Event #44: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship

Nicholas Seiken used to play mostly no-limit hold'em tournaments, but he's never going to play the game again. Seiken found his place in the world of mixed games. Now he's ready to fully take on the subculture within poker and his breakthrough to the mixed scene couldn't have been more impressive.

Seiken is a newly crowned World Series of Poker Champion after taking down the star-studded $10k 2-7 Triple Draw Championship for $287,987. On his way to victory, Seiken had to prevail in a heads-up against an experienced mixed games player Randy Ohel who has a bracelet of his own from this discipline.

"This is my first stand-alone triple draw tournament," Seiken said. "I played the 8-Game four or five times but I haven't even played the $1,500 Triple Draw."

Seiken introduced himself in the 8-Game event, coming back for Day 3 with the chip lead only to bust in ninth place. While it was a bitter end to his tremendous run, the experience eventually led him to claim his first bracelet.

"I played the 2-7 Triple Draw in the 8-Game and I was like, 'I like triple draw, I want to play some triple draw.'" said Seiken.

Final table results:

So he arrived and defeated the incredibly tough competition. And Seiken did it in a way as if he was a seasoned veteran with tons of bracelet event final tables under his belt. He entered the finale with a big stack and never really found himself in trouble. But Seiken admitted that he was very well aware of the players around him.

"The only thing that gave me a shot was having so many chips because I was playing against such good players," Seiken said, revealing his gameplan for the final stage of the tournament. "I had a big stack and I wanted to sit on it for a while. I didn't want to take marginal spots. I folded hands that I should be playing because I didn't want to get out of line, getting in massive pots with guys like Randy."

The deep structure allowed anyone to pick their spots, but Seiken was the one who particularly excelled in it. Of course, he ran well and made some big hands at the right time. But he also made it to a three-handed play with absolute ease. There wasn't any point during the final table play when Seiken would be running out of gas.

Perhaps the only moment when it looked that Seiken might fall short of winning the gold was when he battled with Ohel and Kristijonas Andrulis. The deep structure allowed a long three-handed stretch, and while Seiken controlled half of the chips, Ohel managed to get to even and to overtake the lead for a short stint.

"It was pretty difficult. I got a little concerned when Randy evened it up." Seiken said.

Seiken, however, reclaimed his chips and dispatched Andrulis in third place to establish a 3-2 lead ahead of the heads-up match. The final duel seemed primed to go for much longer with 45 big bets on the table. Ohel had a lot of room to work his way up but, unfortunately for him, the heads-up was a one-sided affair. After 45 minutes, Seiken had Ohel on the ropes, holding almost a 10-1 lead. The final hand saw Seiken make the Number Four and Ohel couldn't compete. Just like that, Seiken conquered the world of 2-7 Triple Draw, taking home the Championship.

"I'm hooked now," Seiken said. He won't be seen at the no-limit hold'em tables anymore but one can bet that Seiken will be back for some mixed action.

"I really don't enjoy hold'em anymore. I didn't really like where no-limit was heading with the tanking," Seiken said. His main games now are PLO and PLO-8 but he surely won't miss a triple draw action either. On top of that, Seiken proved his skills in the stud area, having cashed the $10k Championship a few days ago.

He will be headed back home to Texas tomorrow, presenting the bracelet to his wife Katie with whom he has three kids; twin daughters and a three-and-a-half-month-old son. But Seiken will return for the final episode of 2018 World Series of Poker, coming back as a bracelet winner and will be keen to pursue some more success at the series.

"It won't be in the Main Event," he said. No-limit players can stay calm, but the mixed game world should get alerted: there's new rounder ready to take over.

Nicholas Seiken called a raise from Randy Ohel and drew two. Ohel took three and raised Seiken's bet. Seiken called and changed two again while Ohel needed only one. Seiken check-called and peeled one. Ohel patted the last draw and the final round was checked.

Seiken turned up       for the win, delivering another stab into Ohel's stack.

Nicholas Seiken	4,900,000	500,000
Randy Ohel	505,000	-495,000

Randy Ohel raised and Nicholas Seiken called. Seiken discarded three and Ohel took one, Seiken checked and called a bet. Seiken then took two and Ohel stood pat. A check by Seiken was followed by a bet of Ohel and that ended the hand right there.

Ohel raised and Seiken made it three bets, Ohel called. Seiken took one, Ohel received two. Seiken bet, Ohel raised and Seiken called. Seiken discarded one and Ohel stood pat. Seiken check-called a bet and stood pat, while Ohel now discarded two. Two checks followed and Seiken tabled the       as winning hand.

Nicholas Seiken	3,300,000	300,000
Randy Ohel	2,100,000	-300,000

Randy Ohel raised and Nicholas Seiken called. Both discarded two and Seiken check-called a bet. Both then discarded one and Seiken check-called another bet. Both discarded one again, checked and Seiken announced a jack before rolling over the      . Ohel mucked a queen.

Seiken raised and Ohel called. Ohel took two, Seiken discarded one. Ohel check-raised and Seiken called to see Ohel pat and Seiken take one. Ohel bet and was called before Seiken took one and called another bet. Ohel showed       and won the pot.

Nicholas Seiken	3,100,000	-200,000
Randy Ohel	2,300,000	200,000

Randy Ohel raised from the small blind and Nicholas Seiken called in the big blind. Both discarded two and Ohel bet, Seiken raised, Ohel called. Seiken stood pat, Ohel took one and checked, Seiken bet and Ohel called. Seiken stood pat and Ohel discarded one, both then checked and Seiken announced a ten before tabling the winning      .

Seiken raised from the button and Ohel came along from the big blind. Both discarded two and Ohel bet, Seiken made it two bets and Ohel three-bet to pick up a call. Ohel stood pat while Seiken took one and Ohel's bet was called. Seiken took one again and Ohel checked, Seiken bet and, once he was called, turned over the       to claim the second pot in a row.

Nicholas Seiken	2,500,000	900,000
Randy Ohel	2,100,000	-800,000
Kristijonas Andrulis	780,000	-90,000

Nicholas Seiken raised on the button and was called by Kristijonas Andrulis in the small blind and Randy Ohel in the big blind.

Ohel discarded two, Andrulis and Seiken two. Andrulis bet and both opponents called. Andrulis then stood pat, Seiken discarded one and Ohel took two. Andrulis and Seiken stood pat and Ohel took one. Andrulis bet and Ohel raised, which left Seiken with his head shaking. He eventually folded and Andrulis gave Ohel a stare down before eventually calling.

Ohel turned over the       and jumped into the lead.

Randy Ohel	2,600,000	900,000
Nicholas Seiken	2,100,000	-300,000
Kristijonas Andrulis	810,000	-290,000

Nicholas Seiken raised on the button and Kristijonas Andrulis made it three bets from the small blind, Seiken called. Both discarded one and Andrulis bet, Seiken called. Andrulis discarded one, Seiken stood pat and both players checked. Both then stood pat and Andrulis bet.

Seiken gave it a lot of thought and eventually called to get shown the       by Andrulis.

Nicholas Seiken	2,830,000	-370,000
Kristijonas Andrulis	1,100,000	470,000

Randy Ohel raised from the small blind and Nicholas Seiken made it three bets, Ohel called. Ohel discarded two, Seiken took one and Ohel check-called a bet by Seiken. Ohel discarded two again, Seiken took one and both checked. Both took one and Ohel bet.

Seiken didn't snap-call, but eventually did so. Ohel showed the       and that won the pot.

Nicholas Seiken	3,300,000	-315,000
Randy Ohel	1,200,000	385,000