Hughes Over the Fossilman in Stud Final

Filed in archive Tournament News on June 29, 2007

Nothing is a greater feeling in the world then beating someone who has earned the respect of many for being a master of his craft. Ryan Hughes probably felt that as his rolled his way towards his first World Series of Poker bracelet in event number twenty.

While collecting $176,358 for the victory in the $2,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo event he had to overcome Greg Raymer, the 2004 WSOP Main Event champion, who was making his second Stud final table of this year's tournament.

Hughes' final hand versus runner up Min Lee was one way to put a stamp on the victory as his quad tens made Lee's trips seem very small by the seventh card being dealt and walking away from the Bluff final table tent as the victor.

PokerNews.com was there again to provide a recap of the final table showing Raymer's 4th place finish:

While Min Lee stayed alive despite his short-stack status, Jim Weir's run at the final table ended, at the hands of Raymer once again. Raymer made kings up while Weir couldn't complete a low draw, and Weir was done in for $24,443. The knockout also moved Raymer into the chip lead.

From this point, however, Raymer's fortunes worsened. He doubled up Doug Carli and also added chips to the stacks of Hughes and Lee, though he did pick up a third knockout, that of Steve Graboski in fifth. Raymer hit trip sevens and Graboski couldn't complete either a flush draw for the high or his low draw, exiting with $32,178 for his efforts.

Hughes crippled Raymer when Raymer couldn't overcome Hughes' kings up; Raymer was eliminated in fourth place ($41,460) soon after Graboski's dparture. This gave Hughes the lead, and Carli fell next after making sevens up that came nowhere near topping Hughes' queens full. Carli third-place finish was worth $61,880 with six final-table knockouts occurring in just three hours of play..

Ryan Hughes had amassed a million in chips to Min Lee's 360,000 as heads-up play began, though Lee had come to the final table in seventh place and had made a nice charge of his own. However, it only took twelve more hands for Hughes to finish off Lee. Hughes won seven of the first ten hands, all for smaller pots. On Hand 11 of heads-up play, Hughes pushed his pair of eights to victory over Lee's K-high and on the next hand, Hughes smashed Lee's trip fours by making quad tens to take down the bracelet and the $176,358 payday in the $2,000 Seven Card Stud High/Low event.

PLAYER - EARNINGS

1. Ryan Hughes - $176,358
2. Min Lee - $97,461
3. Doug Carli - $61,880
4. Greg Raymer - $41,460
5. Steve Graboski - $32,178
6. Jim Weir - $24,443
7. Ron Ware - $18,873
8. Adam Spiegelberg - $13,923