It was written in the stars that James Todd would win a WSOP bracelet and finally it happened for the veteran pro as he emerged victorious in the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #54: $500 Salute to Warriors. Only 21 players returned to play down to a winner in this event on Tuesday and after just five hours, Todd shipped it to claim a career-best $161,256 and his maiden WSOP bracelet.
“I kinda did expect it. I came into this trip wanting and planning on leaving with a bracelet…I can’t explain it,” said Todd talking to the WSOP reporters about his spectacular run in the tournament.
He also gave credit to his girlfriend who was railing him on the final day of the event. “Her just being here, rooting for me, means the world…You know I’ve been showing her pictures of bracelets, telling her I’m going to win, showing my clients. She believed in me the whole time, and so has my son.”
Todd played some top-notch poker at the final table as he eliminated five players. He started off in a thundering fashion by eliminating Zyad Qasem in tenth place. His next victims were Nicholas Sena-Hopkins (sixth) and Todd Saffron (seventh). Down to three-handed play, he busted Patrick Pilko in third place to take a towering lead with 124,500,000 chips over Brett Coltman’s 35,950,000 chips.
The heads-up battle lasted just three hands. Eventually, Coltman moved all in and Todd called his all in of 26.8 million with Ad 3s versus the Kc and 7s of Coltman. With two pair on the flop, it was enough for Todd to lock it up. Coltman had to settle for the runner-up payout worth $99,676.
Over the three days of its run, the event drew in a record-breaking 3,209 entrants and generated a $1,315,690 in prize pool that was shared by 482 players. The money bubble burst on Mackenzie Horwitz and Scott Ayers, who split the $800 minimum cash between them. Following them were many notables who earned payouts, including the celebrity poker host Shaun Colquhoun (251st for $1,126), former bracelet winners Yueqi Zhu (194th for $1,277) & Steve Zolotow (141st for $1,460).
This was an interesting event from Team India’s perspective as three Indians cashed in this event, namely the 2018 WSOP The Closer runner-up finisher Paawan Bansal (200th for $1,277), Muskan Sethi (202nd for $1,277), and Jaydeep Dawer (463rd for $800) – they all fell out on Day 2.
Final Table Payouts (USD)
- James Todd – $161,256
- Brett Coltman – $99,676
- Patrick Pilko – $75,486
- Randy Levin – $57,554
- Rigoberto Rodriguez – $44,180
- Nicholas Sena-Hopkins – $34,146
- Todd Saffron – $26,574
- Elias Neto – $20,824
- Maximo Martinez – $16,433
- Zyad Qasem – $13,059