WINNER'S BRACKET CHAMP (EVENT #15)

Leah Looking Good in Winner's Bracket, Eh?

It doesn't take Mike "GoLeafsGoEh" Leah long to dispatch Jesse Yaginuma in the winner's bracket of the heads-up double elimination tournament. "It was a fun day," says Leah who's guaranteed $16,000 for no worse than a 2nd place finish. "Ran good, played good. It's a nice combination," he says.

Leah is 6-0 on the day and the only player without a loss in the two day event. He'll now be on a 24 hour break before he knows who he'll play for the championship. The Loser's bracket continues Friday at 11 AM with 11 players remaining for the money, as the top 6 cash.

Leah opened up with a tough draw in pro player Bill Blanda, followed by a surprisingly quick match against Event #6 Champion Alex Santiago. His toughest match of the day was in the third round against Tim Finne. "It was tough because it was the longest," says Leah, "he played really well."

Leah's road isn't any easier as he knocks off WSOP bracelet winner Jason Young, Borgata regular and 2007 Poker Open Champion Will Failla and Jesse Yaginuma.

"The winner's bracket is obviously a much easier road," he says while contemplating if he's going to start Friday by playing in Event #17 ($1,500 + $125), "in the loser's bracket you have to win a stupid amount of games."

Three of Leah's victims are still alive for the title as Failla, Young and Yaginuma wait to see who survives the loser's bracket meat grinder to play later in the day.

Leah only needs to win one match to take the $25,600 top prize. If he loses against the Loser's Bracket Champion, the two will play a winner take all rematch.

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Earlier Winner's Bracket Results