Event #3: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout

After 196 hands on the final table, Joe Cada won the 2018 WSOP $3,000 No-Limit Hold'Em SHOOTOUT for $226,218, after conquering two other tables on the first two days of the tournament. The gold WSOP bracelet that comes with this win is the third one for Cada, who also became the youngest-ever WSOP Main Event winner in history back in 2009.

In total there were 363 entries this year, narrowly missing out on breaking last year's numbers. Many other well-known players were in attendance and the final table was a great reflection of the quality of the field. Joe McKeehen, another Main Event winner, Sam Phillips, Anthony Reategui, Ihar Soika, Harry Lodge, and Joshua Turner.

"I'm feeling great, it's tough to win any No-Limit tournament," Cada said when he was asked how he felt after his win. "It means a lot to win my third bracelet. I have loved the WSOP ever since being a kid, I watched it all the time on TV. Winning these bracelets, it's unreal. You've got to just run good and I'm lucky to run better than everyone else. I like shootouts because you have to adjust constantly."

Final Table Results

Final Table Action
The day started with Reategui really putting the pressure on the rest of the table, but the first elimination could be credited to Joe McKeehen when Jeffrey Trudeau ran his flopped ace-queen two pair into the turned nut-flush of McKeehen. Phillips took the honors of taking out Joshua Turner in ninth place when he flopped top pair with king-queen on the deuce-nine-queen flop. Turner had a flush draw with nine-eight suited but it never materialized and he hit the rail.

Taylor Wilson first doubled up against Jack Maskill with pocket kings and then gave it all back when Maskill woke up with pocket kings. Just after the break, Wilson found kings again, shoved and got called by Anthony Reategui with pocket sixes. The board ran out to give Reategui a straight on the river, taking Wilson out of the running. An increasingly active Reategui started playing more hands but found his Waterloo against McKeehen when they both turned a flush, but the latter had the higher card to take Reategui out.

This seemed to be the signal for McKeehen to start taking over all the action. His next victim was Ihar Soika who ran his king-nine into the ace-queen of McKeehen. Soika hit a pair on the flop but McKeehen hit a higher pair on the turn.

The UK's Harry Lodge was knocked out next. Lodge held ace-king and ran those cards into the pocket tens of McKeehen. The flush and straight draw Lodge picked up on the flop didn't come and he was sent packing in fifth place.

The last Brit at the table, Jack Maskill, was next to go when he called the all-in of Cada on a queen-nine-ace-king-ten board. Maskill held queen-ten for two pair but Cada had the better hand with pocket jacks which gave him a straight. Cada then doubled up against Phillips with pocket fives, leaving Phillips short. Right after that, Phillips tripled up and then Cada doubled him up again.

In the battles of the Joe's, McKeehen was the one to fall, four-bet shoving his pocket sixes into the pocket kings of Cada. Cada flopped a king and McKeehen turned a six but the river was a blank so the 2015 Main Event Champions was eliminated in third place. During the first hand of heads-up, Phillips doubled up with king-deuce against the ace-jack of Cada. They both flopped a pair but Cada had the higher one. The turn turned it all around as the king gave Phillips two pair for the double-up.

During the eighteenth hand of heads-up play, Phillips doubled up again with ace-four against the queen-nine of Cada, gaining confidence and taking over the action. By the twenty-second hands of heads-up, their stacks were pretty even again. Phillips three-bet-shoved on Cada and Cada called with pocket sixes. Phillips held ace-four and couldn't improve.

When asked what Cada was thinking during the hand, he replied: "I knew it was a call, just by playing so many heads-up matches, but the stakes were high. You want to give it a couple of seconds to just make sure, you know. It was for over 30 big blinds, so you know it was a big pot. But ultimately I just knew it was the call to make."

Phillips was left less than 2 big blinds and in the hand right after, he shoved eight-six into the jack-trey of Cada. They both flopped a pair with Cada having the higher pair. The turn brought another jack for Cada to give him trips and Phillips was drawing dead.

When Cada was asked about Phillips, he said the following: "I couldn't get rid of Sam and he couldn't get rid of me, he had his chance. But hats off to Sam on playing so well."

That concludes the SHOOTOUT, but the final table of Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better is still going on, Day 2 of Event #5: $100,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller is full of action too, and then there is also the Colossus and the Mixed Triple Draw Lowball. So whatever you need, the PokerNews live reporting team has something for every poker fan to enjoy.

Hand #192: Sam Phillips raised to 185,000 from the but and Joe Cada made the call. The flop came     and both players checked. The turn came the   and both players checked again. The river came the   and action checked to Phillips who then bet 275,000. Cada folded and Phillips won the hand.

Hand #193: Cada opened to 180,000 from the button and Phillips made the call. The flop came     and Phillips checked to Cada who then bet 130,000. Phillips made the call and the turn came the  . Both players checked and the river came the  . Both players checked again and Phillips then tabled    for a pair of eights. Cada mucked and Phillips won the hand.

Hand #194: Phillips called the small blind and Cada checked the big blind. The flop came     and Cada check-called a bet of 80,000 from Phillips. The turn came the   and Cada check-called a bet of 225,000 from Phillips. The river fell the   and action was checked to Phillips who then bet 550,000. Cada thought for several minutes before making the fold.

Hand #174: Sam Phillips shoved all in for 690,000 and Joe Cada called.

Sam Phillips:   
Joe Cada:   

The flop came     to give them both a pair but Cada the better one with the aces. The turn brought them the   to give Phillips two pair, kings and deuces. He just needed to avoid an ace or jack to double up. Phillips' rail shouted out for a four and the river delivered just that with the  . And Phillips doubled up.

Hand #175: Cada raised to 140,000 and Phillips called. They both checked through the     on the flop to the   on the turn. Phillips bet 120,000 and Cada called. The river completed the board with the   on which they both checked. Phillips tabled    for a pair of fours which won him the hand.

Hand #176: Phillips called the button and Cada opted to check. The flop came    , Cada check-raised the 60,000 bet of Phillips to 185,000. Phillips folded.

Hand #177: Casa raised to 135,000 and Phillips called. The flop came    , Phillips check-folded to the 140,000 bet of Cada.

Joe Cada	3,980,000	-700,000
Sam Phillips	1,400,000	700,000

If you know little or nothing about Mixed Triple Draw Lowball, Australian Poker Hall of Famer and WSOP bracelet winner Gary Benson is here to start you up. This is a mixed game that not so many play, he explains the basics and what it is about for the clueless. The WSOP bracelet event started today at the RIO Las Vegas with many players opting for the no limit hold'em games. Get your start and know nothing about mixed triple draw lowball no more!

Hand #165: Sam Phillips shoved all in for 290,000 and was called by Joe Cada in the big blind.

Sam Phillips:   
Joe Cada:   

The board ran out       - no danger for Phillips as high card held and he doubled up.

Hand #166: Joe McKeehen raised to 130,000 from the button. Phillips shoved in the big blind. McKeehen folded.

Hand #167: Cada raised to 130,000 on the button and McKeehen called. They both checked through the       board which gave them both a straight in the end. McKeehen bet 420,000 and Cada called after thinking about it for a few seconds.

Hand #168: McKeehen completed his small blind and Cada checked. The flop came    , McKeehen bet 60,000 and Cada folded. McKeehen turned around one of his cards which was the  .

Hand #170: Phillips got a walk.

Hand #161:

Joe Cada raised to 90,000 from the cutoff and was called by Jack Maskill in the big blind.

The flop came     on which both players checked.

The turn brought them the  , Maskill check-called the 105,000 bet of Cada.

The river completed the board with the  , Maskill checked once more. Cada considered all his options and decided to go all-in with the bigger stack than Maskill. Maskill tanked for a bit. McKeehen and Phillips got up from the table in the meanwhile as the dinner break was starting. In the end, Maskill decided to call.

Maskill showed    for the two pair, queens and tens, but that was not enough against the    of Cada who had rivered the straight to eliminate Maskill from the tournament in fourth place for $74,782.

Joe Cada	1,370,000	380,000
Jack Maskill	0	-710,000

Hand #135: Joe Cada called from the small blind and Sam Phillips checked the big blind. The flop came     and Cada then led out for 30,000. Phillips made the call and the turn came the  . Cada check-called a bet of 60,000 from Phillips and the river came the  . Action checked to Phillips who then led bet 150,000 and Cada folded.

Hand #136: Joe Cada opened to 90,000 from the button and Sam Phillips then moved all in. Cada folded and Phillips took down the hand.

Hand #137: Joe Cada raised to 90,000 from under the gun and the rest of the table folded.

Hand #138: Joe McKeehen opened to 85,000 from the button and Jack Maskill then three-bet all in. McKeehen folded and Maskill took down the pot.

Hand #139: Jack Maskill called the button and Joe Cada then called the small blind. Sam Phillips checked the button and the flop came down    . Action checked to Maskill who then bet 40,000 and was called by Cada. Phillips folded and the turn came  . Both players checked and the river fell the  . Both players checked again and Cada then tabled    for two pair. Maskill mucked his cards and Cada took down the pot.

Hand #140: Action was folded around to Joe McKeehen in the big blind who got a walk

Hand #141: Joe Cada opened to 90,000 from under the gun and was called by Sam Phillips from the small blind. Jack Maskill called as well and the flop came down    . Action checked to Phillips who bet 115,000 and Maskill then raised to 275,000. Cada folded and Phillips then moved all in. Maskill folded and Phillips scooped in a healthy pot.

Hand #142: Joe McKeehen opened to 85,000 from the button and everyone folded.

Hand #143: Jack Maskill moved all in from the button and everyone folded

Hand #144: Joe Cada opened to 90,000 from the button and Sam Phillips then three-bet to 220,000 from the small blind. Cada folded and Phillips won the hand.

Hand #145: Sam Phillips called from the button and Jack Maskill called from the small blind. Joe Cada checked the big blind and the flop came down    . Action checked to Phillips who bet 90,000 and everyone else folded.

Hand #146: Sam Phillips raised to 90,000 from under the gun and Joe Cada called from the big blind. The flop came down     and action checked to Phillips who then bet 70,000. Cada folded and Phillips won another hand.

Hand #130: Joe McKeehen raised to 65,000 from the button and the rest folded.

Hand #131: Joe Cada completed the small blind and Sam Phillips opted to check. The flop came    , Cada check-folded to the 30,000 bet of Phillips.

Hand #132: Cada raised to 65,000 from the button, Phillips three-bet to 165,000 in the small blind. Cada folded.

Hand #133: Phillips raised to 70,000 from the button, McKeehen three-bet to 190,000 in the small blind. Phillips folded.

Hand #134: McKeehen raised to 65,000 from the button, Cada three-bet to 175,000 and McKeehen folded.