WSOP: Esther Taylor-Brady Keeps Impressing – Both on and off the Felt

Mixed game pro Esther Taylor-Brady (aka E-Tay) has been running hotter than hot this summer, and she has impressed not only with her play but also with her demeanor on and off the felt. But more on that later.

Coming into this year’s series Taylor-Brady had eight WSOP cashes to her name. Last year she went semi deep in the $1,500 Shootout Event and the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E for a total of $10k. This year – and a little over halfway through the WSOP – she has cashed in four events, and gone deep in all of them.

Taylor-Brady’s first cash came in Event #8: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E that attracted 778 entries. She made it to Day 2 and finished in 32nd place for $5k. She continued with a 11th place finish in the $10,000 Omaha 8 Championship for $25k, and went even deeper in the $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Stud 8 Event, where she was eliminated on the final table bubble in 10th place worth $13k.

Yesterday Esther Taylor-Brady had another shot at capturing the bracelet that she so much deserves; this time in the $10,000 Stud 8 Championship. And yes, Maria Ho, there’s no deserving in poker, but I certainly think that if there were, Taylor-Brady would be first in line – and so would Ho, by the way.

12 players remained at the start of Day 3, and Taylor-Brady was 5th in chips in a field that included top pros like Justin Bonomo, George Danzer, Todd Brunson, Eli Elezra, Randy Ohel, David Benyamine, Scott Clements, Mike Leah and David Grey. Fortunately Taylor-Brady made it to the final table this time (3rd in chips), and she took to Twitter to share her excitement:

My 1st visitation to the THUNDERDOME!!! 10k Stud8 final table of 9. Lemme get this bracelet for Goosie girl! 

— E-TAY June 28, 2016

And the excitement kept building as one player after another was eliminated until just Danzer, Ohel, Bonomo and Taylor-Brady remained. Taylor-Brady impressed with a very solid game, picking her spots and getting it in good every time. It is telling that it took a miracle runner-runner for Ohel to eliminate Taylor-Brady in 4th place. In the final hand Taylor-Brady bet all in on fifth street with a pair of aces and got called by Ohel with king high:

Taylor-Brady

/
Ohel /

On sixth street Ohel picked up an

for a gutshot straight draw and Taylor-Brady a for a low draw. When the fell on the river, and Ohel spiked his miracle card, it was over for Taylor-Brady who took home $107,551 for an incredible performance. In spite of the devastating bad beat at the end, Taylor-Brady tweeted:

What an experience!!!! Busted 4th but thrilled to make my first WSOP final table, and I'm so overwhelmed & thankful for all the support! ❤️

— E-TAY June 28, 2016

Not everybody was able to amount the kind of gratefulness and modesty Taylor-Brady showed, and I, for one, certainly shared the opinion expressed by Melissa Burr:

I'm fucking sick for my girl … they couldn't have played worse and she couldn't have played better.

— Melissa Burr June 28, 2016

With 20 more events to go, Taylor-Brady has more opportunities ahead. And why not the Poker Player Championship while she’s at it.