Event #46: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better

In one of the most dominant final table performances of the year, Nathan Gamble took down Event #46: $1,500 Pot-Limit Hi-Lo 8 or Better for $223,339.

"This bracelet's going to my dad," said an emotional Gamble after his victory. "My dad puts together tournaments, just home-game tournaments, and he's always supported me. Honestly, he doesn't have a chance of getting one, so this one goes to him!

"It means the world to me."

Gamble took a monster chip lead into four- and three-handed play and took down the heads-up battle in a single hand to secure his first WSOP gold bracelet.

Twenty-one players returned for the final day of the proceedings in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, and they were led by Millard Hale. Among the early bustouts were Christopher O'Rourke and Bernardo Dias, and the field lost two of its highest-profile names shortly before the final table.

First, Barry Greenstein was eliminated after a pot involving him and Fernando Macia. He was left short and lost his remaining chips to exit in 14th place ($9,513).

Joining him on the rail just short of a place at the final table was fellow bracelet winner Barny Boatman. After chipping up steadily, Boatman got his stack in three ways and saw his remaining chips chopped up after failing to make a winning high or low. He finished in 12th place ($12,034).

Once the final table was set with Jason Riesenberg's 10th-place finish ($12,034), Wendy Weissman was the first casualty in ninth place ($15,470). Then followed a quiet period, with the eight remaining players trading chips back and forth, none of them able to make a considerable enough dent in the others' stacks.

However, Gamble began to forge his chip lead. He made a nut flush against overnight chip leader Millard Hale to bust his opponent in eighth ($20,205), and then watched as Day 1 chip leader Fernando Macia was eliminated by Ray Henson in seventh ($26,803).

By that point, Gamble had around a third of the chips in play, and watched as the likes of Henson and Adam Hendrix tried to catch up to him. Hendrix's cause was helped by the elimination of Miguel Use in sixth ($36,106), but Gamble pressed his chip lead again when he knocked out Marco Johnson in fifth place ($49,379). The result was Johnson's second-consecutive deep run in this event, following his third-place finish in this event last year.

Gamble chipped up twice through Michael Gross before busting him by making quads, with Gross leaving in third place ($68,544).

On the first hand of heads-up play against Hendrix, after checking in the big blind, Gamble remarked, "Let's get this done in one hand." And it was.

Speaking after his victory, Gamble said that his deep run in the 2016 Main Event, where he finished 176th for $42,285, helped him to victory.

"I made it to Day 5 [in the Main Event] where they put me on the secondary feature table. That got my nerves. I had Greg Raymer on my left, and having that exposure and having that time in a game I'm extremely comfortable with really helped a lot."

Gamble put in a dominant run of form to see off a tough final table which included last year's third-place finisher Marco Johnson.

"I absolutely ran good," Gamble said. "Coming into day, I had 250,000, which was good enough for 17th place out of 21. I just destroyed the first table, because I felt I was playing better than them. I hit a one-outer to get us to two tables. Ever since then, it's been like everything I needed came true."

Nathan Gamble's avalanche is still raging. Gamble just added another knockout to his collection, sending Ray Henson to the rail in third place.

The action was quick and simple. Henson potted from the button, Gamble put in enough chips to cover everyone, and Henson called all in for about 400,000 total.

Henson:     
Gamble:     

The       board favored Gamble, just like many of the previous ones.

"Good game, Ray," Gamble said, shaking Henson's hand.

Henson took the bronze medal, pocketing $96,555 for his efforts. He started the ten-handed finale with the second-shortest stack, and he stuck around for much longer than most of his opponents may have expected.

Gamble now has a devastating chip lead heading into the final duel for the bracelet.

Nathan Gamble	5,635,000	835,000
Adam Hendrix	590,000	-380,000
Ray Henson	0	-475,000

Ray Henson raised to 150,000. Michael Gross called in the small blind, as did Nathan Gamble in the big blind.

The flop came    , and all three players checked. They also checked through the   on the turn, and the river was the  . Gross checked to Gamble, who bet 200,000. Henson folded, and Gross called.

Gamble showed     , and that was good enough to take down the pot and leave Gross with less than 250,000 in chips.

Nathan Gamble	4,400,000	500,000
Ray Henson	475,000	-590,000
Michael Gross	230,000	-350,000

Marco Johnson's second-consecutive deep run in this tournament has come to an end at the hands of the runaway train that is Nathan Gamble.

Gamble raised to 125,000, Johnson three-bet all in, and Gamble called.

Gamble:     
Johnson:     

Jonson looked to be fairly live for at least half the pot on the     flop. The   on the turn limited those possibilities somewhat, and the   on the river slammed the door shut, giving Gamble quad sevens and eliminating last year's third-place finisher in fifth place for $49,379.

Nathan Gamble	3,025,000	25,000
Marco Johnson	0	-420,000

Miguel Use raised pot to 140,000, and Adam Hendrix called.

The flop came    . Use moved all in, and Hendrix called.

Use:     
Hendrix:     

Hendrix had flopped two pair and was ahead. The turn was the   and the river the  , and Use was eliminated in sixth place for $36,106.

Adam Hendrix	1,000,000	325,000
Miguel Use	0	-160,000

Ray Henson raised to 120,000 from the cutoff, and small blind Miguel Use placed in his remaining 120,000. Michael Gross called from the big blind. By the time Gross had put in the required amount, Henson had already matched Use's all in, as well.

Henson and Gross checked all three streets of the       board, and all players showed their cards.

"I have ace-three and a nine," Gross said, but neither his low nor high was enough to get any piece of the pot.

Use had      for aces up, while Henson turned up his      for nut low. Gross remained the only losing player in the hand, as Use and Henson chopped his chips.

Miguel Use

180,000

-80,000

Ray Henson raised to 80,000, and Fernando Macia moved all in for his last 210,000. Henson called.

Henson:     
Macia:     

The board ran out      , and Henson scooped with two pair, aces and jacks with an eight kicker.

Macia took home $26,803 for his seventh-place finish.

Ray Henson	780,000	620,000
Fernando Macia	0	-300,000

Down to peanuts, Miguel Use moved all in from the hijack for exactly three big blinds. Adam Hendrix had already one in front of him, and he paid off the remaining two-thirds of the offered price.

Miguel Use:     
Adam Hendrix:     

The       board didn't connect with Hendrix's low cards at all, and Use doubled up.

Adam Hendrix	1,145,000	-255,000
Miguel Use	260,000	-15,000

With slow action at the final table, one of the more entertaining pots played out between Michael Gross and Fernando Macia, who defended his big blind against Gross' 100,000-chip opening raise from the cutoff.

Both players checked the     flop, and Macia decided to lead out on the   turn. He first cut out around 200,000 chips, then he took some off from the chunk and added some of another denomination to eventually bet 165,000.

Gross looked at Macia in order to see how much he had left, and Macia leaned back, opening his hands to let Gross see. Gross then moved all in, putting Macia at risk. An instant fold followed, and the river card remained a mystery.

Michael Gross	1,360,000	360,000
Fernando Macia	300,000	-225,000