Gary Benson collected $50,000 for winning the first ever PokerNews Australian Bad Boys of Poker Invitational. He outlasted a difficult table featuring some of the best players in Australia.
Benson was the first Australian player to win a World Series of Poker bracelet, when he took first place in $1,500 Seven-Card Stud during the 1996 WSOP. He had a tough final table that year which featured Andy Bloch and Humberto Brenes.
Benson's victory tonight was not an easy task. He had to outlast a mixture of some of the best veteran players such as Billy the Croc, Tony G, Jeff Lisandro, Sam Khouiss, Lee Nelson and a handful of young guns like David Saab, Arul Thillai, Mark Vos, and Emad Tahtouh. He held them all off en route to his victory.
"I got lucky with the A-10," Benson said about the final hand. "Emad played fantastic poker. If a 5 falls on the turn, he probably wins it. But an Ace fell and I won."
Their heads up match lasted thirty minutes before Benson finally finished off Tahtouh.
Congrats to Gary Benson for winning the PokerNews Australian Bad Boys of Poker Invitational.
Gary Benson and Emad Tahtouh got into a raising war on a flop of . Benson bet out. Tahtouh raised. Benson re-raised. Tahtouh shoved all in and Benson called.
Benson:
Tahtouh:
Benson had Tahtouh dominated. The turn was the and the river was the . Benson won the pot and busted Tahtouh in second place. Tahtouh won $30,000.
"Second place again. Until I die," said a dejected Tahtouh as he walked away from the table.
Benson finished in first place and collected $50,000 for his victory in the PokerNews Australian Bad Boys of Poker Invitational .
Gary Benson raised from the button. Arul Thillai shoved all in from the small blind for 26,000. Benson quickly called.
Benson:
Thillai:
Benson had Thillai dominated. The flop was . The turn was the and Thillai was drawing dead. The river was a meaningless . Arul Thillai finished in third place and won $20,000.
Down to two players. Gary Benson has a healthy 3 to 1 chiplead over Emad Tahtouh. There will be a short break. Action will resume in a couple of minutes.
In the first few hands of three-way action, Gary Benson has been pushing Emad Tahtouh and Arul Thillai around with his big stack. He has increased his lead.