Dutch Boyd is a polarizing figure in poker, but now he’s also a three-time World Series of Poker Champion after his $1k No Limit Hold’em title last night.
Boyd earned $288,744 for outlasting a field of 1,688 players for a new bracelet and, perhaps, some redemption.
Boyd has a well-documented history of negative issues away from the table (detailed in his new autobiography Poker Tilt) and he recently lost a copyright lawsuit brought against him by 2+2 poker forum owner Mason Malmuth.
Boyd had extra pressure coming into the final table when he found out Malmuth was back in court.
“Right before the final table, I guess Mason Malmuth issued a garnishment writ minutes before the final table,” Boyd said.
“That was pretty frustrating but this win helps.”
Three Bracelets Across Three Eras
Boyd now has three bracelets across different eras of the game.
He won his first bracelet in 2006 in the early years of the Moneymaker poker boom. His took his second in 2010 before Black Friday shut down online poker, and now his third in the post-online environment.
Boyd still counts his first bracelet as his favorite.
“The first one is always going to feel better. The first bracelet, there’s really nothing like that,” Boyd said.
“One of my book reviews said that ‘Dutch Boyd is nothing more than a footnote to an interesting time in poker’. I read that and it stung a little bit.
"If two bracelets is a footnote, what are we doing here?
“I feel like every single person who comes on this stage and walks away with gold has really put their name in the history books,” he continued. “It feels good to have done that three times. You can’t really argue with three.”
Another pleasant change from his first WSOP title? Plenty of friendly support at the table. In 2006 he defeated had to defeat Joe Hachem in front of a very vocal Australian rail.
“There's something to be said for having been in the poker industry for 10 years and being able to establish relationships with someone who’s going to sit on the rail and watch a card game for six or seven hours,” Boyd said.
“That’s boring.”
"One of the High Points of My Life Today"
Boyd also used his rail for guidance during the action. The 30-minute delay allowed his friends to watch from the rail and give him updates on his opponent’s tendencies.
He spent his dinner break watching hands and was able to pick one off when they returned.
“These live streams are really changing the game quite a bit. It used to be a lot more luck based but now when you’re really able to see what’s going on, it accentuates that skill,” Boyd said.
“I don’t think there’s really any question about that. You’re really able to balance your strategy.”
“I was looking for spots. I was able pick up that Paul (Cogliano) was three-betting light when he was short-stacked,” Boyd explained.
“Very first hand back (from break) I raised with A-9 and he moved all-in. I don’t think I can call that if I’m not watching the live stream. Easy call and he had 7-high.”
Boyd went on to defeat Steven Norden to close out the tournament and take possession of his third bracelet.
He may like his first bracelet more, but he’s enjoying the moment with this one as well.
“I’m just really happy,” Boyd finished. “This is one of the high points of my life today. I feel so good. I look around and I’m so happy.”
