Event #41: $1,500 Big O

The first ever Big O tournament at the WSOP has come to a close. Event #41: $1,500 Big O was a resounding success as a total of 1,458 players came out to play, creating a massive prizepool of $1,946,430, which was divided between the final 219 players.

At the end of it all it was Scott Abrams who stood atop of the field, beating Robert Williamson III for his first WSOP bracelet and $315,203. "If it's Omaha Hi/Lo I can do it," the newly crowned champion said in regards to his very good finishes in previous WSOP's. In 2022, Abrams got heads up in the $1,500 Mixed PLO, and in 2021 he finished in third in the same event. "This is a really complex game, with so many draws with so many cards, it's one of the most complex forms of poker that I play which I think is good for me."

"I've done a lot of work in Limit O/E," he said in reference to his preparation for the game. "Big O is that but extrapolating strong hands on both sides. If I see a good O8 hand, but my opponent wants to bet a lot, I lean towards fold most of the time, and I'll just make nut-nut the next hand."

Abrams was surrounded by a supportive rail that the champion exclaimed was a big shock for him. "I think maybe because it is my first bracelet, everyone wanted to support me, I am really thankful for them. At the WSOP there are so many different events to play, and they came on this day to watch me in a game where they don't see what I have ninety percent of the time, so I'm really thankful."

Recently coming off of a win at the PokerGO Tour Mixed Games series in Event #6: $10,000 Dealers Choice for $179,300, Abrams was asked whether he believes it's his year. "I feel like I have been at the top end of variance for the last year and a half more than I have in my entire life. My wife will confirm that basically since the week we got married I have been on the biggest heater of my life. I'm pretty sure she did it."

The champion left the tournament area with his wife and rail, all donning shirts decorated with his face.

$1,500 Big O Final Table Results

Day 3 Action

10-time WSOP Bracelet winner Johnny Chan (14th-$13,982) found a good start to the day with an early double, but after the final two tables were set, the two-time WSOP Main Event champion would exit the tournament, seeing his deepest WSOP event run in over 10 years. The remaining players clapped the exit of the WSOP legend as he hung around a little longer to watch the event progress on the rail.

Others were unable to catch the needed momentum to make the final table, as Austin Marks (16th-$11,434), Adam Owen (15th-$13,982), and Jon Shoreman (13th-$17,298) were unable to survive on their way to the final table. Start of day chip leader Gary Gwinn got in his final chips in against Victor Ramdin just before the final table, but a rivered full house would send the chips over to Ramdin and Gwinn would take his exit in ninth place for $27,411.

Final Table Action

It did not take long for the final table to lose its first player. Frenchman Patrice Biton had called a raise from Robert Williamson III on the button and flopped three nines against Williamson's kings. Players got their money in on the flop and after another player said that they had folded two kings, all seemed lost for Williamson. The turn and river brought help to give Williamson a seven-six low and a straight to scoop the pot leaving Biton on the bad end of a cooler and he exited the tournament in eighth place for $35,098.

William Haffner started the final table as one of the larger stacks, but a costly confrontation with David Mize had sent him tumbling down the chip counts after. He got in his final chips with ace, king, ten, six, three against Williamson's ace, ace, king, jack, five. The turn brought a flush to Williamson and Haffner was left drawing to a full house, which did not materialize on the river. Haffner wished his tablemates luck as he exited the tournament in seventh place, collecting $45,447 for his efforts.

WSOP bracelet winner Owais Ahmed was unable to gain much momentum at this final table, his second WSOP final table in two weeks. Time after time he seemed to get quartered by his tablemates until he was the shortest stack left. He got in his final chips in against Abrams on a ten-high board against Abrams' aces and his runout was unfavorable to his hand, leaving Ahmed to collect $59,501 for his second sixth-place finish in an inaugural event this year.

Following him out the door next was David Mize whose run came to an end in fifth place. Mize was able to gain some early momentum early at the final table, but he busted when he got in his set of twos in against Abrams aces and a flush draw. The flush draw came home and the Montana resident collected $78,758 for his deep run.

Next on the block was WSOP staple Victor Ramdin who collected $142,526 for his efforts. Ramdin's day was a rollercoaster of chips, but at the end of it all he got short and moved most of his chips in preflop and was unable to connect with a pair against Bjorn Verbakel. The runout did not make any usable low for Ramdin and he ended his deep run in fourth place.

The three-handed jockeying between the chip stacks saw each player take the lead at one point or another. Despite doubling through Williamson to take the lead early in the final table, it was Verbakel who would fall next. He would get in his aces with a flush draw and made low against Williamson's full wrap, but river an unfortunate set that gave Williamson the wheel and the WSOP bracelet winner exited the tournament in third place for $142,526.

Heads-up playe started with Abrams holding only a slight lead against Williamson, but that changed in the first hand where Abrams picked off a bluff from Williamson with an overpair to widen the gap. Two hands later, both players found themselves getting in their chips with Williamson holding bottom two pair and a flush draw, and Abrams holding top pair, top kicker with a low draw. The turn gave Abrams outs for a flush draw himself and the river peeled off favorably for Abrams to win the high with a flush along with the nut low. Abrams shook hands with Williamson, who finished in second place for $194,814 for his best finish in a WSOP event since 2005.

Thank you for reading along on PokerNews. Stay tuned for all updates regarding the 2023 WSOP.

Robert Williamson III called from the button and Scott Abrams made it 900,000 to go. Williamson called.

The flop fell    . Abrams bet 1,100,000 and Williamson called.

The turn was the   and was checked in both spots.

The river fell the  . Abrams checked and Williamson bet 2,500,000. Abrams thought for a moment before matching the bet.

"Good call," said Williamson.

Abrams tabled       and Williamson tossed his hand in the muck.

Scott Abrams	23,950,000	4,250,000
Robert Williamson III	12,500,000	-4,250,000

Robert Williamson III and Scott Abrams called preflop and Bjorn Verbakel checked the big blind. All three checked the flop of    .

The came  . Abrams bet 650,000 and was called by Williamson.

The river was the  . Abrams bet 2,000,000 and Williamson announced a reraise all in. Abrams called.

Robert Williamson III:      
Scott Abrams:      

Abrams' quad tens took the high, while Williamson had a low to chop the pot.

Scott Abrams	19,200,000	2,000,000
Robert Williamson III	10,100,000	-4,900,000

Scott Abrams raised to 575,000 on the button and in the small blind, Bjorn Verbakel reraised to 2,500,000. Abrams called.

Action checked through on the       board to the river where Verbakel checked over to Abrams who bet 3,500,000 and Verbakel folded.

Scott Abrams	17,200,000	2,100,000
Bjorn Verbakel	9,100,000	-2,700,000

A flop of       Bjorn Verbakel led out for 1,000,000. Robert Williamson III thought for moment before making the call.

Verbakel tabled       and Williamson mucked.

Robert Williamson III	15,000,000	2,800,000
Bjorn Verbakel	11,800,000	1,400,000

Bjorn Verbakel raised to 525,000 on the button and in the small blind Robert Williamson III potted to 1,825,000 which Verbakel called.

The flop came out     and Williamson bet the pot which saw Verbakel move all in for 5,975,000 which Williamson called.

Bjorn Verbakel:      
Robert Williamson III:      

The board ran out    and the flush came in for Verbakel for him to take the chip lead through Williamson.

Bjorn Verbakel	16,000,000	7,500,000
Robert Williamson III	9,475,000	-5,075,000

Robert Williamson III raised the button to 475,000 and both opponents called.

The flop came    . Scott Abrams and Bjorn Verbakel checked to the raiser and Williamson fired again for pot. He got two quick folds.

Robert Williamson III	15,000,000	900,000
Bjorn Verbakel	11,450,000	2,050,000
Scott Abrams	10,000,000	490,000

Robert Williamson III called on the button which saw Scott Abrams call in the small blind and David Mize checked his option in the big blind.

The flop came out     and Abrams bet 400,000 which saw Mize raise to 1,840,000. Williamson got out of the way and Abrams began muttering.

"I think I have too many outs," he whispered to himself as he pondered his decision. He moved all in for 4,500,000 effective and Mize called to put himself at risk.

David Mize:      
Scott Abrams:      

Mize had flopped bottom set against Abrams flush draw, and the turn   completed the flush and left few outs for Mize to draw to a full house. The river peeled off an   and Abrams' flush held for high while his live ace was good for low and Mize exited the tournament area.

Scott Abrams	11,900,000	2,905,000
David Mize	0	-4,200,000