Peter Traply Wins the $5,000 No Limit Holdem Shootout

Earlier in the 2009 WSOP, Ville Wahlbeck became the first poker player from Finland to win a WSOP bracelet. Now Peter Traply has duplicated the feat for Hungary. Twenty-two year old Traply, a professional poker player from Budapest, Hungary, edge out poker pro Andrew Lichtenberger in the heads-up showdown to win the $5,000 No Limit Holdem Shootout. Traply said that he feels very happy with his win.

The WSOP victory came after a stream of disappointing finishes for the former Communications major. Traply said that he had participated at every single No Limit Hold'em poker event except the $40,000 event and he did not even manage to cash in. To win the event, Traply had to defeat a final table composed of the like of Danny Wong and European Poker Tour regular Nasr El Nasr. El Nasr looked formidable early at the 5-handed final table but would eventually finish in 5th place, with Wong hitting the rail in 4th place.

Maxim Lykov would finished in 3rd place, leaving Traply and Lichtenberger in the heads-up showdown for the bracelet. Traply jumped to an early lead when his pocket sixes changed a set against the A-Q of Lichtenberger after the latter flopped an ace card. The card hand gave Traply a substantial chip lead, but Lichtenberger would double 3 times to close the distance.

Traply would then capture his opponent's chip with his A-K against the A-J of Lichtenberger to take home the bracelet. Traply takes home a total of $348,728 aside from the bracelet. Lichtenberger earned a total of $215,403 for his 2nd place finish.

Traply said that he hopes that with his win, other poker players in his country will be inspired to polish their own poker skills and participate in more international events like the WSOP.

07/02/2009, Thursday
Matthew Dorst

Peter Traply Wins the $5,000 No Limit Holdem Shootout

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