1. Mats Rahmn Stockholm, Sweden $655,141 2. Richard Toth Budapest, Hungary $333,729 3. Padraig Parkinson Dublin, Ireland $203,139 4. Chris Birchby Hollywood, CA $145,100 5. James Sileo Burbank, CA $116,080 6. Michael Binger Atherton, CA $101,570 7. Jordan Morgan Norman, OK $87,060 8. Ashwin Sarin Redmond, WA $72,550 9. Billy Duarte Berthoud, CO $58,040 10. William McKinney Princeton, WV $43,530 11. Ben Stanfeneger Alliance, OH $40,628 12. John Carver Hampton, IL $37,726 13. Jorge Arias Indianapolis, IN $34,824 14. Ray Abels Danville, CA $31,922 15. Antonio Pane Las Vegas, NV $29,020 16. Daniel Smith Folsom, CA $26,118 17. Shahryar Eslami Van Nuys, CA $23,216 18. Michael Souza San Diego, CA $20,314 19. Chris Tsui Cupertino, CA $17,412 20. Keith Wintermans Vancouver, BC, Canada $17,412 21. Khong Kham Phommaxahans Arvada, CO $17,412 22. Wade Woelfel Mankato, MN $14,510 23. Robert Vecchio Sharyland, TX $14,510 24. Robertus Holink Groningen, Netherlands $14,510 25. Eugene Todd Brooklyn, NY $11,608 26. Amos Sharpe Las Vegas, NV $11,608 27. Jon Musen Phoenix, AZ $11,608 28. Dan Bokesch Lewis Center, OH $8,706 29. Toben Nelson Austin, TX $8,706 30. Hoyt Corkins Las Vegas, NV $8,706 31. Alan Engel Brooklyn, NY $8,706 32. Chris Bjorin London, UK $8,706 33. Thayer Rasmussen Largo, FL $8,706 34. Francis Scapula Bastia, France $8,706 35. Larry Hicks Mount Vernon $8,706 36. Justin Tran Sacramento, CA $8,706 37. William Sanford Bronxville, NY $7,255 38. Colin Burton Belowna $7,255 39. Josh Ronan Henderson, NV $7,255 40. Hans Lund Sparks, NJ $7,255 41. Michele Whiteside San Antonio, TX $7,255 42. Eric Mizrachi Sunny Isles Bch, FL $7,255 43. Joe Leibman Fort atkinson, WI $7,255 44. Jeffrey Larsew West Jordan, UT $7,255 45. Philip Gurian Boca Raton, FL $7,255 46. Gino Battista Temecula, CA $7,255 47. Harry Cheung Portola Valley, CA $7,255 48. John Arellano Whittier, CA $7,255 49. Jeff Khomari Turlock, CA $7,255 50. Matt Smith Tallahassee, FL $7,255 51. Duy Hung Le Los Angeles, CA $7,255 52. Robert Lewis Miami Bch, FL $7,255 53. Stuart Hosen Addison, TX $7,255 54. Jeff Fletcher Danville, CA $7,255 55. Mandy Calara Chicago, IL $5,804 56. Alex Hskou Brooklyn, NY $5,804 57. Bhupinder Kohli Nairobi $5,804 58. Douglas Holcomb Roseburg, OR $5,804 59. Todd Huynh Morton Grove, IL $5,804 60. Kevin Jessee $5,804 61. Tom Macey Chicago, IL $5,804 62. Robert Odishoo Ladera Rch, CA $5,804 63. Miguel Mateo $5,804 64. Carlos Fernadez Sunny Isles Bch, FL $5,804 65. Brendan Hopps Bellingham, WA $5,804 66. Ray Liu Sunnyville, CA $5,804 67. Michael Mizrachi Hollywood, FL $5,804 68. Perry Friedman Tiltsville, NV $5,804 69. James Lee Buena Park, CA $5,804 70. Eugene Hanley Mantucket, MA $5,804 71. Richard Pace Louisville, KY $5,804 72. Eric Arreea Baldwin Park, CA $5,804 73. Ray La Pointe Needham, MA $5,804 74. David Sklansky Henderson, NV $5,804 75. Dennis Otto Corpus Christi, TX $5,804 76. Grady Talbot Carcadia, CA $5,804 77. Michael Banducci Traverse City, MI $5,804 78. Gary Heberman Fort Lauderdale, FL $5,804 79. N. Eber Johannesburg, South Africa $5,804 80. Carl Olson Seattle, WA $5,804 81. Carl Ossbahr unknown $5,804 82. Nathan Lang San Antonio, TX $4,353 83. Thomas Jean Marc Paris, France $4,353 84. Peter Carini Newark, CA $4,353 85. John Phan Stockton, CA $4,353 86. Donnocha O'Dea Dublin, Ireland $4,353 87. Paul Incerto Norwalk, CT $4,353 88. Gregory Hurwitz Sampscott, MA $4,353 89. Danton Orosz Ontario, Canada $4,353 90. Ryan Schultz St. Louis, MO $4,353 91. Richard Tehan unknown $4,353 92. Judson Hinton Stockbridge, GA $4,353 93. Tim Le Portland, OR $4,353 94. Russell Minobe Aiea, HI $4,353 95. John Gaudreault Elizabeth, Co $4,353 96. Nick Stanley Spokane, WA $4,353 97. Donald Barton Pahrump, NV $4,353 98. Paul Freidberg unknown $4,353 99. Mallory Smith Aurora, CO $4,353 100. Mike Baas Las Vegas, NV $4,353 101. Dennis Andridla Hazlet, NJ $4,353 102. Kevin Slaughter Las Vegas, NV $4,353 103. John Johnson Valencia, CA $4,353 104. Russell Hudson Glenwood Springs, CO $4,353 105. Ernest Plutt Boise, ID $4,353 106. Jose Raul Panama, Panama $4,353 107. Srinivas Varlagadda Sarasota, FL $4,353 108. Marina Baroco Pensacola, FL $4,353 109. Tony Nasr Whittier, CA $2,902 110. Amir Nurani El Cajon, CA $2,902 111. Brian Micon Atlanta, GA $2,902 112. Mohammad Azar Las Vegas, NV $2,902 113. Karen Kitchen Grand Blanc, MI $2,902 114. Mat Gherackal unknown $2,902 115. Cornell Bowlson Farmington Hills, MI $2,902 116. Ryan Larson Las Vegas, NV $2,902 117. Manuel Benites Minneapolis, MN $2,902 118. Edward Teens Trion, GA $2,902 119. Joel Fischbein Las Vegas, NV $2,902 120. Nathan Meyvis Bloomfield Hills, MI $2,902 121. Martin Henshaw England $2,902 122. Amir Naderi Santa Monica, CA $2,902 123. Jason Lilly Mount Hope, AL $2,902 124. James Stone Fairlawn, OH $2,902 125. Brian Fields Berkeley, CA $2,902 126. Tony Davis Ellijay, GA $2,902 127. David Franson Pennsylvania $2,902 128. Allen Cunningham $2,902 129. Wendell Barnes Charlton, MA $2,902 130. Alex Santiago $2,902 131. Joseph Santoro Orlando, FL $2,902 132. David Choe Chicago, IL $2,902 133. David Plastik $2,902 134. Huck Seed Orlando, FL $2,902 135. Cory Ward Titusville, FL $2,902 136. Canh Phan Richardsen, TX $2,902 137. David Van Overseem Manhattan Beach, CA $2,902 138. Kendell Kim Corona, CA $2,902 139. Dennis Seagle Marion, NC $2,902 140. Todd Annoni Los Altos, CA $2,902 141. Bert Jones Hermosa Beach, CA $2,902 142. Zachary Fritz Las Vegas, NV $2,902 143. Jeffrey Philips Bristow, VA $2,902 144. Wesley Chepler Huntsville, AL $2,902 145. Nick Peperone Vast Amherst, NY $2,902 146. David King Hanover, MA $2,902 147. Brent Bibby Canada $2,902 148. Richard Gregory Bellevue, WA $2,902 149. Aaron Lasater Noncross, GA $2,902 150. Dominick Cantore Chicago, IL $2,902 151. Michael Cummings Grover Beach, CA $2,902 152. T.J. Cloutier Richardson, TX $2,902 153. Orestes Melgarejo Pembroke Pines, FL $2,902 154. Matthew Robertson Lubbock, TX $2,176 155. Nicholas Schulman $2,176 156. Kei Tanaka Tokyo, Japan $2,176 157. Stephen Duggan Manhattan, NY $2,176 158. Mark Gregorich $2,176 159. Jason Sy Houston, TX $2,176 160. Daniel Becker Nashville, TN $2,176 161. Cory Henen Trumbull, CT $2,176 162. John Anderson San Antonio, TX $2,176 163. John Shetter Colleyville, TX $2,176 164. Constantine Moustakis Danvers, MA $2,176 165. $2,176 166. W. Douglas Barnum Columbia, SC $2,176 167. Bradley heffron Pickerington, OH $2,176 168. Michael Hill Canada $2,176 169. Peter Jetter $2,176 170. Peter Nathan Las Vegas, NV $2,176 171. Alan Bittikofen Haywood, CA $2,176 172. Ronald Toledo Edmonton, Canada $2,176 173. Laura Diamond Evergreen, CO $2,176 174. Helge Pederson $2,176 175. Eduardo Santi Argentina $2,176 176. Bobby Lee Sacramento, CA $2,176 177. Matthew Dunbar Indianapolis, IN $2,176 178. Michael Laing Las Vegas, NV $2,176 179. Yong Chen BC, Canada $2,176 180. Richard Tatalovich Scottsdale, AZ $2,176 181. Tian Ma Chandler, AZ $2,176 182. Tad Jurgens Chandler, AZ $2,176 183. Joseph Torres Amityville, NY $2,176 184. Kyle Shigano Pearl City, HI $2,176 185. Andrew bourne $2,176 186. Gerardo Campos Weston, FL $2,176 187. Randy McKay Finlay, ND $2,176 188. Steven Cohn $2,176 189. Jean Harlan Las Vegas, NV $2,176 190. Aristomenis Stauropolus $2,176 191. Mike Friedman Switzerland $2,176 192. Aaron Ruppert Norman, OK $2,176 193. Nicholas Ronyerz Goleta, CA $2,176 194. Paul Fredericks Winchester, CA $2,176 195. David Chen New York $2,176 196. Paul Wolfe Apollo Beach, FL $1,088 197. Dennis Waterman Myrtle Point, OR $1,088 198. Anahit Galajian Glendale, CA $1,088 199. Nevio Nicolich $1,088 200. Steve Shkolnik Woodland Hills, CA $1,088 201. Adam Meyer Weston, Fl $1,088

If It’s Thursday, This Must Be Sweden

Swedish Poker Pro Mats Rahmn Wins His First WSOP Gold Bracelet

Three Europeans dominate no-limit hold’em final table

Las Vegas, NV – Many people might be surprised to learn that Scandinavia is one of poker’s hottest new markets. Perhaps it’s the cold dark winters. Perhaps it’s the relatively high income and education levels. Or, perhaps it’s the high-tech sophistication of the region. Scandinavians own more personal computers and cell phones, per capita, than any other population group. Not surprisingly, Swedes, Fins, Danes, and Norwegians also play more online poker than any other region.

Leading the way is Sweden, with a total population nine million. Right behind the US, the UK, and Canada – Sweden sends more players to the World Series of Poker than any other nation. Adjusted for population size, Sweden is second only to the United States in the total number of players who play in the WSOP main event. Sweden’s emergence as a poker hub is also now producing world champions.

Mats Rahmn, a 26-year-old professional poker player from Stockholm, won the $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em championship at the 2006 World Series of Poker, presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light. More impressive was the fact that Rahmn topped a gigantic field of 2,126 players.

After 2,117 players had been eliminated over two long days, nine players took the final table on the Rio stage. The nine finalists comprised a very tough lineup, although none had previously won a WSOP gold bracelet.

Player Name - Chip Count - Seat #

James Sileo $144,000 1
Richard Toth $447,000 2
Mats Rahmn $511,000 3
Billy Duarte $96,000 4
Padraig Parkinson $278,000 5
Ashwin Sarin $591,000 6
Chris Birchby $497,000 7
Michael Binger $325,000 8
Jordan Morgan $307,000 9

“Boston Billy” Duarte was the first player to exit. The longtime poker pro, who plays in big cash games and at major tournaments around the country, was eliminated with ace-queen against ace-king. Duarte failed to catch a queen, putting him out in ninth place, which paid $58,040.

Ashwin Sarin went out next. The software engineer from Redmond, WA arrived at the final table as the chip leader. But Sarin suffered a horrible series of hands and beats over a 90-minute period that melted his stack of chips. Down to his last 200,000 after starting the day off with 591,000, Sarin moved all-in with pocket kings after the flop came J-8-6. His opponent called holding an eight, and then caught a second pair to eliminate Sarin in eighth place. He received $72,550.

Jordan Morgan, a 22-year-old college student from Norman, Okalahoma finished in seventh place when his pocket tens were run down a high pair. Morgan moved all-in with his last 125,000 and was called by a player with a flush draw. Instead of catching the flush however, Morgan’s opponent caught a queen to make a higher pair, resulting in Morgan’s abolition. The Oklahoman collected $87,060 at his first WSOP final table.

Michael Binger had chips for a while, but then went card dead. He tried to take a pot with king-jack by making a 135,000 pre-flop raise. He was called down by an opponent with 10-7 who ended up flopping a seven, good for a pair. That was all it took to knock out the Stanford graduate (PhD). Binger, a physician from California, received sixth-place prize money totaling $101,570.

James Sileo went out next. Hold’em’s most classic confrontation eliminated Sileo, who held ace-king against pocket queens. Board came with all low cards, a disappointment to Sileo, who ended up taking fifth place and $116,080.

Chris Birchby, a.k.a. “Marvin Garden” hit the rail in fourth place when he was desperately low on chips and was forced to play a sub-par hand or risk being blinded off. He moved all-in with his last 100,000 in chips on a steal attempt, but was down called by Mats Rahmn. Birchby had queen-five versus Rahmn’s king-seven. A king flopped, and Birchby – the owner of a sunblock lotion company (“Coola Sunblock”) got burned. Fourth place paid $145,100.

Anyone who still doubts that Europeans can play great poker would be advised to look at the three finalists in this event. After the six Americans had all gone bust, that left an Irishman, a Hungarian, and a Swede to compete for what would be a first WSOP gold bracelet. Padriag Parkinson, who finished third in the WSOP main event back in 1999 (the year fellow Irishman Noel Furlong won it), had to settle for third place again this time around. Parkinson took a horrible beat when his ace-four was cracked by Richard Toth’s ace-three. Both players flopped an ace, but a three fell on the river to make two-pair for Toth. Parkinson, who was cashing for the fourth time at this year’s World Series, collected $203,139 for third place.

When heads-up play began, Richard Toth enjoyed a 2 to 1 chip lead over Mats Rahmn. The two players battled back and forth for nearly an hour before Rahmn won the decisive final hand of the tournament. The final hand came when Rahmn was dealt pocket kings versus Toth’s jack-eight. Toth called a pre-flop raise. After the flop came J-10-9, Rahmn bet out 150,000 and Toth moved all in for 500,000 more. Rahmn called and showed his overpair. Toth had top pair with an outside straight draw. However, two blanks hit the turn and the river, securing the victory for Rahmn.

As the runner up, Richard Toth received $333,729. The Hungarian poker player, who works in high-tech sales, was making his first-ever appearance at the WSOP. Toth will be a force in Europe and in years to come when he plays in North America.

Mats Rahmn had few words to express the jubilation of winning his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet and $655,141. “It feels amazing,” he said.

By Nolan Dalla

Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #26 B):

Total Entries to Date: 25,250

Total Prize Money Distributed: $51,931,307

2006 World Series of Poker