Event #65: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
Day 4 Completed
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #65: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$1,814,200
Entries
193
Level
31
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
0
Level 31
: 100,000/200,000, 0 ante
Nick Schulman is no stranger to the bright lights of poker. The multi-bracelet winner and PokerGO commentator has been a part of final tables at the biggest stage from numerous angles.
On Monday, he added to that acumen becoming the champion of the 2019 World Series of Poker Event #65: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship. Schulman topped a field of 193 entries en route to the first-place prize of $463,670 and his third career WSOP gold bracelet.
The victory was Schulman’s first bracelet in seven years. After the tournament, he stated that the game has changed a lot in the meantime: “The last seven years have seen a tremendous influx of new ideas and I’ve tried to kind of hang along with the game and here we are. I’m better but everybody’s better.”
If Schulman’s statement needed proof, he successfully navigated through a final table that was over half full of previous bracelet winners in addition to last year’s runner-up of this same tournament, Michael McKenna.
Final Table Results
| Position | Name | Country | Payout (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Schulman | United States | $463,670 |
| 2 | Brian Hastings | United States | $286,570 |
| 3 | Joe Hachem | Australia | $201,041 |
| 4 | Denis Strebkov | Russia | $143,700 |
| 5 | Chris Vitch | United States | $104,688 |
| 6 | Corey Hochman | United States | $77,763 |
| 7 | Michael McKenna | United States | $58,918 |
| 8 | Bryce Yockey | United States | $45,551 |
Final Table Action
Day 4’s final table of seven was reduced by two on the very first hand of play when McKenna was all in from the big blind for 65,000, less than the 80,000 from the first level of play. Corey Hochman chose to get his last two big blinds in on the hand as well and 2005 WSOP champ Joe Hachem called and hit two pair while fading a low draw to score the double elimination, sending McKenna home with $58,918 for his seventh-place finish while Hochman won $77,763 for sixth place.
Just two hands later, Chris Vitch fell running ace-king-four-two into Schulman's aces. Vitch flopped a gutshot draw to Broadway but improved no further and the mixed game specialist was sent home in fifth place earning $104,688 just days after cashing the $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
Denis Strebkov started the day with just 11 big blinds but managed to hang on and ladder up to fourth place. He exited when his flopped top set couldn't hang on against the wrap straight draw of Brian Hastings. Hastings turned the straight and Strebkov failed to improve, leaving the Russian native with $143,700 for his deep run, continuing his impressive summer after having recently taken third place in Event #51: $2,500 O.E. for $89,744 as well.
Hachem fell a short time later and all of a sudden a returning field of seven turned to two before the first break of the day. Hachem's undoing was a combo draw gone wrong, as his open-ended straight draw, flush draw, and low draw on the turn was against Schulman's made straight and a higher flush draw. Hachem would fail to hit his low and was forced to settle for third place and $201,041, coming just shy of adding a second WSOP gold bracelet to his wrist.
Schulman started heads-up play with a more than 2:1 chip lead over Hastings and with almost 116 big blinds between them at the start a deep battle was in the making. Early in Level 28, Schulman had a chance to score the victory when he flopped top set against the middle pair and nut low draw of Hastings. Hastings made his low, however, and the duo battled on. Hastings managed to get a double in Level 29, and by the end of the Level 30, actually took the chip lead for a short period of time.
The biggest hand of the tournament took place in Level 31 when Schulman turned a full house against Hastings' trip tens, and when Hastings failed to improve, he was left with just ten big blinds. He managed one double, but on the final hand of the tournament, Hastings got his last 2.87 million in chips in with ace-six-three-deuce, and Schulman put him at risk with ace-ten-five-four. Neither player managed to improve, resulting in Schulman earning his third bracelet while Hastings took home $286,570 for his runner-up performance.
When asked about the heads-up match afterward, Schulman said it was tough to handle the mental dance between being in a position to put away a super tough opponent and how difficult it is to actually do so. He gave tons of kudos to Hastings for being a super tough opponent and a legend in his own right, on the hunt for his fifth career bracelet. Schulman also acknowledged how tough the entire field was, emphasizing that everybody out there was trying to win.
“It was on my mind but at the end of the day, you have the poker decisions and that’s really all we can control so I tried my best to focus on that as much as I can.”
Luckily for Schulman, the rest fell into place as well and he claimed the title of Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo World Champion as a result.
Level 31
: 100,000/200,000, 0 ante
Nick Schulman raised to 400,000 from the button, and Brian Hastings three-bet to 1.2 million. Schulman four-bet to put Hastings at risk for his last 2.87 million, and Hastings called.
Brian Hastings: 
Nick Schulman: 
"Ace-ten hangin' in there for now," Hastings announced after the 
flop gave Hastings the nut low draw, while Schulman's ace-ten high was still in the lead.
"Hang in there, baby!" Schulman said.
The 
turn was a blank, and Schulman grinned and said, "Hang in there, hunny!' Hastings had a multitude of outs to scoop (any deuce, three or six), and any other low card would provide Hastings a chop.
The 
river indeed hung in there for Schulman, and his pair of eights, ace-jack-ten high would prove to be the final hand of the tournament, and the two shared a handshake before Schulman went to celebrate with his rail.
Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
11,580,000
2,870,000
|
2,870,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 31
: 100,000/200,000, 0 ante
Nick Schulman raised to 400,000 on the button, and Brian Hastings called in the big blind.
Hastings led out for 500,000 on the 
flop, and Schulman potted it to 2.3 million. Hastings folded.
The final two players are off on an unscheduled break.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,710,000
210,000
|
210,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,870,000
-230,000
|
-230,000 |
|
|
||
Level 31
: 100,000/200,000, 0 ante
Nick Schulman was in the small blind and completed, prompting Brian Hastings to check his option. The two saw a flop of 
and both checked. The turn came and Hastings led out for a bet of 300,000. Schulman called.
The river was 
and Hastings checked. Schulman announced a pot-sized bet of 1 million and Hastings sent his cards to the muck, finding himself in danger of dropping below the three-million chip mark again.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,500,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,100,000
-600,000
|
-600,000 |
|
|
||
Level 31
: 100,000/200,000, 0 ante
Brian Hastings raised to 400,000 on the button, and Nick Schulman called.
Both players checked the flop, and the 
fell on the turn. Schulman bet 600,000, and Hastings flashed the 
from his hand before folding. Schulman grinned, then turned over 
before pulling in the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,900,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,700,000
-400,000
|
-400,000 |
|
|
||
Level 31
: 100,000/200,000, 0 ante
Brian Hastings opened from the small blind to 600,000 and Nick Schulman three-bet the pot to 1.8 million. Hastings shoved for 2.01 million and Schulman called.
Nick Schulman: 
Brian Hastings: 
Schulman appeared to be in a commanding position with a pair of kings and Hastings needing low outs. However, the board ran out 
, giving Hastings queens up and Schulman an 8-7-6-2-A for the two to chop in an unusual fashion.
On the following hand, Schulman raised to 600,000 and Hastings three-bet to 1.8 million as a pot-sized raise. Schulman four-bet to put Hastings all in and Hastings called off his same 2.01 million
Nick Schulman: 
Brian Hastings: 
The board came out 
, giving Hastings the lead on the flop with jacks up, followed by Schulman taking the lead with aces up after the turn, and finally seeing Hastings fill up on his flush draw to win the pot and double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,500,000
-2,100,000
|
-2,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,100,000
2,100,000
|
2,100,000 |
|
|
||
Level 31
: 100,000/200,000, 0 ante
Nick Schulman limped in from the button, and Brian Hastings checked.
Hastings checked the 
flop to Schulman, who bet 250,000. Hastings called.
The fell on the turn, and Hastings checked again. Schulman bet 750,000, and Hastings check-raised the pot to 3.15 million. Schulman jammed for a total of 4.25 million and Hastings called.
Nick Schulman: 
Brian Hastings: 
Schulman's full house just needed to dodge a queen to earn a big double, and the river did just that.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,600,000
4,400,000
|
4,400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,000,000
-4,400,000
|
-4,400,000 |
|
|
||
Level 31
: 100,000/200,000, 0 ante
Nick Schulman raised to 400,000 from the small blind and Brian Hastings defended. The flop came 
and Hastings checked. Schulman fired a continuation-bet of 300,000 and Hastings raised to 1.5 million. Schulman shoved for 4.79 million and Hastings called.
Brian Hastings:
Nick Schulman: 
Hastings was in the lead with two pair. However, Schulman had outs to a better low hand and was not drawing completely dead on the high. The turn came to secure the low for Schulman and give him a freeroll at the double, but the river was and the two chopped yet another all-in pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,400,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
5,200,000 | |
|
|
||
