It's time for the first $10K championship of the 2018 World Series of Poker: Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better. Some of the worlds very best are expected to take a seat in the game that brings the chops, quarters and high-volatile stack swings.
Last year, railbirds were glued to their screen as none other than Daniel Negreanu came within inches of winning his seventh career WSOP bracelet. The Canadian poker giant eventually went down in second place as Abe Mosseri claimed his second career-bracelet and the first place prize of $388,305.
Back in 2016, Benny Glaser had a legendary start to the series by winning both the bracelet in the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo event as well as the $10K Omaha Hi-lo straight after, winning $651,297 in the process and cementing his status as one of the very best in this game. Glaser will be out in the field today to try and shoot for bracelet #4.
All players will start with 50,000 in chips and limits begin at 500/1,000. Levels will be 60 minutes throughout the tournament and Day 1 will feature 15 minutes break in between every two levels. Ten levels are scheduled for Day 1 until chips are bagged and late registration is open up until the start of Day 2. The final day of this event is on Tuesday, June 5.
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From the hijack seat, Maria Ho opened with a raise. Nadya Magnus called from the big blind.
The flop was and Magnus checked, then called a bet from Ho.
On the turn, Magnus checked again, then called another bet from Ho.
Magnus decided to shift it up and led out on the river, but Ho called quickly. Magnus showed for the nut low, but Ho was holding for the nut low with a better high hand, so she took down three-quarters of the pot.
On the button, Scott Bohlman raised. Erik Seidel called from the big blind.
The flop was and Seidel led out with a bet. Bohlman called.
The turn was the and both players checked to see the on the river. There, Seidel checked again. Bohlman bet and Seidel thought for a bit before calling.
Bohlman showed for a straight and a sixty-five low while Seidel only had for a bad low and two pair. With that, Bohlman took down the pot.
Rafael Concepcion raised from middle position, Benny Glaser called from the hijack, and Jean-Robert Bellande called from the big blind.
The flop fell and action checked to Glaser who bet. Both Bellande and Concepcion check-called to see the turn. Bellande bet, Concepcion called, and Glaser called. The river completed the board, Bellande bet, Concepcion folded, and Glaser called.
Bellande showed only for a jack-high straight, while Glaser tabled for eights full of sevens to win the pot.
Adam Owen in the small blind check-raised a flop of and David "ODB" Baker on the button, who had bet, called. Owen bet the turn in order to pick up a call before checking the river. Baker bet and Owen called to get shown by Baker. The two pair were good enough for the high pot, while Owen claimed the low pot with the .
On a nearby table, Yong Wang got his remaining short stack in against Viacheslav Zhukov with the flop reading .
Yong Wang:
Viacheslav Zhukov:
The turn and river were of no help for Wang and he was eliminated.
Adam Owen's attempt to win the 10K Omaha Hi-Lo has come to an end in the penultimate level of the first day. The British mixed game specialist was making his way out of the tournament area with his hand already face-down in the muck.
Owen was chopped up by Grzegorz Trelski and Randy Ohel. Trelski held on a for the high hand, Ohel took the other half with an unknown low hand, and Owen was eliminated. Shortly after, David Steicke was also eliminated at the same table.
After Steicke busted, a very short stack Todd Witteles got it in as well against Trelski. Witteles had and chopped against Trelski's on a board.
Corey Hochman limped in and Chris Bjorin raised. Hochman gave it some thought and three-bet, Bjorin called. On the flop, Hochman bet and Bjorin raised. Hochman again shook his head, carefully checked the own stack and opted to make it three bets, Bjorin called.
The fell on the turn and Hochman bet 6,000 with 1,500 behind, Bjorin raised and Hochman called all in.
Corey Hochman:
Chris Bjorin:
The on the river gave Bjorin a boat and Hochman was sent to the rail. "Are you okay over there?" Dan Shak asked from the other side of the table.
It hasn't been the best of days for Daniel Negreanu at the tables and "KidPoker" had dwindled down to 12,200 when his final hand happened. It was Nick Schulman who opened the action to Negreanu's right.
"Raisy daisy," Negreanu said as he put in a third bet. Schulman four-bet and Negreanu called before his final chips went in on the flop.
Daniel Negreanu:
Nick Schulman:
Negreanu was drawing live for both ends of the pot but the turn and river left the six-time bracelet winner second best.
"I'm good," Negreanu chuckled. "What do you gotta do, I have kings, guy's got aces," he said as he made his way to the exit.
"I don't know what I had on the flop but I do know I had a straight on the river."
Those were the words of Jean-Robert Bellande, who, on a board of , found a king with his to knock both Benny Glaser and John Hennigan out. "Johnny World" had open in front of him, while Glaser's hand was already face-down in the muck.
"I wanted to fold on the turn, but then I thought I could catch a king, and maybe a ten, so I check-called. On the river, I decided to bet," Bellande spoke after the hand. With the double knock-out, Bellande moved up to 240,000.
The first Championship Event of the 2018 World Series of Poker has kicked off at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship attracted a field of 161 entries so far, with 75 players advancing to Day 2.
However, the field size is not set in stone yet, as registration remains open until the cards get back in the air on Monday, June 4th, 2019, at 2 p.m. local time. All new entries will receive 50,000 in chips and the action continues with blinds of 2,000/4,000 and a big bet of 8,000.
Leading the field of Day 1 survivors is Sweden's two-time WSOP bracelet winner Chris Bjorin with 249,500, followed by fellow two-time champion Jesse Martin (232,000) and Daniel Ratigan (231,000). Other big stacks and notables in a field filled with the best mixed game players in the world include Viacheslav Zhukov (206,500), Robert Mizrachi (204,000), Nick Schulman (148,500) and Tom Koral (144,500). Record 14-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth entered in the late stages and bagged up an above-average stack of 136,000.
Frenchman Julien Martini, who claimed the gold bracelet in the extra day of Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, jumped into the action after his victory and bagged up 87,000. Runner-up Kate Hoang was less fortunate and failed to get through, 7th place finisher Rafael Concepcion made it through to Day 2 as one of the bigger stacks on 194,500.
Several other bracelet winners made it through to Day 2, while such big names as Benny Glaser, Todd Brunson, Chris Klodnicki, David "ODB" Baker, Joe McKeehen, Erik Seidel, Brock Parker, Adam Owen, Scott Clements and Daniel Negreanu were all eliminated throughout the 10 one-hour levels. Glaser, who won this very event in 2016, peaked at 220,000 before a streak of unfortunate hands decimated his stack. The Brit was eventually ousted by Jean-Robert Bellande in a three-way all in after the latter rivered the nut straight to eliminate Glaser and John Hennigan.
For Negreanu, the tournament ended in the penultimate level of the night after he got most of his short stack in with pocket kings and ran into the pocket aces of Nick Schulman. Despite flopping additional outs with a straight draw, Negreanu failed to get there and joined the rail.
Another 10 levels are scheduled for Day 2 and the PokerNews live reporting team will be on the floor to provide all the action until a champion is crowned.
Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship Day 2 Seat Draw