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Ben Maya is the latest champion at the 2017 World Series of Poker, having defeated a field of 1,025 players to win the $1,500 no-limit hold’em shootout event for his first bracelet and $257,764. If you are wondering why you haven’t heard that name before, it is because the 34-year-old realtor from Israel isn’t much of a regular on the international tournament scene.

“Actually, I don’t play tournaments at all,” said Maya. " played one tournament this year. Tournaments are so exhausting for me. I play tournaments so many hours, I get so tired."

Maya is a family man who owns his own business in the Israeli town of Rehovot. Poker just isn’t that big of a part of his life, so it’s no surprise that this event was his first ever cash at the WSOP.

“I had a feeling from the first day… I had a picture of me taking the bracelet, but I didn’t believe in myself. I don’t know why; I’m not such a good player, that I can tell you. After I won the second day, I knew it, that’s it,” he told WSOP reporters after emerging victorious.

In a shootout format players have to win each table they are assigned to in order to advance, making it somewhat like a series of winner-take-all sit’n’gos. Coming into the final day there were actually two six-handle tables worth of players left to play down to a champion, a result of the awkward 1,025 number of entries which saw 120 players advance to day 2. Among the final 12 were plenty of big names including two-time World Poker Tour main event winner Jonathan Little (9th – $21,360), Alex Rocha (5th – $62,602) and Tim West (3rd – $115,297).

In the end it came down to a heads-up battle between Maya and Belgium’s Thomas Boivin. Maya began with just under 4.3 million in chips to Boivin’s 3.4 million. The two played over 50 hands heads-up, with Maya holding the lead the whole way. In the end limped in from the button for 40,000 and Maya raised to 280,000. Boivin moved all in and Maya quickly called with the KK. Boivin held the A10 and found no help with a runout of K6595 giving him a fullhouse to secure the pot and the title. Biovin earned $159,273 for his second place showing.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at this final table:

Place
Player
Earnings (USD)
POY Points

1
Ben Maya
$257,764
960

2
Thomas Boivin
$159,273
800

3
Tim West
$115,297
640

4
Phachara Wongwichit
$84,453
480

5
Alexander Rocha
$62,602
400

6
Steve Foutty
$46,969
320

7
Joe Cook
$35,673
240

8
Paul Michaelis
$27,431
160

9
Jonathan Little
$21,360
80

For more coverage from the summer series, visit the 2017 WSOP landing page complete with a full schedule, news, player interviews and event recaps.

If you can’t make it down to the WSOP at the Rio, you can still play with BetOnline Poker. Click the banner below for more information. Card Player readers are eligible for an initial deposit bonus offer of 100 percent up to $2,500. Enter code ‘NEWBOL’

 

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