The game of poker is technically classified as a sport. But when we think of sports, we picture young, virile athletes with toned muscles. If you saw a silver-haired senior running the length of a basketball court with the likes of Steph Curry, who do you think would win? It’s that exact sentiment that 72 year old Andre Boyer believes worked to his advantage last night at the 2015 WSOP.
Boyer was one of 873 entrants in Event #34, $1,500 Split-Format No Limit Holdem. And if you’re not familiar with “split format” poker, you probably don’t play a great deal of variety online.
The split format structure was originally devised as an online poker format for fast-paced grinders who put in long hours at the virtual tables. For this 2015 WSOP event, it meant Day 1 would consist of full tables, Day 2 would shrink down to 6-handed, and Day 3 would be comprised of all heads-up matches. Finally, once just 8 players remained standing, they would be merged into a full, final table of 8.
This may not sound like your grandfather’s poker game, but if Andre Boyer happens to be your grandfather, it most certainly is!
Andre Boyer, 2 Decades of WSOP Success
Hailing from Quebec, Canada, Boyer is no novitiate to the felt, or the World Series of Poker. In fact, he’s cashed at least once in every WSOP since 1996 except two (2000, 2012). In that first year, Andre Boyer actually found himself seated at the 1996 WSOP Main Event, finishing in 6th place for $97,500 before Huck Seed went on to win it.
It wasn’t until 2005 that the Canadian poker pro experienced ultimate success at the World Series of Poker. He entered a $3,000 NL Holdem event, 1,010 entrants strong, and went on to defeat American poker pro Matt Glantz in heads-up to collect his first WSOP bracelet and $682,810.
With last night’s win, Andre Boyer increased his career live tournament winnings to $1,560,604.
2015 WSOP Brings 2nd Bracelet for Andre Boyer
The WSOP victory that almost never happened; that was Boyer’s experience last night at the Rio.
When the final table was polished down to two, Boyer faced off with French poker pro Erwann Pecheux. Boyer was way down in the counts, holding a mere 10♣ 5♠. When the flop fell Q♦ 10♠ J♦, it was all he could do to shove his remaining chips into the middle.
But Pecheux was quick to call, tabling J♣ 4♣. With the Frenchman well ahead, Boyer found minimal solace in the A♥ turn that offered a slight chance of chopping the pot. But then his tournament life was miraculously restored by the 10♦ river, giving Boyer the set, the win, and a renewed chance to win his second bracelet.
It took only 6 more hands for Andre Boyer to collect the rest of the chips. Up 5.5mm to Erwann’s 1.3mm, the Canadian did not hesitate to call when Percheux shipped.
Andre Boyer: A♥ 3♦
Erwann Percheux: K♠ 6♠
The crowd was mostly silent as the dealer began laying out the board: 4♦ J♣ J♠ 10♦ 8♥
And with that, Andre Boyer was crowned the victor, receiving his second WSOP bracelet and a worthy prize $250,483.
Erwann Percheux was gravely disappointed, having finished runner up on several occasions in major events, but never earning a title. He did not go home empty handed, though, pocketing $156,098 for his 2nd place finish.
In his post-win interview, Boyer was asked how he felt about competing against a predominantly younger crowd. “I really think being older can be an advantage,” he said. “They look at me and think I’m a tourist. That’s okay with me. I try to turn that to my advantage.”
