The PokerStake player Allen Kessler has had a week to remember at the poker felt. A long-time fan of the World Series of Poker, ‘Chainsaw’ won big during his own series this week at the Borgata in Atlantic City. Winning two WSOP Circuit ring events outright and finishing as runner-up in a third, Chainsaw is proving that when it comes to mixed games, he is one of the most in-form players in the world.

Booking his First Win

Allen’s first victory this week came as part of one of his favorite series. The RunGood Poker Series took place at the Borgata in Atlantic City, where he won the $400-entry T.O.R.S.E. (2-7 Lowball Triple Draw, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Razz, Seven-Card Stud and Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better or ‘Stud 8’) event.

There were 52 entries in total, while the tournament ended in a three-way chop. Each of the three players won $4,090, with Allen winning the RGPS Passport Ring. The final table also featured results for Lisa Clay (4^th for $1,690), George Jannes (5^th for $1,250) and Stan Davis, who won $1,050 in sixth place.

Allen Wins Circuit Ring #5 in Vegas

Proving that he’s the current king of T.O.R.S.E., Allen then won his second event in short order and fifth ring when he took down the $600 buy-in WSOP Circuit event in Las Vegas. With more than double the entries at a field of 119, there was no chopping this time, with Allen winning the top prize of $15,933 along with the jewellry.

“I won the two T.O.R.S.E. at Borgata,” says Allen. “The second T.O.R.S.E. was my fifth WSOP ring and was smooth sailing once I had the chip lead.”

Plenty of Allen’s fellow professionals were on X to congratulate him, including the WSOP bracelet winner Brandon Cantu, who said: “You should never miss another T.O.R.S.E. event!!”

Another passionate mixed game event player, Stefan Janicki, advocated for more T.O.R.S.E. events, said: “Well done, Allen!  We need more of that game at WSOP events.”

After losing heads-up for what could have been his sixth WSOP Circuit ring, Allen told his fans on X that he was potentially one card away from glory.

“Close to immortality but didn’t close for another ring. Two firsts and a second in a week is still impressive though,” he wrote. “I had a nice chip lead heads up in Stud 8 with a made flush and 7 low draw vs. only a 6 low draw. They rivered a low on seventh and then we played heads up for over two hours for the ring. If I faded that hand, it would have been three rings in a week!”

Close But No Circuit Ring

In the $600-entry Omaha 8 or Better + Stud 8 or Better Event #7, Allen was able to get all the way to the heads-up battle for the ring in the $25,000 guaranteed event. With 109 total entries, that represents a superb run and one that seems almost impossible given how many players in a row Allen had to outlast to get there.

“[In] the $600 OE, I kept laddering until I was heads up for my third ring in a week,” Allen tells us. “I had a huge lead in chips and a made flush in stud with a 7 low draw. I was free rolling for the ring with one card to go because my opponent only had a low draw. They hit the low and then we played two more hours to decide the ring – it was very disappointing.”

After finishing second in that event, Allen then “max late-regged” the Mixed Triple Draw ring event.

“I didn’t have many bets to play with and was immediately down to only 12,000 chips,” he says. “I hung in there and ran it up late in the night to 167k and was in sixth position going to Day 2. I was down to about 60k and hit a huge rush to the chip lead for another ring with seven players left. I never gave up that lead until we were three-handed and I had over half the chips in play.”

From there, however, it all went as wrong as it could go for Allen.

“There was one desperately low stack who doubled through the other player and then doubled twice more through me,” he describes. “I also lost several pots to the middle stacked player. With only 22 total bets in play, suddenly I became the short stack and finished in third place.”

After winning WSOP Circuit rings four and five in his career, Allen Kessler has proven once again that he is a mixed game legend, particularly in T.O.R.S.E. and will be a major threat in the forthcoming World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Will Chainsaw’s long wait for a World Series of Poker bracelet end this summer in Las Vegas?

“I think I need to work on my short handed game. In the last four days, I’ve made four final tables, coming first in the T.O.R.S.E. event at the Horseshoe, second in the OE at the Horseshoe, third in Mixed Triple Draw there too then second in the HEROES Thunder Valley.”

If Chainsaw does strike gold this summer, you know where you’ll find out about it first.