$10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (Event #18)

Frankie O'Dell stands alone at the top of the Omaha hi-lo bracelet count.

After winning Event #18: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship for his third bracelet — all in that variant of Omaha — O'Dell surpassed the likes of Chris Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen and Daniel Alaei, all of whom also had two Omaha hi-lo bracelets.

This one came with quite a bit more prize money than his last two — $443,641, after he won a $1,500 event in 2003 for $133,760 and a $2,000 event in 2007 for $240,057. O'Dell defeated a field of 183.

"There's only one person in the WSOP who has three Omaha eight-or-better bracelets and you're talking to them," he said when asked where he stood among the top Omaha hi-lo players. "So, until someone passes me or catches me, I'm not gonna say nothin'. I'm just gonna leave it at three."

Official Final Table Results

O'Dell's win came over a characteristically tough final table that included Shaun Deeb, David Benyamine, and Rob Campbell.

The two toughest opponents to overcome proved to be fellow bracelet winners Owais Ahmed and Robert Mizrachi. After Jake Schwartz, Campbell and Nick Guagenti busted relatively early from the streamed final day, a three-handed war ensued that lasted nearly six hours.

"It was a war because you had warriors in there," O'Dell said. "You had one of the Mizrachi, great f****** player brothers, then you had one of the guys who knows almost everything in stud hi-lo and Omaha hi-lo.

"Then you've got me, old school poker."

Things got dire at one point for O'Dell, after Ahmed scooped him with the nut flush and nut low to leave him on 95,000 at 100,000/200,000 limits. However, he scooped or chopped a succession of pots and was "right back in it," as someone yelled from his rail, 20 minutes later with over 10 big bets.

Ahmed appeared to be on the verge of bracelet No. 2 when he worked his way over 70 percent of the chips, but O'Dell roared back to surpass him after both players held kings but O'Dell made a straight.

It was a lead he wouldn't look back from as he sent first Mizrachi packing then Ahmed after a heads-up match that lasted only about half an hour.

"Basically, the wind blew my way and I got the win," O'Dell said. "I had an opportunity today. I had chips, we had the best Omaha players in the world in this tournament and I ended up on top."

O'Dell credited his success in Omaha to continuous grinding in the format, along with the hours spent playing stud hi-lo. He also said he was motivated by last year's second-place finish to Jeremy Harkin in $1,500 Dealer's Choice.

Finally he said he wanted to dedicate the bracelet to his daughter Victoria and her newborn son.

"I love you guys with all my heart," O'Dell said.

Owais Ahmed managed to win two small pots, however, Frankie O'Dell then claimed several pots in a row without a showdown before winning a bigger pot to reduce Ahmed's stack to fewer than a million.

Ahmed limped in and O'Dell raised, Ahmed called. The flop brought     and O'Dell bet, Ahmed called, and the action repeated on the   turn. The   river was checked and O'Dell tabled the      for kings up and a low. Ahmed flashed his cards and they included   , but could not win either portion of the pot.

Frankie O'Dell	10,300,000	1,300,000
Owais Ahmed	775,000	-1,325,000

Frankie O'Dell completed, Owais Ahmed raised and O'Dell called. Ahmed bet the     flop and then barreled again on the   turn. O'Dell let it go.

Frankie O'Dell	7,300,000	-700,000
Owais Ahmed	3,700,000	700,000

Robert Mizrachi got the last of his money in with      against the      held by Frankie O'Dell. The      board looked like it was going to secure Mizrachi at minimum half of the pot. However, the   river sent the whole pot to O'Dell.

Frankie O'Dell	8,825,000	-75,000
Owais Ahmed	2,200,000	200,000
Robert Mizrachi	0	-205,000

Frankie O'Dell has taken over a commanding lead after sweeping yet another pot, once again at the expense of Robert Mizrachi.

In a limped pot to the     flop, O'Dell bet out of the small blind and Mizrachi called to see the   on the turn. O'Dell now check-raised and Mizrachi called after some consideration before the   river brought another bet by O'Dell. Mizrachi eventually called and was shown the      for a flush by O'Dell.

Mizrachi didn't have that beat, nor had a low, and lost another big pot.

Frankie O'Dell	7,900,000	1,200,000
Owais Ahmed	2,000,000	0
Robert Mizrachi	1,100,000	-1,200,000

In a battle of the blinds, Owais Ahmed limped in and Frankie O'Dell checked his option. Ahmed checked and called a bet on the     flop to see the   turn go check, check. On the   river, Ahmed bet and O'Dell raised to receive a call.

O'Dell turned over the      for a full house and that sent Ahmed back to a distant bottom spot on the score board, as he had previously lost a hand to Robert Mizrachi as well.

Frankie O'Dell	5,200,000	1,000,000
Robert Mizrachi	4,300,000	900,000
Owais Ahmed	1,600,000	-1,800,000

Owais Ahmed raised in the small blind and Frankie O'Dell called in the big. Ahmed bet the     flop then checked the   turn. O'Dell checked back then called a bet on the   river.

Ahmed showed      for the flopped boat.

Frankie O'Dell	4,300,000	-1,100,000
Owais Ahmed	3,800,000	300,000

In a battle of the blinds, Robert Mizrachi limped in and Owais Ahmed checked his option. Mizrachi check-raised the     flop to pick up a call by Ahmed and bet the   turn and   river. Ahmed called the first bet, but when facing the final barrel, he was sent deep into the think tank and carefully counted his remaining stack.

Eventually, Ahmed folded and Mizrachi claimed the pot to nearly even their stacks.

Robert Mizrachi	2,900,000	400,000
Owais Ahmed	2,800,000	-700,000

Robert Mizrachi raised the button and Frankie O'Dell came along from the big blind. On a flop of    , O'Dell checked and called a bet by Mizrachi before check-raising the   on the turn. Mizrachi stuck around for the additional bet and the   on the river brought another bet of O'Dell.

After some consideration, Mizrachi sent his cards into the muck and O'Dell pulled further ahead.

Frankie O'Dell	6,600,000	800,000
Robert Mizrachi	2,500,000	-900,000
Owais Ahmed	1,900,000	100,000

Players are on break for 10 minutes.

Frankie O'Dell	5,800,000	200,000
Robert Mizrachi	3,400,000	100,000
Owais Ahmed	1,800,000	-300,000