Event #19: $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed)

Tong Li defeated Fabian Brandes in heads-up play to win the 2022 World Series of Poker Event #19: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller for $1,467,739 and his first bracelet.

The four-card high roller event attracted 264 total entries to create a $6,237,000 prize pool, with the lion's share of it awarded today.

This was the first WSOP cash on Li's poker résumé and it turned out to be one to remember, as he not only earned himself his first cash, but also his first final table and first bracelet in the prestigious tournament.

"This is a dream. I can not be more excited… I never expected to be the champion," Li said after his victory.

The Shanghai resident earned a huge payday and secured his maiden bracelet while denying German high-stakes PLO cash player and Vienna-resident Brandes his first bracelet. Brandes entered the final day as the chip leader but wasn't able to go the distance, and will have to settle for the runner-up consolation prize of nearly a million dollars.

Four-time bracelet winner and reigning WSOP Player of the Year Josh Arieh came up short of another title as he finished in third, while Sam Stein and reigning WSOP No-Limits VELO Player of the Year Scott Ball also weren't able to add another piece of gold jewelry to their collection.

Event #19: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller Final Table Results

Final Table Action

The prestigious event attracted many of the biggest and best in the game. Some notables who made it into the money but fell short of the official final table include David Williams (9th - $120,457), Chance Kornuth (13th - $80,105), Ben Lamb (15th - $67,313), Daniel Negreanu (16th - $57,738), Noah Schwartz (22nd - $50,575), Yuri Dzivielevski (24th - $50,575), and Stephen Chidwick (29th - $44,253).

The final table began near the end of the penultimate day and Gregory Shuda (8th - $152,091), Emmanuel Sebag (7th - $195,713), and Jonathan Depa (6th - $256,582) all bowed out before the fourth and final day of play.

Five players entered the finale and they all had a shot at the glory. Li came into the day third in chips but quickly lost some pots to become the short stack. He was the first player at risk of elimination but secured one of what would be several double-ups through Arieh. Ball became the first player to make his way to the payout desk in fifth place when his aces were beaten by Brandes on the river.

Arieh then doubled through Brandes and Li again doubled through Arieh before Stein was knocked out in fourth place. He had gotten his chips in on the flop against Arieh with nearly even odds to win the hand, but Arieh's two pair turned out to be the best, and Stein made his exit.

At that point, Arieh held nearly 60% of the chips in play, but his opponents weren't going to go down without a fight. Brandes claimed the chip lead soon enough with top set, and Li secured yet another double through Arieh to give the trio all fairly similar stacks.

The three players took a short break and when they returned, Li took the lead for the first time, partially propelled by a rivered nut flush. Brandes then doubled through Arieh, and soon after, Li made quads to extend his lead even further. Arieh was looking to make a comeback on a hand when he flopped a boat, but Li turned a superior boat, and the rest of Arieh's chips went in on the river to eliminate him in third place.

That set up a heads-up match between Li and Brandes, with the former holding over three times as many chips as the latter. They played a few small pots before most of Brandes' stack went in preflop, and the remainder went in postflop. Li had flopped trips and Brandes was hoping to complete his straight draw, but the board ran out blanks and Li had officially secured the title.

Former WSOP $25,000 PLO Winners

This concludes the coverage for this event, but stay tuned as PokerNews continues to bring you WSOP updates throughout the summer at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.

Tong Li limped with      and Fabian Brandes checked his option with     .

The     flop smashed Li's hand and both players checked to the   turn. Brandes led for 800,000 and Li called.

The   river improved Brandes to a flush and he led for 800,000 again. Li then potted, and Brandes sent his cards into the muck fairly quickly.

Tong Li	33,575,000	2,600,000
Fabian Brandes	6,025,000	-2,600,000

The two remaining players took a short break before beginning heads-up play.

Josh Arieh raised to 800,000 on the button with      and Tong Li defended the big blind with     .

The flop came     and Li check-called for 600,000.

The   turn improve Li to a flush and Arieh to a set as both players checked to the   river. Li checked, Arieh bet 1,800,000, and Li called.

Hands were tabled and Arieh saw the bad news as Li's flush was good for the pot.

Tong Li	22,125,000	3,400,000
Josh Arieh	8,850,000	-3,200,000
Fabian Brandes	8,625,000	-200,000

Josh Arieh raised to 850,000 in the small blind with      and Fabian Brandes defended the big blind with     .

The dealer fanned the     flop and Arieh led for 800,000. Brandes then raised to 2,100,000, and Arieh called.

The   turn was checked to the   river and Arieh checked. Brandes moved all in for 3,780,000, and Arieh folded the best hand to keep Brandes' tournament life alive.

Tong Li	17,775,000	-600,000
Josh Arieh	11,850,000	-2,350,000
Fabian Brandes	9,975,000	2,950,000

Josh Arieh raised to 600,000 on the button and Fabian Brandes called in the small blind.

The dealer fanned the     flop, Brandes potted to 1,800,000, Arieh raised, and Brandes called for his 1,350,000 remaining.

Fabian Brandes:     
Josh Arieh:     

Both players flopped two pair with Brandes ahead, and the   and   completed the board to secure Brandes' double.

Tong Li	18,775,000	-600,000
Josh Arieh	12,725,000	-3,150,000
Fabian Brandes	8,100,000	3,750,000

Josh Arieh limped the small blind with      and Fabian Brandes checked his option with     .

The     flop gave Arieh top set and he check-called for 600,000.

The   turn improved Arieh to a boat and he check-called for 1,300,000.

The   completed the board and Arieh checked again. Brandes bet 3,500,000, Ariah jammed, and Brandes quickly folded.

Tong Li also won a recent pot to move up in chips, while Brandes moved to the bottom of the leaderboard.

Josh Arieh	17,275,000	2,450,000
Tong Li	13,175,000	3,800,000
Fabian Brandes	9,150,000	-6,250,000

The three remaining players are now on a 15-minute break on the stream.

Fabian Brandes	15,400,000	-450,000
Josh Arieh	14,825,000	2,900,000
Tong Li	9,375,000	-2,450,000

Fabian Brandes limped in on the button with      and Josh Arieh checked his option with     .

The dealer fanned the     flop and Arieh led for 500,000. Brandes called.

The   fell on the turn, Arieh led for 1,200,000, and Brandes called.

The   completed the board and Arieh led for 700,000. Brandes then raised to 5,000,000, and Arieh called. Brandes revealed his hand for top set and collected the pot to move back into the lead.

Fabian Brandes	17,350,000	7,325,000
Josh Arieh	16,275,000	-7,200,000
Tong Li	5,975,000	-125,000