WSOP -- Jordan Smith Wins Event No. 36

Jordan Smith may have won event no. 36, but it was clearly ladies night at the Rio as two females made the final table of nine in one of the largest tournaments of the summer.

A monster field of 1,695 put up the $2,000 to play some no-limit hold’em and Smith walked away the champion when all was said and done, pocketing $586,212.

Smith went heads-up with Swedish player Ken Lennaard for the title and kept the pressure on until the job was done.

The two ladies who made their presence known at the final table were chess champion Almira Skripchenko and professional poker player Laurence Grondin. Grondin made the deepest run, bowing out in third place, but fell just short of becoming the first woman since Katja Thater to win an open event bracelet.

Here are the final table results:

1. Jordan Smith — $586,212
2. Ken Lennaard — $360,439
3. Laurence Grondin — $237,537
4. Joe Morneau — $166,584
5. Anthony Roux — $120,311
6. Pat Atchison — $95,631
7. Almira Skripchenko — $78,664
8. Andrew Seden — $67,867
9. Jonathan Plens — $61,081

Here were the final table eliminations according to Card Player’s Live Updates:

Jonathan Plens Eliminated in Ninth Place ($61,081)

Joe Morneau raised to 70,000 from the cutoff and Jonathan Plens reraised all in for 400,000. Mourneau made the call and they flipped over their cards:

Morneau: A7
Plens: J8

K10756

Plens was eliminated in ninth place.

Andrew Seden Eliminated in Eighth Place ($67,867)

Jordan Smith raised to 80,000 from the cutoff and Andrew Seden reraised all in for 365,000. Smith made the call and they flipped up their cards:

Smith: A6
Seden: KJ

Board: AK87Q

Seden was eliminated in eighth place.

Almira Skripchenko Eliminated in Seventh Place ($78,664)

Laruence Grondin raised to 90,000 from the cutoff and Jordan Smith made the call on the button. Almira Skripchenko reraised all in for 640,000 and Smith called.

Smith: 55
Skripchenko: KK

Board: 9658Q

Skripchenko was eliminated in seventh place.

Pat Atchison Eliminated in Sixth Place ($95,631)

Pat Atchison moved all in preflop for 390,000 and Laurence Grondin made the call. Their cards:

Atchison: AK
Grondin: A10

Board: J83107

Atchison was eliminated in sixth place.

Anthony Roux Eliminated in Fifth Place ($120,311)

Anthony Roux raised to 80,000 in the small blind and Joe Morneau reraised to 220,000 from the big blind.

Roux moved in and Morneau called. Roux showed A8 and Morneau produced a dominating AQ.

The board came out 10627K and Roux was eliminated in fifth place.

Joe Morneau Eliminated in Fourth Place ($166,584)

Jordan Smith limped in the small blind and Joe Morneau checked his option. The flop came Q98 and Smith bet 70,000.

Morneau called and the turn was the K. Smith bet 150,000 and Morneau called once again. The river was the 2 and Smith bet 325,000. Morneau moved all in and Smith called, showing 108. Morneau had a flush as well, but it was lower with the 74.

Laurence Grondin Eliminated in Third Place ($237,537)

On a flop of 853, Ken Lennaard checked and Laurence Gondin bet 80,000.

Lennaard check-raised to 500,000 and Grondin moved all in and Lennaard called with 53.

Grondin was behind with Q8 for top pair and stayed that way when the turn and river came 10K.

Jordan Smith Wins Event No. 36 ($586,212) Ken Lennaard Eliminated in Second Place ($360,439)

Ken Lennard raised to 300,000 and Jordan Smith made the call. The flop came out 843 and Lennaard bet 350,000.

Smith moved all in and Lennaard called for his tournament life with J8. Smith showed 97 for the flopped flush and need to avoid any more diamonds to take the tournament.

The turn and river came 36 and Lennaard was eliminated, earning $360,439. Smith picked up his first gold bracelet and $586,212.

by Julio Rodriguez