Blair Hinkle Makes History, Joins Brother Grant as 2008 WSOP Winners
June 16th, 2008
A dramatic day’s play in the $2,000 No Limit Hold’em Event #23 has seen Blair Hinkle claiming his first ever WSOP bracelet, only 11 days after elder brother Grant Hinkle won his own WSOP bracelet at the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Event #2. It is the first time in the history of the WSOP that two brothers have won separate events in the same year.
A huge field of 1,344 players took to the tables on Day 1 of the event but only nine players survived through two days of intense poker to make the final table:
Seat 1 - Andrew Jeffreys - 1,051,000
Seat 2 - Blair Hinkle - 1,030,000
Seat 3 - Dominik Kulicki - 241,000
Seat 4 - Daniel O’Brien - 456,000
Seat 5 - Mark Brockington - 552,000
Seat 6 - Chris Bjorin - 247,000
Seat 7 - Dustin Dirksen - 867,000
Seat 8 - David Steicke - 611,000
Seat 9 - Stephane Tayar - 323,000
As the action got under way, it took only a few hands for the first player to be eliminated, Stephane Tayar’s short stacks quickly disappearing following David Steicke’s pocket queens. Overnight chip leader Andrew Jeffreys then got himself all-in with pocket kings but was up against Steicke who again got the better of his opponent, his pocket aces and an additional flopped ace giving him the hand as well as the huge pot.
Blair Hinkle then began dominating the table, eliminating Dominik Kulicki, and soon after both Chris Bjorin and Dustin Dirksen. With only four players left Hinkle was now the new chip leader. David Steicke then went all-in against Hinkle, but was knocked out when his flush draw failed to materialise. Daniel O’Brien was next to go up against Hinkle, but his pocket eights failed against Hinkle’s triple sixes which left heads-up play between Brockington and Hinkle.
Inevitably it was to be Hinkle’s night as he called all-in on his pocket sixes. A six on the flop gave him the victory and a cheque for $507,563. Blair Hinkle joins his brother in an elite club - the only brothers to have ever won separate events at the same WSOP. This year’s WSOP is proving to be a happy hunting ground for the Hinkles thus far.
Final Standings:
Blair Hinkle - $507,563
Mark Brockington - $326,552
Daniel O’Brien - $198,132
David Steicke - $166,333
Dustin Dirksen - $135,757
Chris Bjorin - $106,404
Dominik Kulicki - $81,944
Andrew Jeffreys - $63,598
Stephane Tayar - $45,252
