Event #34
Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $3,000
Number of Entries: 296
Total Prize Money: $816,960
Date of Tournament: June 20-22, 2007
The winner of the $3,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em championship was Alexander Borteh, a 24-year-old poker pro from Columbus, OH. This is his third year to play at the WSOP. This is his first tournament victory ever.
Borteh finished third in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout in 2005. This was his fourth time to cash at the WSOP. He now has finishes of 72nd, 70th, 3rd, and 1st.
Borteh is a graduate of the Ohio State University. He earned his degree in Philosophy.
Borteh chose his field of study for personal reasons. “I like to think about life,” he said in a post-tournament interview. “When I’m alone, I enjoy thinking about the meaning of things and trying to figure it all out.”
Borteh noted that Limit Hold’em is much more complex than many people realize. In his remarks, he explained that Limit Hold’em requires different strategies than No-Limit games and is often not given the same level of respect in some poker circles. Yet, in his view – Limit Hold’em is a more skillful game.
First place paid $225,483. He was presented with the gold bracelet by WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.
The runner up was Brandon Wong. He has now cashed in all three Limit Hold’em tournaments at this year’s WSOP.
The third-place finisher was Shawn “Lightening” Keller. He is the twin brother of Thomas “Thunder” Keller, who won an event at the WSOP in 2004.
David “the Dragon” Pham finished fourth. The two-time gold bracelet winner was one of the top ranked players in tournament poker during the late 1990s.
The sixth-place finisher was Vivek Rajkumar. He was born in India and graduated from college at age 18.
Former WSOP gold bracelet winner Max “the Italian Pirate” Pescatori finished 14th.
Richard Brodie, a.k.a. “Quiet Lion,” finished 22nd. Brodie was one of the earliest employees of Microsoft and is one of the inventors of Microsoft Word (an indelible contribution to the legacy of poker writing).
Phil Hellmuth, Jr. did it again. He cashed for the fourth time at this year’s WSOP. He continues to distance himself from the field and is the all-time lifetime leader in WSOP cashes, now with 61.
Final table coverage was broadcast over the Internet from start to finish at: www.worldseriesofpoker.com Play-by-play was provided by the voice of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, Scott Lauer. Color commentary was provided by Limit Hold’em theorist and cash game pro, Barry Tanenbaum.
