Monday, January 23, 2023 8:08 PM Local Time
Bilguun Odgerel has defeated Brandon Zuidema to win his first WSOP Circuit ring by taking down the Thunder Valley Main Event for $195,194.
The win far surpasses Odgerel’s previous best WSOP payday of $5,569 that he won earlier in the series for a 15th place finish in Event #2: The Opener. In fact, according to the Hendon Mob, Odgerel’s win is worth nearly double his entire career tournament earnings.
“I’m ecstatic. It’s kind of hard to believe it right now. I’m grateful for the opportunity and I’m grateful that my family is here to rail me.”
Zuidema proved to be a formidable opponent heads-up as despite being down 2.5 to 1 to start play, he battled his way back into contention before Odgerel took control again, then finished him off with against Zuidema’s .
“Brandon’s a really tough player. He’s a friend of mine. I knew it was going to be really tough, and I just tried my best to not give up my chips as best as possible and get the job done.”
The day began with a series of quick eliminations that saw Jordan Griff sent home in 9th place ($18,104), Roman Shainiuk in 8th ($22,898), Kenneth Baime in 7th ($29,320), and Kevin Vanderbeek In 6th ($37,399) all before the first break of the day.
The story entering the day was Thunder Valley High Roller Champion Angela Jordison entering as the chip leader, with her eyes set on a pair of Circuit rings in less than a week, but she ran very poorly, never increasing her stack, then dropping a couple million versus Zuidema, who disguised a flopped set and rivered full house with pocket sevens, then losing another big hand holding pocket sevens herself when Casey Sandretto rivered a straight against her, before finally being eliminated in 5th place ($49,839) holding pocket queens versus Zuidema’s ace-four and the eventual runner-up catching an ace on her.
Following the elimination of Narongsak Dhanjaichon in 4th place ($66,145), the pace of eliminations ground to a halt three-handed with over two hours before Sandretto, on under 10 big blinds, got it in against Odgerel, but his fell in 3rd place ($88,817) to Odgerel’s when the champion rivered a flush.
Odgerel then continued on to the title after about an hour of heads up play against Zuidema.
Along with the prize money and the ring, Odgerel also earns a seat into the WSOP Tournament of Champions, a $1 million freeroll this summer at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Thunder Valley Main Event Final Table Results
1. Bilguun Odgerel - $195,194
2. Brandon Zuidema - $120,643
3. Casey Sandretto - $88,817
4. Narongsak Dhanjaichon - $66,145
5. Angela Jordison - $49,839
6. Kevin Vanderbeek - $37,399
7. Kenneth Baime - $29,320
8. Roman Shainiuk - $22,898
9. Jordan Griff - $18,104
Monday, January 23, 2023 6:33 PM Local Time
Bilguun Odgerel raised to 500,000 and after a brief pause, Brandon Zuidema moved all in for approximately 4,000,000.
Odgerel called and was in a dominating position to take home the title.
Brandon Zuidema:
Bilguun Odgerel:
The dealer spread a board of , bringing no help to Zuidema to eliminate him in second place and send the title to Odgerel.
Bilguun Odgerel - 20,400,000
Brandon Zuidema - eliminated
Monday, January 23, 2023 6:25 PM Local Time
On a completed board of and over a million in the pot, Bilguun Odgerel bet 350,000.
After a couple of minutes of thought, Zuidema said "It's too thin to raise for value" and called the bet.
Odgerel showed for a rivered full house. Zuidema tossed forward the as the pot was pushed to his opponent.
Bilguun Odgerel - 17,500,000
Brandon Zuidema - 2,900,000
Monday, January 23, 2023 6:15 PM Local Time
Brandon Zuidema raised to 700,000 preflop and got a call from Bilguun Odgerel to see the flop.
Zuidema led out for 400,000 and got called, then on the turn he sized up to 1,550,000.
Odgerel asked for a count, but Zuidema remained stoic. After leaning forward and peering at Zuidema's stack he announced "all in" and Zuidema folded, leaving himself about 4,000,000 behind.
Bilguun Odgerel - 16,400,000
Brandon Zuidema - 4,000,000
Monday, January 23, 2023 6:01 PM Local Time
Brandon Zuidema moved all in for 3,700,000 and got a call from Bilguun Odgerel.
Brandon Zuidema:
Bilguun Odgerel:
The board came , keeping Zuidema's superior ace ahead and doubling him up.
Bilguun Odgerel - 13,000,000
Brandon Zuidema - 7,400,000
Monday, January 23, 2023 5:57 PM Local Time
Brandon Zuidema is down to 3,100,000 chips to Bilguun Odgerel's 17,300,000.
As such, with Zuidema holding just 15 big blinds, the preflop all-in bets from both players have started, with no announcement of "call" accompanying them yet.
Monday, January 23, 2023 5:41 PM Local Time
Brandon Zuidema raised to 425,000 and was called by Bilguun Odgerel.
On the flop, Odgerel check-called a bet of 300,000 from Zuidema.
On the turn, the players checked. But on the river, Odgerel fired for 1,250,000.
After a couple of minutes of deliberation, Zuidema made the call to see for a rivered two pair and the win.
Bilguun Odgerel - 15,300,000
Brandon Zuidema - 5,100,000
Monday, January 23, 2023 5:38 PM Local Time
Level: 31
Blinds: 100000/200000
Ante: 200000
Monday, January 23, 2023 5:27 PM Local Time
The good news for Casey Sandretto is that he found his way out of "The Triangle".
The bad news is that's he's also found his way out of the tournament.
Bilguun Odgerel moved in from the small blind for Sandretto's last 1,350,000 and Sandretto called for his tournament life.
Casey Sandretto:
Bilguun Odgerel:
Sandretto had it in about as good as he could ask for, but the flop brought Odgerel a world of outs.
The on the turn was clean, but the on the river gave Odgerel a winning flush, finally sending Sandretto to the rail with 3rd place money.
Bilguun Odgerel - 14,200,000
Brandon Zuidema - 6,175,000
Casey Sandretto - eliminated
Monday, January 23, 2023 5:15 PM Local Time
Casey Sandretto's stack has dwindled down under the 10 big blind mark. There have been spots where it's appeared he could potentially commit his stack, but he's been folding in the blinds and showing hands like nine-three offsuit, three-deuce offsuit, four-three offsuit and such.
These hands reside in what has been playfully called by Angela Jordison and Jacqeline Burkhart as the "S*** Triangle", referring to the lower-right portion of GTO preflop charts containing those ugly offsuit hands you just don't want anything to do with.
Casey Sandretto - 1,025,000
Monday, January 23, 2023 4:52 PM Local Time
Brandon Zuidema raised in the small blind to 425,000 and got called by Bilguun Odgerel in the big blind.
On the flop, Zuidema bet 250,000 and Odgerel called.
The turn came with the and both players checked to the river.
Zuidema now checked and faced a bet of 750,000 from Odgerel. Zuidema chose to fold, sending a pot to his opponent that has put him back over ten million chips.
Bilguun Odgerel - 10,775,000
Brandon Zuidema - 7,850,000
Casey Sandretto - 1,825,000
Monday, January 23, 2023 4:42 PM Local Time
A series of raise-and-take its, walks, and folded flops have started the level.
Monday, January 23, 2023 4:32 PM Local Time
Level: 30
Blinds: 100000/150000
Ante: 150000
Monday, January 23, 2023 4:16 PM Local Time
After a lengthy run of uneventful hands over the last 20 minutes or so, the last hand before break provided some fireworks.
Bilguun Odgerel raised to 270,000 on the button and was called by Brandon Zuidema in the big blind.
The flop came and both players checked.
On the turn, Zuidema now led out for 450,000 and got a call from Odgerel.
The river came with a flush completing, board pairing and Zuidema now bet 550,000.
Odgerel took a sip of water and leaned back in his chair before complimenting his opponent. "Very good bet," he told Zuidema.
Odgerel thought about it for a couple of minutes before finally folding, to send the pot to Zuidema who showed him the before standing up and heading to break.
Bilguun Odgerel - 10,875,000
Brandon Zuidema - 7,275,000
Casey Sandretto - 2,250,000
Monday, January 23, 2023 4:00 PM Local Time
With a pot of over a million built by the river and a completed board of , Bilguun Odgerel checked to Casey Sandretto who bet 410,000.
Odgerel called and saw for winning trip sevens to give his stack a healthy boost courtesy of the chip leader.
Bilguun Odgerel - 9,200,000
Casey Sandretto - 3,900,000
Monday, January 23, 2023 3:53 PM Local Time
Bilguun Odgerel raised to 270,000 on the button and got called by Brandon Zuidema in the big blind.
Zuidema check-called a bet of 240,000 on the flop, then on the turn was faced with a bet of 600,000 after checking again.
Ultimately Zuidema folded and flashed the as the pot was pushed to Odgerel. He in turn flashed Zuidema the with Zuidema acknowledging that his ace likely wasn't ahead.
Bilguun Odgerel - 10,300,000
Brandon Zuidema - 7,330,000
Monday, January 23, 2023 3:43 PM Local Time
Following a raise on the button to 270,000 by Bilguun Odgerel, Casey sandretto moved all in from the small blind for a bit more than two million.
Odgerel folded and Sandretto added about 30 percent to his stack without showdown.
Bilguun Odgerel - 9,600,000
Casey Sandretto - 2,800,000
Monday, January 23, 2023 3:29 PM Local Time
After a quick unscheduled restroom break, the players have returned to play the final 40 minutes before the next officially scheduled break.
Monday, January 23, 2023 3:14 PM Local Time
Level: 29
Blinds: 60000/120000
Ante: 120000
Monday, January 23, 2023 3:13 PM Local Time
In what appeared to be an innocent enough blind battle with just 600,000 in the pot by the river, the board read , and Bilguun Odgerel bet 600,000 from the small blind and got a quick call from Casey Sandretto in the big blind.
Odgerel showed for a queen-high flush.
Sandretto claimed he made both a straight and flush on the river, but his was inferior to Odgerel's as the chip leader now hits the ten million chip mark.
Bilguun Odgerel - 10,000,000
Casey Sandretto - 2,600,000