Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
Day 4 Completed
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 4
2021 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$1,193,600
Entries
134
Level
27
Limits
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
0
Entries
5
Players Left
1
Level 27
: 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
Ari Engel of Canada earned his second career bracelet by winning Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship at the 2021 World Series of Poker. Engel won after an epic heads-up battle against Zachary Milchman that lasted six hours and ended in a hand where Engel's two pair was good against his opponent's pair of eights.
With the victory, Engel secured a $317,076 cash and a coveted WSOP bracelet while Milchman, a Floridian who was after his first bracelet, earned a payday of $195,968 for his runner-up finish.
Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ari Engel | Canada | $317,076 |
| 2 | Zachary Milchman | United States | $195,968 |
| 3 | Andrew Yeh | United States | $143,988 |
| 4 | Eddie Blumenthal | United States | $107,204 |
| 5 | Phil Hellmuth | United States | $80,894 |
| 6 | George Wolff | United States | $61,877 |
| 7 | Robert Mizrachi | United States | $47,987 |
| 8 | Ben Landowski | United States | $37,738 |
| 9 | Khamar Xaytavone | United States | $30,102 |
Engel, who won his first bracelet in Event #48: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em at the 2019 WSOP, had to get through a field of 134 runners that included many of the biggest names in poker, including Erik Seidel, Mike Matusow, Shaun Deeb and Phil Hellmuth — who was seeking a record-setting 16th bracelet but ultimately fell short when he was eliminated in fifth place in the first level of play on Day 4.
Engel entered the final day with a big chip lead and used it to his advantage by putting pressure on his opponents, including Andrew Yeh and Eddie Blumenthal, both of whom were eliminated by the eventual champion.
“In these kinds of situations, it’s a balance between wanting to put pressure on other players who presumably want to move up, and then at the same time kind of protecting your own chip lead," Engel told PokerNews about his strategy entering the day. “You’ve got to strike the right balance depending on how the other players are playing and how the stacks work out.”
Engel had Milchman down to under a million chips at a point, but his heads-up opponent always found a way to climb back and the two exchanged chip leads multiple times throughout heads-up play.
“He played amazing and I easily could have lost it," Engel said. "It’s not like I was crushing him or anything close to that.”
Anyone in the Amazon Room at the Rio on Thursday likely heard the screams and cheers of a rambunctious group of Engel's friends on the rail — a group that Jason Koon at one point asked to quiet down as he played for all the marbles in an adjacent tournament.
“It’s rare for me to have a crazy rail like I had today, so that’s really exciting that I did have so many friends around," said Engel. "It made it all the sweeter.”
That wraps up the PokerNews live reporting team's coverage of the Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship, but be sure to check out the WSOP reporting portal for additional coverage.
Level 27
: 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
Ari Engel is now a two-time bracelet winner after topping Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship at the 2021 World Series of Poker. The Canadian star won his second career bracelet after a victory in the $2,500 NLHE event back in 2019 and received $317,076 for his accomplishment.
All eyes were on Phil Hellmuth at the start of the day as 'The Poker Brat' was in search for an unprecedented sixteenth bracelet, but Hellmuth wasn't able to spin his short stack up and finished in fifth place.
A full recap of the day is to follow.
Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ari Engel | Canada | $317,076 |
| 2 | Zachary Milchman | United States | $195,968 |
| 3 | Andrew Yeh | United States | $143,988 |
| 4 | Eddie Blumenthal | United States | $107,204 |
| 5 | Phil Hellmuth | United States | $80,894 |
| 6 | George Wolff | United States | $61,877 |
| 7 | Robert Mizrachi | United States | $47,987 |
| 8 | Ben Landowski | United States | $37,738 |
| 9 | Khamar Xaytavone | United States | $30,102 |
Level 27
: 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
In what would end up being the final hand of the tournament, Ari Engel raised on the button and Zachary Milchman called.
The flop came 
and Milchman checked. Engel bet and Milchman went deep into the tank before deciding to raise. Engel made it three bets to go and Milchman called off for his remaining chips.
Zachary Milchman: 
Ari Engel: 
The 
turn and 
river completed the board — leaving Engel best with queens and tens and eliminating Milchman in second place.
Stay tuned for a recap of this prestigious championship event!
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,000,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 27
: 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
Zachary Milchman three-bet in the big blind and Ari Engel called.
Milchman slowed down on the 
flop and check-called when facing a bet, but opted to fold to a bet on the 
turn.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,300,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
755,000
-645,000
|
-645,000 |
Level 27
: 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
Zachary Milchman raised on the button and Ari Engel called.
Both players checked on the 
flop.
Engel then check-raised a bet from Milchman on the 
turn and Milchman called.
Engel bet a final time on the river and Milchman gave up his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,600,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,400,000
-1,100,000
|
-1,100,000 |
Level 27
: 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
In a single-raised pot, Zachary Milchman check-called a bet from Ari Engel on a flop of 
.
Milchman called again when Engel bet on the 
turn and once more on the 
river.
Engel took the pot down when he showed 
for a full house.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,500,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,500,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
Level 27
: 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
Zachary Milchman completed from the button and Ari Engel checked his option.
Both players checked on the 
flop and Engel check-called a bet from Milchman on the 
turn.
The 
completed the board and Engel check-folded after facing another bet from Milchman.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,400,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,600,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
Level 27
: 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
In a single-raised pot that checked through on the 
flop, Zachary Milchman led out with a bet on the 
turn and Ari Engel called.
The river brought the 
and Milchman check-folded when facing a bet.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,600,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,400,000
-1,100,000
|
-1,100,000 |
Level 27
: 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
There have been an inordinate amount of chop pots at showdown as of late. The chip counts have not moved significantly in either direction for a while.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,500,000
-400,000
|
-400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,500,000
400,000
|
400,000 |