Event #18: $565 Pot-Limit Omaha

Tyler Smith emerged victorious in the first Pot-Limit Omaha tournament of the 2017 World Series of Poker, Event #18: $565 Pot-Limit Omaha, for $244,344 and his first gold bracelet.

The event drew a staggering 3,186 entries, making it the largest live PLO event ever held (and beating last year's previous record by 707 entries).

The win represents the biggest cash of Smith's poker career thus far and puts his lifetime earnings in excess of $1,000,000. While Smith had a dominating chip lead for much of the final day, he still had to fight through a final table full of fearsome opponents, including 2014 WSOP Asia-Pacific Main Event winner Scott Davies.

Final Table Results:

The first elimination of the day occurred when play had been underway for approximately an hour. Yves Kupfermunz put his stack in on the river and discovered, to his dismay, that his opponent, Igor Sharaskin, had a straight flush. Next to fall was Ryan Wince, who got his stack in on the flop with a draw and failed to improve against his opponent's top set. John Dallaire finished in seventh place when he got his stack in preflop with a handful of baby cards against Sharaskin, who held all Broadways and got no help from the board, thus ending the Arkansas native's first-ever PLO tournament.

Jessie Bryant, who had the chip lead at the start of Day 3, was the next to go. First, the eventual Champion doubled through him to leave him with less than one big blind, and then Sharaskin took the remainder of Bryant's stack just two hands later when he was all in on his big blind. Next, Marek Ohnisko was eliminated in fifth place when he got his stack in with the nut flush draw against Tyler Smith, who had flopped queens full. The fourth-place finisher was bracelet winner Scott Davies, whose deep run in this tournament came to a close when he got his stack in preflop with aces but Smith flopped a flush. Igor Sharaskin finished in third place when he got his stack in preflop with double-suited queens against Smith, who had an ace-king hand and spiked an ace on the turn.

Heads-up play lasted only one hand. Jason Stockfish, whose rail had been incredibly enthusiastic and steadily growing the entire day, got all his chips in the middle preflop with a suited ace and connecting sidecards but found himself behind and got no help from the board. Smith won the pot with ace-queen high and a pair of jacks that were on the board to take the title.

The next item on the 2017 World Series of Poker PLO schedule is Event #25: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha, which will begin on Tuesday, June 13. Be sure to keep up with all the action right here on PokerNews.

Igor Sharaskin called from the small blind, Tyler Smith raised to 600,000 from the big blind, Sharaskin moved all in, and Smith called to put him at risk.

Sharaskin:     
Smith:     

Sharaskin had the preflop advantage, but the board ran out       to pair Smith's ace and eliminate Sharaskin.

Tyler Smith	14,490,000	3,490,000
Igor Sharaskin	0	-1,900,000

The players are now on a 20-minute break,

Tyler Smith raised to 400,000 from the small blind, Scott Davies made a pot-sized three-bet to commit most of his stack, Smith four-bet, and Davies called to put himself at risk.

Smith:     
Davies:     

Davies had the preflop advantage with aces, but the flop came     to give Smith a flush and leave Davies in terrible shape. The   turn and   river were no help to Davies and Smith took the pot to send Davies to the cage.

Tyler Smith	12,100,000	4,600,000
Scott Davies	0	-1,900,000

Tyler Smith raised to 400,000 from under the gun and Marek Ohnisko called from the big blind.

The flop came    , and Ohnisko made a pot-sized bet of 880,000. Smith raised to put Ohnisko to a decision for the remainder of his stack, and he quickly called.

Ohnisko:     
Smith:     

Ohnisko had flopped the nut flush draw but was drawing dead to runner-runner straight flush against Smith, who showed queens full of sevens. The board ran out with the   on the turn and the   on the river, and Smith won the pot to eliminate Ohnisko.

Tyler Smith	8,350,000	1,450,000
Marek Ohnisko	0	-2,100,000

Tyler Smith raised to 320,000 from the button, and Jason Stockfish three-bet to 1,040,000 from the small blind, committing most of his chips. Smith called.

The flop came    , and Stockfish put the rest of his chips into the middle. Smith quickly called, and the two players tabled their hands.

Stockfish:     
Smith:     

Stockfish had a commanding lead with his pair of aces, and Smith needed to improve to eliminate his opponent. Neither the   turn nor the   river changed anything, and Stockfish won the pot to double up.

Tyler Smith	7,500,000	1,600,000
Jason Stockfish	2,750,000	1,550,000

Tyler Smith opened under the gun, and Marek Ohnisko called from the big blind.

The flop was    , and Ohnisko check-called a bet of 280,000. The   turn was checked around to the   river. Ohnisko led for 430,000, and Smith thought long and hard before releasing his hand.

Tyler Smith	7,100,000	-300,000
Marek Ohnisko	2,100,000	300,000

Scott Davies called from the small blind, and Jason Stockfish checked his option.

The flop came    , and Davies bet 120,000. Stockfish called. The turn brought the  , and Davies checked. Stockfish bet 250,000, and Davies called. The   fell on the river, and both players checked. Davies tabled     , Stockfish mucked, and Davies stacked the chips.

Scott Davies	1,870,000	450,000
Jason Stockfish	610,000	-740,000

Tyler Smith opened to 280,000 from the cutoff, Scott Davies three-bet shoved from the button for 715,000, and Smith called to put Davies at risk.

Smith:     
Davies:     

Davies had the preflop advantage and Smith needed to improve in order to take the pot and eliminate his opponent. The board ran out       which kept Davies' hand best and he doubled up.

Tyler Smith	6,850,000	2,280,000
Scott Davies	1,420,000	125,000