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Today in the 3-Bet we find Daniel Alaei quietly continuing his WSOP dominance, a decade after his big win Joe Hachem rides again and Jason Koon rallies the facial-hair troops.
1) Alaei Wins Bracelet #5
You know who's a really good great poker player who doesn't get a lot of exposure in the media, poker or otherwise?
Los Angeles-based poker pro and father of three Daniel Alaei.
He proved his world-class poker chops yet again last night by stomping an elite field of 157 to claim the title and bracelet in the $10k Omaha Hi-Lo Split Championship.
Just a few of the impressive numbers that went along with it:
Earned $391,097 for first pushing his WSOP earnings over $4m Second time he's won the $10k O8 championship 5th career WSOP bracelet in just 7(!) final tables Second-youngest player (at 30 years old) to reach 5 bracelets (Allen Cunningham by a few months is youngest, winning his fifth in 2007)That's the kind of poker resume anyone can be envious of. And the fact he just slips off into the sunset with his massive scores is even cooler.
This time around he might even be taking a big chunk of Erik Seidel's money with him, too:
Good news: made the money in consecutive 10ks. Bad news: laid @dalaei 30-1 on winning the O8 & he is 3rd in chips w 18 left
— Erik Seidel (@Erik_Seidel) June 10, 2015Mbn. But also well earned. More on Alaei's win/summer plans here.
2) Hachem Grateful, On His Way
Has it really been 10 years since Joe Hachem won the 2005 WSOP Main Event?
We're shaking our heads at the thought right now. It feels like it was just 6-8 years ago to us.
Regardless, the Christian calendar doesn't lie (unless it serves a higher purpose like the leap year) and we are in fact near celebrating 10 years since Hachem's groundbreaking win.
As Hachem writes in a new blog post (as he makes his way to Vegas after a bout of pneumonia), it's been quite a ride:
"I remember waving that Aussie flag around like it was just yesterday and I still hear "pass the sugar" and "Aussie Aussie Aussie " on a regular basis. The journey post winning the WSOP main event has been one hell of a ride.
"Talk about being lucky, OMG, how friggin lucky was I to first of all to beat 5618 people (I played great btw:) ) then just as important how friggin lucky was I to win at the very height of the poker boom and receive ridiculous sponsorships and accolades that today are non existent to anyone who is lucky enough to accomplish the same.
"Timing is everything in poker and in life, and there's not a day that goes by that I don't appreciate every second of mine. It's been an absolute pleasure and a sheer privilege to be a poker ambassador for the past 10 years, I love this game and all it brings with it and want to see it flourish forever.
"I look forward to the next 10 years with great anticipation....."
Can Hachem channel his inner Mark Newhouse and make another deep run a decade on? Odds are against it but it'll certainly be one of the storylines to watch if he can slip into Day 3 and beyond. More on the former champs recent travails here.
3) Jason Koon: Goatees and Bracelets or Bust
You know what they say about the goatee: It's the best way to make your mouth look like it has a ring of hair around it.
Maybe they don't say that. Still, we might be about to see a lot of them this summer at the WSOP thanks to Jason Koon's new rallying tweet:
My roomies and I are all growing goatees til we win a bracelet. If you have one, please be in my bracelet pic. pic.twitter.com/opWLiJ8ZhX
— Jason Koon (@JasonKoon) June 11, 2015We know beards are all the rage right now but once a few gamechangers like Koon get the goatee ball rolling it's gonna look like 1993 all up in the Rio in no time.
We'll keep our eyes peeled for photo ops.
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