Event #49: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship
Day 4 Completed
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #49: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$4,474,400
Entries
476
Level
34
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
0
Level 34
: 200,000/400,000, 0 ante
The 2018 World Series of Poker has crowned yet another champion and it was a familiar face that lifted the coveted gold bracelet when the final river card was dealt in Event #49: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship. It was Loren Klein who defeated three-time WSOP bracelet winner Rep Porter in heads-up to win his third bracelet in as many years and clinch the top prize of $1,018,336.
Klein's first victory came two years ago in Event #45: $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha and he followed that up with his second WSOP bracelet in 2017, taking down Event #41: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha. Klein also finished runner-up to Brandon Shack-Harris in this very event back in 2016 when both were in the exact same seats, two and four. Shack-Harris came into the extra day as the chip leader and eventually had to settle for third place, good enough for a payday of $433,259.
While playing, Klein was sporting the "Make America Great Again" hat and also kept it on for the winner shots.
“I can't take it off now, the hat got me here. And there are a lot of haters out there that need this picture, just check out my Twitter feed today," Klein added just before holding up the gold bracelet.
"There are a lot of haters, I can't wait. Watch my twitter feed, it was non-stop today!"
One railbird said: "They don't realize you're being ironic."
"Am I?" Klein replied, "This might get me a Whitehouse invitation."
During the winner interview, Klein didn't deny the fact that this spurred further motivation to win it.
"All the haters really helped me to bring this one home. It felt amazing, and I can't wait to talk to all of them when I see them in the Rio hallways, I might even wear the bracelet for a bit. People have been talking shit about the MAGA hat for days and wishing me bad things all day today, it is fantastic."
When asked about what the accomplishment of winning a bracelet for consecutive years means to him, Klein had the following to say.
"Not a ton, the variance in getting a bracelet is pretty wild. I was the same player I was three years ago before I had any bracelet, so it doesn't mean a whole lot. But it is certainly a good time."
All three of Klein's bracelets came in Pot-Limit Omaha, cementing his foothold in this game type. Whether or not that makes him the best PLO player in the world remains to be seen, though.
"Perhaps, but you never know the way tournaments go. There are a lot of guys that make good runs all the time, so I am probably right there with them."
Among those is eventual third-place finisher Brandon Shack-Harris, who Klein considered a very tough opponent. Early on Klein won a big pot off Shack-Harris to take over the lead, where he remained for most of the remaining final table.
"That took him [Shak-Harris] out of a pretty commanding position and it was an important pot for sure, and I was pretty selective about which one I was gonna do because I knew the first pot I was gonna play with him would be a big deal and change the dynamics. Got lucky and flopped it."
Klein's other two bracelets came in $1,500 events, and the Championship event only changed one particular thing: "Seven figures!" Klein doesn't have any immediate plans with the big payday for now, and another PLO bracelet is on the agenda for the upcoming year to make it four in a row.
With a total of 476 entries, the event created a prize pool of $4,474,400 and the top 72 spots were paid. Five out of the six hopefuls on the final day were former bracelet winners and Jerry Wong, who eventually finished in 4th place for $303,491, is a former WSOP Main Event finalist.
Final Result
| Position | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loren Klein | United States | $1,018,336 |
| 2 | Rep Porter | United States | $629,378 |
| 3 | Brandon Shack-Harris | United States | $433,259 |
| 4 | Jerry Wong | United States | $303,491 |
| 5 | Ryan Hughes | United States | $216,391 |
| 6 | Scott Bohlman | United States | $157,097 |
| 7 | Mike Leah | Canada | $116,166 |
| 8 | Alexey Makarov | Russia | $87,522 |
Action of the final day
Brandon Shack-Harris was leading the final six on the Twitch live stream table in the Brasilia room and quickly pulled further ahead before Loren Klein took over the control at the top of the counts. While several players got short and even ended up all-in and at risk, it took more than two full hours before the field of hopefuls was reduced further.
Scott Bohlman had almost all of his chips in before the flop and called Klein's shove on an eight-trey-trey flop. Bohlman had an eight, while Klein needed a live king or running outs and hit the latter to make a straight, leaving Bohlman to depart in sixth place.
Next to fall was Ryan Hughes, and once again it was Klein responsible for the bustout. The chips went in preflop and Hughes showed aces, Klein only had jacks but spiked the two-outer on the flop.
Jerry Wong, the sole remaining finalist of the last six without a bracelet, almost took over the lead four-handed before becoming short. Eventually, Wong had half of his stack in before the flop and jammed a six-high flop only to see Shack-Harris snap-call with the flopped straight.
Three-handed play started with Rep Porter and Klein in a commanding lead, while Shack-Harris fell back further. The two-time bracelet winner fought back and got it in with an ace-queen high. Porter snap-called with aces and ended up making the better two pair on a paired board to eliminate Shack-Harris in third place.
Klein started heads-up with a comfortable lead, though Porter got within four big blinds. Facing a 1-2 chip disadvantage only a few hands later, Porter got all of his chips in preflop with kings and Klein looked him up with aces. Klein covered Porter's only live suit and the latter couldn't pull off the upset.
That brings an end to the PokerNews live reporting for this event, but make sure to check back regularly for the continued updates of the 2018 World Series of Poker.
Level 34
: 200,000/400,000, 0 ante
Loren Klein opened the button with a raise to 1,000,000. Big blind Rep Porter three-bet to 3 million with 4,275,0000 behind. Klein potted and Porter called all in for 7,275,000 total.
Rep Porter: 
Loren Klein: 
"I even have his suit," Klein said to one of his supporters on the rail.
The dealer didn't make a big show out of dealing the board as 
was presented rapidly.
Porter and Klein shook hands before the former made his way to the payout desk. Klein sat down for the winner photo and said "The hat got me here, I can't take it off now," after someone on the rail commented on it.
"There are a lot of haters, I can't wait. Watch my twitter feed, it was non-stop today!"
One railbird said; "They don't realize you're being ironic."
"Am I?" Klein replied, "This might get me a Whitehouse invitation."
"My annual bracelet," Klein said on his way to the payout desk after the photos were taken.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
23,800,000
8,800,000
|
8,800,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 34
: 200,000/400,000, 0 ante
Loren Klein raised to 1,000,000 and Rep Porter called. On the 
flop, Porter check-called a bet worth 1,200,000 and the 
appeared on the turn. Porter bet 2,400,000 and Klein folded. That pot brought the duo within fewer than four big blinds, however Klein struck back with aggression right after.
Porter raised to 800,000 and Klein three-bet the pot to 2,400,000, Porter called. On the 
flop, Klein bet the pot for 4,800,000 and Porter folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,000,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
8,800,000
-400,000
|
-400,000 |
|
|
||
Level 34
: 200,000/400,000, 0 ante
Loren Klein, who's wearing a bear suit he was handed from Brandon Shack-Harris, limped the button. Big blind Rep Porter checked his option.
Porter check-called 400,000 on 
and check-called another 900,000 bet on the 
turn. The on the river saw both players check and Porter showed the winning hand with 
as Klein mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
14,600,000
-2,925,000
|
-2,925,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
9,200,000
2,925,000
|
2,925,000 |
|
|
||
Level 34
: 200,000/400,000, 0 ante
Rep Porter limped in and Loren Klein raised to 1,200,000, Porter folded.
Klein limped and Porter checked. On the 
flop both players checked, Klein bet the 
turn for 700,000 and Porter folded.
Porter raised to 800,000 and Klein called. The 
flop triggered a check by Klein, Porter bet 600,000 and Klein called. The 
turn was checked through and Klein's bet on the 
river for 1,500,000 won the pot uncontested.
Klein limped and Porter checked, they headed to a 
flop. Porter checked and folded to a bet of 400,000 by Klein.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
17,525,000
2,600,000
|
2,600,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
6,275,000
-2,600,000
|
-2,600,000 |
|
|
||
Level 34
: 200,000/400,000, 0 ante
Brandon Shack-Harris was first to act and opened the action with a raise to 800,000. Small blind Loren Klein folded instantly but big blind Rep Porter had bigger plans. He three-bet to 2.6 million and Shack-Harris, after giving it some thought, shoved for 3,880,000 total. Porter called.
Brandon Shack-Harris:
Rep Porter: 
The rail asked for the 
in the window but instead got the 
, followed by the and 
.
Shack-Harris had paired up but needed more help. The on the turn was one of the worst cards in the deck for him. The rail asked for an "eight-ball" but didn't get it; on the river.
Shack-Harris eliminated in third place for $433,259. Loren Klein and Rep Porter are now guaranteed $629,378, playing for the first-place prize of $1,018,336.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
14,925,000
-175,000
|
-175,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
8,875,000
4,050,000
|
4,050,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 34
: 200,000/400,000, 0 ante
Brandon Shack-Harris raised to 800,000 on the button and Rep Porter in the big blind three-bet the pot to 2,600,000, Shack-Harris folded.
Loren Klein raised the button to 800,000 and Shack-Harris three-bet the pot to 2,600,000 from the big blind to force a fold.
Shack-Harris limped and Klein checked. They checked the 
flop and the 
turn. On the 
river, Shack-Harris bet 500,000 and Klein's raise to 1,400,000 did the trick to force a fold from Shack-Harris.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,100,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,825,000
825,000
|
825,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,875,000
-725,000
|
-725,000 |
|
|
||
Level 34
: 200,000/400,000, 0 ante
Rep Porter opened the button for 800,000 and big blind Loren Klein called. Klein check-called 900,000 on the 
flop and 1.6 million on the turn. The river saw both players check and Klein took it down showing 
as Porter mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,200,000
3,475,000
|
3,475,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,600,000
-175,000
|
-175,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,000,000
-3,300,000
|
-3,300,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 34
Blinds: 200,000/400,000
Ante: 0