The 50k Horse event is considered the players championship, and it’s fitting the final table to settle things was one of the longest in history.  Not too many sporting events last for seven hours, but the heads up portion of this final table  did, and David Bach won a battle of endurance and mental toughness to take down  Event #49, $50,000 World Championship HORSE.

Bach won a bracelet, the Chip Reese Trophy and some pocket change of 1.2 million dollars.  Bach is the first Horse Champion to come without a prepackaged reputation and name.  His predecessors Chip Reese, Freddy Deeb, and Scotty Nguyen didn’t need the tournament to make a name for themselves, but few people knew the name David Bach.   Bach told his family and friends this would be the bracelet he’d win.  He didn’t any lessons on how to play poker of any type.

Entering the action, Erik Sagstrom had the chip lead with 3.675 million, so it was surprise when the first casualty was named Erik.  However, it wasn’t the Internet legend it was instead Erik Seidel, the clown prince of poker, who busted out first.

Erik Seidel took home 1.62k after losing a three-way stud hi/lo hand with David Bach and Vitaly Lunkin. 

Another TV face, Chau Giang was the next to fall.  Giang won 184k for his seventh-place finish.   Erik Sagstrom knocked out Giang in a hold’em hand with top two pair.  Sixth place and its 219k went to Ville Wahlbeck who had a chance to take over the POY leader board if he finished first.  He didn’t.

The big name remaining, Huck Seed found himself playing against Vitaly Lunkin, Erik Sagstrom, and John Hanson for his tournament life.  This time John Hanson did the eliminating with AJ for a pair of aces.  Seed mucked and finished fifth for 276k. 

Vitaly Lunkinwas looking to win both the big buy-in events at this years WSOP having won the bracelet in the 40,000 No-Limit Hold’em event.  Not to be for the likable Russian as his fourth place finish was good for 368k.   Erik Sagstrom got the honors in knocking him out.

Then things got… long.  The final table slowed to a snails pace and eliminations were hard to come by.  Finally, the final table got down to two as Erik123 found the rail after a Omaha hi/lo hand.  He couldn’t beat Hanson’s pocket 8s (two pair) and went to the cashier with a ticket for 522k.

10 AM, the next day, a razz hand settled the marathon.   John Hanson took home 789k for his troubles and probably found the nearest bed he could.  The 20 hour final table and seven hour heads up match had to be as draining as any physical event.