Event #17: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed

The 2018 World Series of Poker has crowned yet another bracelet winner at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and it was Ognyan Dimov that took home the lion's share of the $2,245,050 prize pool and coveted gold bracelet in Event #17: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed.

Four former bracelet winners returned to the final table on the ESPN feature stage, but it was 2015 EPT Deauville Main Event champion Dimov that faced Antonio Barbato in an all-European heads-up. Both were supported by a boisterous rail and the Bulgarians ended up celebrating the third WSOP bracelet for their country, as Dimov followed in the footsteps of Nick Jivkov and Simeon Naydenov to claim his maiden bracelet and $378,743 for his efforts.

"I read up on all of the players. Of course, you don't expect to face bad players on the final table, that's what you expect, bracelet winners and big names in poker. I am not afraid of that," the Bulgarian said when asked about the stacked final table line-up.

Dimov was all smiles in the interview after his victory. "I tried to stay calm and felt good playing. Obviously, everyone saw that I ran pretty amazing, but you have to run like this to win a tournament. I can't complain."

Four-handed, Dimov pulled into a commanding lead after hero-calling against Ryan D'Angelo before sending all his remaining opponents to the rail.

"I got hands in the right moments and made one sick hero call when we were four-handed, which was like 15 minutes ago."

When asked about the clash with Nick Schulman shortly after, Dimov added the following.

"Well, it was pretty standard, I got lucky again."

While Dimov has just won his first bracelet, the Bulgarian already has an EPT title to his name. "I love it here, I came here (Las Vegas) two years ago for the first time and also last year and this year, and I hope to come back to play. I come here to win bracelets and I am really happy that it came true."

Dimov also confirmed that he will be playing the rest of the WSOP this summer and had a few remarks in jest for his Bulgarian rail, which ended up in a winner shot with two dozen countrymen.

"Well, that I am a really nice and good guy, everybody loves me. ... No, I am kidding, it is because they are really bad at poker and busted the Millionaire Maker (laughs). We are on the other side of the world and we are going to be a tight group and cheering for each other. Whoever was on the final table, the same people would appear and I really appreciate their help."

Before the event, his heads-up opponent Barbato had just shy of $38,000 in cashes on the live poker circuit and took home $233,992 for his efforts. Nick Schulman ended up third with fellow bracelet winners Ryan D'Angelo, Joey Weissman and Yue Du below him in the payouts.

Final Result Event #17: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed

About the event:

The tournament created a field of 1,663 entries and 264 hopefuls bagged up after Day 1 with Bart Lybaert in the lead and the money bubble looming, as just the top 250 spots were paid. It took only 20 minutes on Day 2 to ensure a min-cash of $2,249, and from there on out, the eliminations kept coming at an electric pace and just 27 players bagged up.

Among those to bust in the money on Day 2 were such big names as Chance Kornuth (184th, $2,342), Barry Greenstein (155th, $2,453), defending champion Anthony Marquez (120th, $2,835), Jeff Madsen (78th, $3,984), 2014 WSOP Main Event champion Martin Jacobson (64th, $4,608), and Adrian Mateos (61st, $4,608).

The WSOP bracelet winners Adrian Buckley and Tristan Wade were among the first to depart on Day 3 and they were soon joined on the rail by Pierre Calamusa (13th, $19,469) and Hon Cheong Lee (12th, $25,342). After four casualties in half an hour including Day 1 chip leader Bart Lybaert (8th, $44,750), Day 3 came to an early end after just over six levels of play and the remaining six hopefuls including four WSOP bracelet winners and an EPT champion returned for an extra day to determine the champion.

Action on the Final Day

In the very first hand of the day, Yue Du defended his big blind against a button raise by Nick Schulman and check-shoved a jack-high turn with ace-deuce suited for the nut flush draw. Schulman called with king-jack for top pair and the river paired the board to eliminate Du in sixth place.

Start-of-day chip leader Joey Weissman had a rough first few levels and dropped to the bottom of the counts before he doubled through Schulman to get back into contention. Antonio Barbato doubled through Ognyan Dimov and Weissman sent over a big portion of his stack to Ryan D'Angelo before he hero-called a jam by Dimov on the river of a king-high board. Weissman was shown ten-four suited for a flush and his pocket queens ended up second-best to reduce the field to the final four with Dimov and D'Angelo at the top of the counts.

A failed bluff by D'Angelo vaulted Dimov into a commanding lead and he never looked back, sending all three remaining opponents to the rail in quick succession. In back-to-back hands, he claimed the stacks of D'Angelo and Schulman to enter heads-up with a 9-1 lead. D'Angelo lost a flip with pocket nines against king-jack, while Schulman's ace-ten was ahead of ace-eight until the river brought an eight to let the Bulgarian rail erupt in celebration.

The heads-up duel with Barbato lasted all but 16 hands and the Italian ended up moving all in for his last seven big blinds with ace-nine and Dimov called with king-six. A six on the flop and a king on the river sealed Barbato's fate and he couldn't pull off the miracle comeback.

That brings an end to the PokerNews live reporting for this event, but several other WSOP tournaments are already underway right now to determine another champion in Las Vegas.

Hand #86: Ognyan Dimov called and Antonio Barbato checked. The flop came     on which they both checked. The turn brought the   and Barbato check-folded to the 75,000 bet of Dimov.

Hand #87: Dimov got a walk.

Hand #88: Dimov called and Barbato checked. The flop came     on which they both checked to the   on the turn. Barbato bet 80,000 and Dimov called. The river completed the board with the  , Barbato checked. Dimov did the same. Barbato took the pot with    for two pair, sevens and sixes.

Hand #89: Dimov got a walk.

Hand #90: Dimov put Barbato all-in and Barbato folded.

Hand #91: Dimov got a walk

Hand #92: Dimov shoved and Barbato folded.

Ognyan Dimov	11,910,000	240,000
Antonio Barbato	570,000	-240,000

Hand #83: Antonio Barbato limped in and Ognyan Dimov checked his option to see a flop of    , Dimov checked and Barbato's bet of 60,000 was called. On the   turn, Dimov quickly checked and Barbato made it 155,000 to go, which Dimov called. After the   river both players checked.

Dimov showed the    for a pair of eights and that won the pot, sending Barbato below a million.

Hand #84: A walk for Barbato.

Hand #85: Barbato limped in and Dimov raised it up to 200,000, forcing a fold from his opponent.

Ognyan Dimov	11,670,000	270,000
Antonio Barbato	810,000	-270,000

Hand #77: Nick Schulman limped in from the small blind and Ognyan Dimov moved all in, Schulman called for 1,850,000.

Nick Schulman:   
Ognyan Dimov:   

The     flop failed to improve Dimov, but he picked up some chop outs on the   turn. Instead of a chop, Dimov got there with the   on the river and Schulman was eliminated in 3rd place for $163,785. There will now be a short break to set up the duel for the WSOP bracelet.

Ognyan Dimov	11,145,000	1,965,000
Antonio Barbato	1,335,000	15,000
Nick Schulman	0	-1,860,000

Hand #72: Ognyan Dimov made it 135,000 to go on the button and Antonio Barbato three-bet to 405,000 in the small blind. Dimov four-bet all in and Barbato snap-folded.

Hand #73: Dimov opened to 135,000 first to act and won the blinds and antes.

Hand #74: A walk for Dimov.

Hand #75: Ryan D'Angelo raised to 135,000 on the button and Dimov called in the small blind. The flop came     and both players checked to see the   on the turn. Dimov bet 175,000 and D'Angelo called, the duo headed to the   river. Dimov checked and D'Angelo bet 1.2 million, prompting the Bulgarian to carefully study the board and his stack. Dimov called and D'Angelo showed the    for a busted flush draw, Dimov claimed the pot with    for a pair of kings to cement his spot at the top of the counts.

Ognyan Dimov	7,080,000	2,280,000
Ryan D'Angelo	1,980,000	-1,680,000
Nick Schulman	1,980,000	-120,000
Antonio Barbato	1,380,000	-480,000

Hand #67: First to act, Nick Schulman raised it up to 130,000 and Ryan D'Angelo three-bet to 400,000 on the button. Ognyan Dimov four-bet to 1,100,000 in the small blind and that ended up forcing folds all around to let the rich get richer.

Hand #68: D'Angelo made it 135,000 to go and Antonio Barbato in the small blind three-bet to 405,000, which prompted a call from D'Angelo. The flop came     and Barbato quickly continued for 330,000, D'Angelo moved all in and Barbato snap-folded to drop below a million.

Hand #69: Schulman limped in from the small blind and D'Angelo raised it up to 185,000, Schulman called. On the     flop, Schulman checked and D'Angelo made it 125,000 to go, which Schulman called. After the   turn, Schulman checked once more and D'Angelo checked behind.

The   river brought a four card flush and Schulman now took the betting lead, making it 150,000 to go. D'Angelo called and mucked when he was shown the    for a king-high flush by Schulman.

Ognyan Dimov	5,820,000	600,000
Ryan D'Angelo	3,480,000	-60,000
Nick Schulman	2,100,000	300,000
Antonio Barbato	945,000	-795,000

Hand #58: Ryan D'Angelo raised to 110,000 on the button and won the blinds and antes.

Hand #59: Ognyan Dimov raised to 110,000 and Antonio Barbato jammed in the small blind for 1,015,000. Dimov asked for a count, and called after plenty of consideration.

Antonio Barbato:   
Ognyan Dimov:   

Barbato was ahead and flopped a full house on the board of       to double.

Hand #60: Barbato made it 105,000 to go on the button and Nick Schulman called out of the big blind. The flop came     and Schulman checked, then faced a bet of 85,000 by Barbato. Schulman called and the duo headed to the   turn, which prompted another check by Schulman and a check by Barbato. The   river triggered a bet worth 130,000 by Schulman and Barbato folded.

Hand #61: Joey Weissman made it 105,000 to go from the button and picked up a call by D'Angelo in the big blind. The flop fell   , D'Angelo checked and Weissman bet 80,000, D'Angelo called. After the   turn, D'Angelo checked once more and Weissman made it 280,000, a call followed.

The   on the river brought a check by D'Angelo and Weissman bet 600,000, a snap-call followed and Weissman showed    for two pair. D'Angelo had that beat with    for a flush and jumped into the lead with five players remaining.

Ryan D'Angelo	3,900,000	1,200,000
Nick Schulman	2,000,000	200,000
Antonio Barbato	1,900,000	850,000
Joey Weissman	1,550,000	-1,150,000

Hand #48: Ognyan Dimov limped in from the small blind and Antonio Barbato raised to 175,000 in the big blind, which Dimov called. The flop came     and Dimov checked, Barbato continued for 130,000 and Dimov called. The   on the turn went check, check, and the   river brought a bet of 300,000 by DImov. Barbato called and mucked when Dimov flashed the    for top pair.

Hand #49: Nick Schulman raised to 105,000 first to act and Dimov called on the button. On a flop of    , Schulman checked and Dimov made it 85,000 to go. Schulman called, which brought the   on the turn. Schulman bet 200,000 and Dimov called, the   fell on the river.

Schulman moved all in for 720,000 and Dimov sent his cards into the muck.

Hand #50: Joey Weissman raised to 175,000 out of the small blind and Schulman called in the big blind. The flop came     and Weissman bet 100,000, Schulman called. After the   turn, both players checked and the   fell on the river. Both players checked and Weissman claimed the pot with the    for top pair.

Hand #51: Dimov raised to 110,000 and won the blinds and antes.

Hand #52: Ryan D'Angelo limped the small blind, Dimov raised to 175,000 and that ended the hand right there.

Ognyan Dimov	4,200,000	350,000
Ryan D'Angelo	2,900,000	-150,000
Joey Weissman	2,700,000	200,000
Nick Schulman	1,250,000	150,000
Antonio Barbato	1,200,000	-700,000