Sixteen years following his last notable performance at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), French poker pro Patrick Bueno has once again emerged at the top. Held at King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Bueno won Event #10: €2,000 8-Song, therefore securing his first gold bracelet at the 2024 WSOP Europe. His triumph brought him €43,400 in prize money and much-needed public attention once again.
Examining 2008 From A Historical Perspective
Considered one of the most exclusive events in the series, the 2008 WSOP saw Patrick Bueno first stir waves in the poker scene as he reached the final table of the $50,000 H.O.R.S. Championship. The poker scene back then was different. Players like Scotty Nguyen, Erick Lindgren, Matt Glantz, and Barry Greenstein ruled the felt during that period. Bueno came in eighth, a fair performance considering the intense rivalry.
“That was a long time ago. I performed quite well. It was quite pleasant, Bueno said, remembering his long run sixteen years ago. For others, the event may be only a memory; for Bueno, it was a major turning point in his poker career.
Bueno looked to disappear from the WSOP scene on that last table. He missed the main events for more than ten years, leaving many wondering if his poker career had ended. But based on his performance in Rozvadov this week, his love of the game never waned—even during his protracted hiatus from the WSOP stage.
The Way To Win Victory
Bueno made his much-awaited return at the 2024 WSOP Europe by competing in Event #10: €2,000 8-Game, a mixed-game style testing players’ knowledge in eight different poker varieties. Although there was fierce rivalry in the last table for this tournament, Bueno came out on top.
Here are the final table results for Event #10:
- Patrick Bueno (France) – €43,400
- Daniel Habl (Germany) – €28,000
- Anson Tsang (Hong Kong) – €18,750
- Sami Bechahed (France) – €13,100
- Philipp Krieger (Germany) – €9,555
- Martin Schamaun (Switzerland) – €7,290
Since Bueno was wearing his first WSOP bracelet, this triumph was especially satisfying. “I am rather glad. I’m feeling quite nice. Bueno grinned broadly, obviously loving the moment, and replied, “I’m quite happy to take it.”
Having decades of experience, Bueno proved he still has the ability to compete at the top level. His first WSOP cash comes from the 2001 Main Event, from which he placed 36th. When Bueno thought back on his path, he said, “My experience helped, for sure, since I played a lot of varied games in my life. I thus have a lot of knowledge in mixed games.
Day 2: Action
Event #10’s second and last day started with eighteen players still from the initial ninety entries. Leading the pack with 674,500 chips was three-time WSOP bracelet winner Anson Tsang. Bueno, meantime, began the day sixth in rank with 284,000 chips.
Only the top 14 players would finish in the money and split the €156,510 reward pool. Day 2 started quickly, with Aaron Duczak busting on the first hand of the day carrying just 21,500 chips. Top player without a WSOP bracelet, Dzmitry Urbanowicz shortly followed, dropping a vital Razz hand against Jack-low of Symeon Alexandridis. Urbanovich’s search for a bracelet would have to wait when Sami Bechahed in Pot-Limited Omaha eliminated him just afterward. Bechahed sent Urbanowicz to the rail on four trips.
The field kept narrow, as Fabian Scherle’s elimination in 16th place sent the event toward the money bubble. Jeremy Trojand flopped a set of jacks in Limit Hold’em to crack Sebastian Cantzler’s ace-jack and guarantee the remaining players’ spots in the money. The bubble burst fast.
Bueno Gets In Control
Bueno started to run the tournament once the bubble collapsed. With a 7-6 in a pivotal hand, he dropped former €5,000 Pot-Limited Omaha bracelet champion Dennis Weiss in 14th position. Then he watched as 13th place. Arto Loikkanen was sent by Philipp Krieger to the rail following a full house in Omaha. Hello Hi-Loop.
Bueno had the chip lead with 740,000 chips when the field dropped to the last two tables. He did, however, encounter some opposition when Martin Schamaun doubled up through him with the top two pair and Daniel Habl also chipped away at Tsang’s stack using a full house.
Tomasz Gluszko was knocked out in 12th place during the eliminations when Habl flushed on the bend. Next to fall was Ilija Savevski, squandering both his straight and flush draws against Trojand to land in 11th position. Following in tenth, Alexandridis watched as Tsang spiked an ace on the flop and his pocket kings fell short against her ace-six.
Battle Of Final Tables
Anson Tsang dominated the field with almost 1,000,000 chips as the last table took shape; Bueno sat second with 870,000. First to go was Jeremy Trojand, who Bueno quartered in seventh place and eliminated by Schamaun. Then Schamaun got his last chips in the middle on a queen-high flip in Pot-Limited Omaha against Bueno. Bueno rumbled two pairs to finish sixth, with Schamaun eliminated.
Bueno suffered when he ran his ace-king into Sami Bechahed’s pocket aces in Limit Hold’em. When Habl scooped a Stud Hi-Loop pot against him, his stack suffered still another damage. After Bueno’s seven-draw dominated a Stud Hi-Lo hand, Philipp Krieger was eliminated in fifth place and headed to the rail.
Bueno’s Coming Back
Bueno discovered his rhythm once more when four players remained. He won a pivotal Stud hand with a pair of kings to cross the 2,000,000-chip mark, although he momentarily lost momentum when Bechahed doubled up against him. But Bueno rebounded, flailing a full house in Omaha Hi-Lo and eliminating Bechahed in fourth place.
Then Bueno led significantly ahead of the other players. He turned a straight against Habl in Limit Hold’em and scooped a Stud Hi-Lo pot against Tsang, therefore controlling over 85 percent of the chips in use. Bueno made a flush on seventh street, leaving only Bueno and Habl to fight for the bracelet, with Tsang eliminated in third place.
The Last Showdown
Bueno had a great advantage going into heads-up play—4,200,000 chips to Habl’s 300,000. The game lasted not very long. Habl stood up in the 2-7 Triple Draw with a queen-low, but Bueno drew a six and an eight to finish his winning hand. Bueno won the championship in his preferred game, 2-7, to round off the event.
Bueno stated, happy with the way the last hand turned out, “It’s my favorite game of the mix.” ” In the past, I used to play plenty of 2-7. I know just how to approach this game.
A Long-Awaiting Triumph
Patrick Bueno has at last acquired his long-awaited gold bracelet following more than a decade away from the WSOP spotlight. His knowledge, ability at mixed games, and will came together to create a remarkable triumph in the 2024 WSOP Europe. Bueno may now rightfully identify himself as a WSOP champion sixteen years after his previous deep run.
