Event #36: $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better

Hani Awad is the newest member of poker’s gold bracelet club.

The high stakes recreational poker player now residing in Las Vegas won the $2,500 buy-in Mixed Omaha/Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split tournament.  The competition was played over three days and nights and just concluded on the ESPN main stage at the Rio in Las Vegas.

Awad, age 65, collected $213,186 in prize money, making this the biggest win of his career.  He now has ten WSOP cashes and more than $600,000 in career winnings.  However, that’s just part of the story.

Incredibly, Awad finished second in this same event last year, losing heads-up to Konstantin Maslak, from Russia.  This time, Awad reversed the final outcome defeating a tough and widely-popular poker pro from France – Fabrice Soulier.

Awad’s victory even took on an almost supernatural undertone.  Following his runner-up finish in this same tournament last year, he learned that his 93-year-old mother living back in his native Israel was undergoing open heart surgery.  She survived the procedure, and to honor his mother who continues to live near Nazareth, which is Awad’s birthplace, he vowed to come back to this same event again this year and win it for her.

That, he did.

“I promised her I was going to win it for her,” Awad said.  “It was my dream to win this, and it means the world.”

Fifty years ago, Awad immigrated to the United States and settled down in Las Vegas.  He’s been a witness to the city’s colorful history, including the neon lights and some of the darker chapters, as well.  One of Awad’s relatives was Elvis Presley’s doctor.  His brother is one of the city’s most famous attorneys.  He also worked at Binion’s Horseshoe as a poker dealer way back in the 1970’s. 

Awad has played with just about every big name in poker, including the late Stu Ungar. 

“When I first moved here, I lived in the same building as Ungar – at the Regency,” Awad said.  “I played with all the people you know – Ungar, Seymour (Leibowitz) – all of them.  I have been gambling for over 50 years in Las Vegas, I still play all the action games.  I am in the Bellagio for those games.”

In his formative years as a Las Vegas resident, Awad saw the area was going to boom, and like any great poker player thinking ahead, he began investing in real estate.  Later, he eventually purchased ownership of Lucky Cap, which is a local taxi company. 

That said, it wasn’t luck that gave Awad his first victory at the WSOP.  This achievement came from skill and hard work, and most of all – perseverance.

Awad won his well-deserved victory by coming out on top at a final table which included a solid lineup of pros, sprinkled with a few amateurs.  The final moment of triumph came when Awad scooped the final pot of the tournament against Fabrice Soulier who finished as the runner up.  The French poker player’s consolation prize amounted to $131,762.

This tourney attracted 394 entrants which created a prize pool totaling $896,350.  The top 60 finishers collected prize money.

Aside from the winner, here’s a brief report of the other top finishers who made the final table:

Second Place:  Fabrice Soulier, from Paris, France finished as the runner up.  He hoped to repeat his win from 2011 ($10,000 buy-in HORSE).  He added another $131,762 to his poker winnings, which placed him close to $2.2 million at the WSOP.  Soulier now has 31 cashes – including 1 first, 2 seconds, 1 fourth, and 4 sevenths.

Third Place:  Aditya Prasetyo, from Cambridge, MA came in third.  He’s a former business analyst-turned poker pro.  He also used to be a highly rated chess player.  This marked Prasetyo’s 13^th time to cash in a WSOP tournament. His payout came to $89,409.  Prasetyo has also accumulated three WSOP Circuit gold ring victories.

Fourth Place:  Denny Axel, the former owner of Card Player Magazine and a longtime poker player and sports bettor, enjoyed his deepest WSOP finish in 21 years with this impressive finish.  This marked his fourth time to make a final table at the series.  Axel, known by serious NFL bettors for his season-wins futures, will have an additional $61,888 in his bankroll.

Fifth Place:  Michael Chow, from Las Vegas, NV came in fifth.   This marked his 25^th time to cash at the series, which paid $43,717.  Chow’s WSOP earnings to date now total close to $900,000.

Sixth Place:  Gleb Kovtunov, from the Ukraine, ended up as the sixth-place finisher.  He’s now cashed seven times overall and five occasions at this year’s series after collecting $31,527 for his deepest run yet.

Seventh Place:  Per Hildebrand, from Marsta, Sweden came in seventh place.  Just days after coming off a sixth-place finish in the $10K Omaha High-Low Split Championship, the Swede made another final table.  This was his ninth time to cash at the WSOP, which paid $23,222.

Stud Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better

Hani Awad:    /      /  
Fabrice Soulier:    /      /  

Fabrice Soulier brings in with the [7h.] Hani Awad completes and Soulier calls. On fourth, Soulier bets and Awad calls. On fifth, Soulier moves all in for less than the big bet, and Awad calls. The two turn up their cards. Soulier has a flush draw, while Awad has a pair of kings.

Soulier makes his flush on sixth, but it's not over, as Awad picks up trip kings. He can still take the high with a board pair or a king. On seventh, Soulier draws a  , not improving his hand. Awad sweats his card then slams the   down on the table. He makes quads and is able to save half the pot from going to Soulier. Soulier locks up the low and the two chop the pot. 

Hani Awad - 4,495,000 (28 BB)
Fabrice Soulier - 405,000 (2 BB)

Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better

From the button Hani Awad raises and Fabrice Soulier calls from the big blind. 

The flop is     and Soulier checks to Awad. Awad bets. Soulier puts in a check-raise, and Awad calls. 

The turn is the   and Soulier checks again. Awad bets. This time, Soulier just calls. 

On the   river, Soulier checks a third time. Awad bets and Soulier calls. Awad turns up      for a set and a low, and that is good to scoop the pot. 

"Are you kidding me?" Soulier says to no one in particular. 

Hani Awad - 4,260,000 (26 BB)
Fabrice Soulier - 640,000 (4 BB)

Stud Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better

Fabrice Soulier:     /      /  
Hani Awad:     /      /  

Hani Awad has the bring in and Fabrice Soulier completes. Awad calls.

Both players check fourth street. Awad checks fifth street, Soulier bets, and Awad calls.

On sixth street, Soulier checks, Awad bets, and Soulier calls.

Soulier bets seventh street, Awad calls, and Soulier shows     for a 75 low and the nut flush.

Fabrice Soulier: - 1,000,000 (6 BB)
Hanu Awad - 3,900,000 (24 BB)