Tamir Segal beat out almost 3,000 players to win his first career WSOP bracelet (WSOP photo).

The first event on the World Series of Poker Europe schedule featured eight starting flights and 2,992 players. When it was all over, Israel’s Tamir Segal stood tall to claim not only his first career WSOP cash but a brand new bracelet to go with it.

Segal went to work right away at the final table. Björn Bouwmans raised to 1,200,000 from the cutoff seat with AcKh before Segal shoved all in from the button with AsQh. Bouwmans called off the rest of his stack and found a safe 8d5h4s flop. The turn was the Qc though and Bouwmans was eliminated after the Jc river failed to save him.

Just about a half hour later, another all-in preflop battle resulted in another elimination. Wojciech Wybreski raised to 1,250,000 from early position with AsKd and Krasimir Yankov called all in with AhJs. The board ran out Qc5s3hKs2c to give Wyrebski top pair and bust Yankov in eighth.

Flavio Decataldo raised to 2,250,000 with KdKh from early position and Segal defended his small blind with AcAs. The Js9s2h flop changed nothing and after Segal checked, Decataldo moved all in for 8,850,000 and Segal called instantly. The turn was the 3d and the river was the 9h to eliminate Decataldo and give Segal over half of the chips in play with six players remaining.

Segal put those chips to work almost immediately, resulting in yet another elimination. Segal raised to 1,200,00 from under the gun with 2c2h and Francesco Delfoco called all in with AhTs. The Qh7h2s flop all but eliminated Delfoco. The Js turn left him with just four outs and the Qd river was not one of them.

The next player eliminated was not a victim of Segal’s. From the button, Hannes Neurauter moved all in for 2,300,000, Segal called from the small blind and Aksel Ayguen called from the big blind. Segal then checked the Th7d2s flop before Ayguen moved all in. Segal folded and Ayguen tabled 9d9h while Nearauter showed Qh5h. The 9h turn provided extra out for Nearauter, but he failed to connect on his flush draw as the 6d turn hit the river.

Ayguen kept the pressure on and found another victim. Ayguen raised to 1,300,000 from the under-the-gun position with As8c and Dariusz Glinski, down to less than five big blinds, called all in from the button with Ah2h. The Ad8s4s flop left Glinski with little hope. The Kd turn gave Glinski chop outs, but the 7s river sealed his fate and eliminated him in fourth.

Despite eliminating Nearauter and Glinski, Ayguen’s run ended in third place. After he moved all in from the button for 6,850,000 with JdJh only to have Segal call from the big blind with Kc7c. The QdTd8c flop kept Ayguen in control but the Ad turn and Jc runout gave Segal Broadway to eliminate Ayguen and send the tournament to heads-up play.

Starting heads-up play with 80% of the chips in play, Segal needed just 18 minutes to eliminate Wyrebski to pick up his first WSOP bracelet.

On the final hand, Wyrebski raised to 3,000,000 with AcQd and Segal moved all in over the top with KhTh. Wyrebski called instantly and then could only watch in horror on the Kc8c6d8sTs to give Segal the final pot.

Final Table Payouts

1st: Tamir Segal – €203,820
2nd: Wojciech Wyrebski – €125,966
3rd: Aksel Ayguen – €92,385
4th: Dariusz Glinski – €68,331
5th: Hannes Neurauter – €51,854
6th: Francesco Delfoco – €38,349
7th: Flavio Decataldo – €29,104
8th: Krasimir Yankov – €22,281
9th: Björn Bouwmans – €17,209