Up until I saw the comments made by Bill Gazes at the end of Event number twenty six at the World Series of Poker, I thought "let's play heads up for REAL money" was something a $5 online tourney player might spew after a special player cracked his aces with two sOOted cards.

Guess not all poker pros are chivalrous in defeat as Ralph Schwartz took his $275,683 first prize money to go party as every champion should. The $5,000 mixed game HORSE was laid out on day two's final table for Phil Ivey, 2007 bracelet winner Alex Kravchenko, Robert Mizarachi, and the aforementioned Gazes. Not exactly the lineup that spells H-O-R-S-E C-H-A-M-P, but Schwartz walked away with the new jewelry as Gazes was left holding his Kings on the last hand of O8 and claimed the second prize money of $153,408.

Pokernews on the scene for the final six and another near sixth bracelet for Ivey:

At the beginning of the next game (Stud Hi/Lo), Guo was the chipleader with 800,000, followed closely by Schwartz with 650,000 and Gazes hanging on with 320,000. The players jockeyed for position throughout the rest of the Stud 8 and Hold'em rounds, with Schwartz taking the chip lead from Guo to begin the round of Hold'em. Guo hit two bad hands to finish out that round and was eliminated on the first hand of Omaha Hi/Lo when Schwartz made a better two pair on the river. Guo's third-place finish was worth $99,264.

Schwartz began heads-up play with 1,300,000 in chips to Gazes' 550,000. The game resumed at Omaha Hi/Lo with blinds of 15,000/30,000 and limits of 30,000/60,000. The first hand of heads-up play saw Gazes lose with top two pair to Schwartz's flopped set of jacks, and shortly thereafter, on the seventh heads-up hand, Schwartz finished off his triumph.

On a flop of Q63 , Schwartz raised the flop and was called by Gazes. Gazes checked the 4 on the turn and called all-in when Schwartz bet. The 2 on the river was unneeded as Schwartz tabled 2-3-5-8 for a turned 6-high straight and a 6-low for a scoop against Gazes' K-K-7-6 (a pair of kings and a 7-low). Gazes earned $153,408 for his second-place finish.

Ralph Schwartz netted $275,683 for his win, along with his first WSOP bracelet. When asked by Gazes if he wanted to play a heads-up match for 'real' money, Schwartz responded "Nah, after this, I think I'm gonna go party." And party he could, with his first WSOP bracelet, a new Quorum watch and a $275,683 first prize.

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Ralph Schwartz - $275,683
2. Bill Gazes - $153,408
3. Yuebin Guo - $99,264
4. Phil Ivey - $65,424
5. Robert Mizrachi - $49,632
6. Alexander Jung - $37,901
7. Thomas Schultz - $28,877
8. Jeff Campbell - $20,755