Steve Billirakis
| Steve Billirakis | |
|---|---|
Billirakis after his win at the 2007 World Series of Poker.
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| Nickname(s) | MrSmokey1 |
| Residence | Hampshire, Illinois |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 2 |
| Money finish(es) | 26 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish |
199rd, 2008 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 5 |
Steve Billirakis (born May 23, 1986 in Hampshire, Illinois) is an American professional poker player.
Billirakis won the first tournament of the 2007 World Series of Poker winning the $5,000 World Championship Mixed Hold'em Limit/No-Limit event after beating Canadian poker player and former professional hockey player Greg Mueller heads-up. Billirakis won $536,287 and became the then youngest WSOP bracelet winner in history, having won the event only 11 days after his 21st birthday. The previous record holder was Jeff Madsen, who had set the record only the year before. Billirakis' record was broken on the 10 September 2007 when Annette Obrestad won the main event of the World Series of Poker Europe where the age limit was only 18 years. Prior to signing up for this mixed hold'em event, Billirakis had never played limit hold'em. His friends gave him a crash course in the days leading up to the event.
On one key hand when they were heads up, Mueller had made top pair against Billirakis's trips. When Billirakis raised on the river, Mueller made a feint of putting chips into the pot to attempt to get a read on whether Billirakis wanted him to call. While not a formal breach of the rules, ESPN commentator Norman Chad opined that such plays "ain't kosher" according to poker etiquette. A short-stacked Mueller later called the big blind with . Billirakis raised Mueller all-in with . The board came down , giving Billirakis the winning hand with two pair queens and deuces.
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