Event #30: $600 Mixed: No-Limit Hold'em; Pot-Limit Omaha DeepStack (8-Handed)
Day 2 Completed
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #30: $600 Mixed: No-Limit Hold'em; Pot-Limit Omaha DeepStack (8-Handed)
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2024 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$600
Prize Pool
$1,709,010
Entries
3,351
Level
43
Blinds
1,500,000 / 3,000,000
Ante
3,000,000
Entries
145
Players Left
1
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
An explosive final table in Event #30: $600 Mixed: No-Limit Hold'em; Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack came to a close after only four hours, with Alen Bakovic overcoming Brian Keith Etheridge after a back-and-forth heads-up battle.
The Canadian was a popular winner. After winning over the crowd and fellow players with his table talk throughout the day, he pocketed $207,064 for first place and, of course, a coveted WSOP gold bracelet.
Smashing last year's already impressive numbers, the event was another record-breaker, with a turnout of 3,351 entries, which generated a prize pool of $1,709,010.
Event 30 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alen Bakovic | Canada | $207,064 |
| 2 | Brian Keith Etheridge | United States | $138,051 |
| 3 | Olegs Buiko | Latvia | $101,682 |
| 4 | Sergio Benso | Italy | $75,518 |
| 5 | Quan Tran | United States | $56,557 |
| 6 | Marcus Ruiz | United States | $42,715 |
| 7 | Joseph Couden | United States | $32,537 |
| 8 | Daniel Goldberg | United States | $24,997 |
| 9 | Jianqiang Yu | China | $19,371 |
Bakovic started the day with 1,460,000 and continued to grind towards the final table. Chips moved around the final table until, finally, Bakovich and Etheridge started to pull away from the pack. Once heads up, the two traded chips while laughing and joking in a show of good sportsmanship. Ultimately, it was Bakovich who finished the day to take down his maiden WSOP Bracelet.
Winner��s Reaction
It was an emotional scene as Bakovic was surrounded by friends and mentors as he added a bracelet to his already impressive cabinet of WSOP Rings.
"These guys made it easy for me," said Bakovic, referring to his rail who cheered him on to victory. "I remember thinking, why am I so calm? And I knew it was because of them."
Bakovic told PokerNews that he plans to stay for the whole WSOP. He even won a Main Event seat through an online satellite and was hugely grateful for the support and guidance from his friends and family.
"I've been playing poker since 2006. Pot-Limit Omaha is kind of new to me, but I love the challenge of learning new games. There are so many people who helped me become the player that I am today."
Final Day Action
Just 145 players returned for the final day, and the field was down to three tables after just five hours. Bakovic was the second-shortest stack at the three-table redraw but battled his way back into contention.
As well as his poker skills, also on display was Bakovic's humor as he shared stories and jokes with those around him Many of the players he was competing against saw his jokes and humility as a breath of fresh air under normally intense circumstances.
And by the time the final table was reached, Bakovic sat atop the pile, with clear water to Brian Keith Etheridge in second place. Bakovic eliminated Jianqiang Yu in ninth to extend his chip lead, before Daniel Goldberg hit the rail in eighth.
Joseph Couden and Marcus Ruiz both then hit the rail in quick succession as they failed to run up their short stacks.
Bakovic would see Olegs Buiko double through him before Quan Tran scored a double of his own. Tran had sent Goldberg to the rail, but he finally hit the rail at the hands of Etheridge in Pot Limit Omaha.
Etheridge then finished off another short stack, as Sergio Benso was eliminated before Bakovic soared into the chip lead once more after tripling through Etheridge after rivering a flush in Pot Limit Omaha.
However, Etheridge would find himself only slightly out-chipped heads-up after notching another elimination as Buiko hit the rail in third. However, Etheridge's run would come to an end heads-up, with Bakovic flopping a set to end the tournament and seal victory.
This ends PokerNews coverage of this event, but be sure to stay tuned as we bring you all the action for the rest of the World Series of Poker.
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
Pot-Limit Omaha
Alen Bakovic raised the pot preflop, enough to cover Brian Keith Etheridge, who made the call, putting himself at risk.
Brian Keith Etheridge: J?9?9?5? 
Alen Bakovic: K?Q?3?3?
Etheridge was in the lead with his pair of nines, but the flop of J?3?7? put Bakovic way in the lead with his set of threes. The runout of K?5? changed nothing and the pot was shipped over to Bakovic while Etheridge was eliminated as the runner-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,530,000
42,530,000
|
42,530,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level: 43
Blinds: 1,500,000/3,000,000
Ante: 3,000,000
Level 42
: Blinds 1,200,000/2,400,000, 2,400,000 ante
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Level 42
: Blinds 1,200,000/2,400,000, 2,400,000 ante
Alen Bakovic opened to 6,200,000 and Brian Keith Etheridge called to see the flop of 2?8?5?. Bakovic continued for 4,700,000 and Etheridge called to continue to the turn 9?, which saw a check from both players.
The action then checked through the river 9? and Etheridge announced ace-high and tabled A?4? but then Bakovic flipped over A?10? for his ten-kicker to play and he was awarded the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
58,000,000
6,000,000
|
6,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
42,000,000
-6,000,000
|
-6,000,000 |
Level: 42
Blinds: 1,200,000/2,400,000
Ante: 2,400,000
Level 41
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Brian Keith Etheridge opened to 5,000,000 and Alen Bakovic made the call to see a flop of J?6?Q?. Etheridge continued for 3,000,000 and Bakovic called to continue to the turn 7?.
Both players then decided to check and went to the river K?, which saw a bet of 7,000,000 from Etheridge.
After around 30 seconds, Bakovic announced he was all in, and then it was Etheridge's turn to go into the tank.
After thinking it over for around a minute, he slid his cards to the dealer to award the pot to Bakovic.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
52,000,000
17,500,000
|
17,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
48,000,000
-18,000,000
|
-18,000,000 |
Level 41
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
No-Limit Hold'em
After a devastating blow to his stack, Alen Bakovic jammed all in for 17,400,000 from the small blind. Brian Keith Etheridge made the call and both players revealed their hands.
Alen Bakovic: 7?7?
Brian keith Etheridge: A?2?
The board ran clean for Bakovic as it came 8?9?J?6?9? for him to find the double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
66,000,000
18,500,000
|
18,500,000 |
|
|
34,500,000
-18,000,000
|
-18,000,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 41
Blinds: 1,000,000/2,000,000
Ante: 2,000,000