The Tag Team event is widely considered to be one of the most fun tournaments at the World Series of Poker, and this year's edition was no exception.
As in previous years, team costumes and a more casual atmosphere were prevalent on the first day, and by the time the final table was reached on Day 3, the atmosphere was electric.
Six countries were represented at this year's final table, with several teams drawing passionate, enthusiastic crowds of friends, family, and fellow countrymen. Breno Drumond and Henrique Lessa of Brazil enjoyed a boisterous rail, and in the end, they certainly gave their supporters something to cheer for.
The Brazilian duo was the last two standing from 1,375 teams, defeating Japan's duo of Ruka Yamauchi and Shotaro Murase heads-up to win their first WSOP bracelets and the $184,769 top prize.
With tonight's win, a total of three WSOP titles have gone to Brazil this summer. Yuri Dzivielevski won the first in the $100,000 high roller, before Joao Simao took down the $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller for Brazil's second bracelet of the series.
Seven years in the making
“I’m very happy. It's a dream," Drumond told PokerOrg shortly after the win. "I started playing poker seven years ago, and now I’ve fulfilled this dream.”
“It’s seven years of hard work," Lessa added. "We came here to live this moment, and we conquered this dream. We are so happy.”
Lessa explained that the two players met right at the start of their poker journeys through joining the popular Samba Poker Team stable in their home country seven years ago.
"We started playing in the same year. We began going on poker trips together and became friends.”
While the two players swapped regularly in the early parts of the tournament, Drumond played for the majority of the final table, something Lessa explained was deliberate.
“At the beginning of the day, we decided to swap every two hours. When there were fewer players, we changed to every one hour. When Breno was playing, he was in a flow. He was playing well, having a good run. I said to him, ‘Go, go to the final and win this tournament,’ and that was that. We swapped when it was four-handed, he took it all the way to heads-up.”
This was Lessa's first WSOP final table and Drumond's first. Drumond finished as runner-up to Cary Katz in the $2,500 freezeout event at last year's WSOP.
"The experience of last year was very, very important," Drumond said of nearly winning his first bracelet last year.
"I made better decisions this year.”
Another win for Samba Poker Team
Interestingly, last year's Tag Team event was won by another Brazilian duo representing the Samba Poker Team stable in Kelvin Kerber and Peter Patricio.
“They are the head coaches of the Samba team," Lessa explained. "They taught us a lot of things. He’s a good friend of Breno’s, and they live close – 1 hour’s drive away.”
When asked about their plans to celebrate the win, the pair said they planned to have at least a few beers tonight before getting right back to work for the rest of the WSOP.
"We fly back to Brazil on the 14th of July," Drumond said. "We have 20 days for playing. How about more bracelets?”
Images courtesy of World Series of Poker.
