive, and he needed to name.”
This pivotal hand put Wells into the chip lead, and he by no means appeared again till he secured the bracelet.
Wells credit his spouse for her assist all through his poker journey, and admitted how grateful he’s that he can come out to Vegas and play tournaments.
“My spouse suffers rather a lot as a result of she’s caught at dwelling with the canine,” Wells defined, “I really like her very a lot, and I’m tremendous grateful to her for understanding me doing this.”
Day 3 Motion
From the beginning discipline of 409, simply 18 returned for battle on Day 3 within the Horseshoe Occasion Middle, with Jonathan Glendinning and Jon Kyte atop the counts. That quantity would shortly be lowered to 10 by the primary break of the day after 2024 champion Yuri Dzivielevski exited in eleventh.
The tempo of play would start to decelerate with just one clear quick stack because the gamers jockeyed for place on the eight-handed ultimate desk bubble.
Following the eliminations of Ari Rabin-Havt and Philip Sternheimer, the ultimate eight gamers mixed at a single ultimate desk with a fairly even chip distribution. Wells led the pack however was solely separated from sixth place by two massive bets.
Bookmark this web page! All you might want to know in regards to the 2025 WSOP is right here.
Wells would start to increase his lead earlier than the primary elimination of the ultimate desk in Yueqi Zhu. The combined recreation common bought the remainder of his chips within the center in 2-7 Triple Draw in opposition to Fu Wong, however was drawing lifeless after patting the ultimate draw in opposition to the quantity six of Wong.
Begin-of-day chip chief Jonathan Glendinning was the subsequent to fall in seventh. Additionally in 2-7 Triple Draw, he had a wheel draw in opposition to the quantity two of Anthony Ribeiro, however he couldn’t survive as he needed to accept seventh.
The identical recreation took out the subsequent sufferer in David Bach. He bought his quick stack into the center multi-way however was drawing lifeless after he patted a 9 in opposition to the quantity three of Wong.
Money recreation common Fu Wong, higher referred to as Grasshopper, discovered a podium end in third place. He jammed over a Wells button open in No-Restrict 2-7 Single Draw, and each gamers patted. Sadly for Wong, his jack was no good in opposition to the 9 of Wells because the heads-up match was ready.
Taylor entered heads-up play with a small benefit, however he gained a sizeable pot to take a two-to-one chip lead because the gamers took a break.
It was a back-and-forth battle that lasted virtually two hours. Wells lastly took a considerable lead after making journeys in a hand of Stud Hello-Lo.
Taylor would claw his means again into competition earlier than the sport switched to No-Restrict 2-7 Single Draw. On the primary hand, Taylor opened the button, then known as off his stack with an eight draw in opposition to the pat ten of Wells. Taylor caught a pair on his draw, and Wells raised his arms in victory to have a good time his first WSOP bracelet!
That concludes PokerNews’s protection of Occasion #58: $3,000 9 Sport Combine. Keep tuned as we proceed to offer in depth protection from the ground for all occasions on the 2025 World Sequence of Poker.
