The 2023 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas is one step closer to crowning a winner, as Event #25: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship is down to the final seven players after as many 90-minute long levels on Day 3. Out of 212 total entries, five bracelet winners remain in contention for a repeat victory with the biggest portion of the $1,971,600 prize pool still up for grabs.
After a topsy-turvy day filled with numerous split pots, three quarters, scoops, four of a kind and even straight flushes, it was Ben Lamb who emerged as the chip leader with 2,545,000.
He is closely followed by Luis Velador (2,390,000) and Poker Hall of Fame member Erik Seidel (2,360,000) whereas Brad Ruben is only three big bets behind with 2,005,000 in chips. Seidel has nine WSOP gold bracelets to his name already and could become only the fifth player to win at least ten, potentially drawing even with the great Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Phil Ivey.
Robert Yass sits in the middle of the pack and the two short stacks Johannes Becker and James Chen are just one scoop away from potentially taking over the lead.
Seat Assignments for the Final Day
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannes Becker | Germany | 1,090,000 | 11 | 5 |
| 2 | Erik Seidel | United States | 2,360,000 | 24 | 12 |
| 3 | Brad Ruben | United States | 2,005,000 | 20 | 10 |
| 4 | Luis Velador | Mexico | 2,390,000 | 24 | 12 |
| 5 | Robert Yass | United States | 1,375,000 | 14 | 7 |
| 6 | Ben Lamb | United States | 2,545,000 | 25 | 13 |
| 7 | James Chen (US) | United States | 985,000 | 10 | 5 |
Initially, the penultimate tournament day was scheduled to play down to the final five contenders but given the record field size and deep structure, that target was missed. The remaining seven hopefuls will return to their seats in the Horseshoe Event Center on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 2 p.m. local time for the conclusion of the event,
Recommencing blinds in level 25 will be 50,000-100,000 with limits of 100,000-200,000. After the first scheduled break on Day 4, all those with chips at their disposal will then be moved over to the main stage for the broadcast on the PokerGO streaming platform.
Day 3 got back underway with 21 players and the final two tables were reached rather swiftly with big names such as Bryce Yockey and Damjan Radanov hitting the rail. Sam Farha was sent to the payout desk soon after when his turned two pair were no good against the flopped top set of Seidel.
Start-of-the-day chip leader Jay Kerbel experienced a torrid spell at the tables and had to settle for 15th place whereas John Hennigan and David Williams also bowed out before the unofficial nine-handed final table was set.
Nearly three full levels were played and the lead changed several times but only two further contenders were eliminated. Jason Daly led the final nine players when the field combined to a single table yet the ups and downs of the split pot variant including a remarkable chop with a straight flush saw him succumb in ninth place.
James Obst became the final casualty of the night after his stack had been whittled down to one full bet and the Aussie waved goodbye with the prospect of jumping into the $10,000 Razz Championship.
The final seven players are set to return at 2 p.m. local time and the PokerNews live reporting team will be back then to provide all of the action until a winner has been crowned.
Final Table Results and Payouts
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $492,795 | ||
| 2 | $304,571 | ||
| 3 | $211,715 | ||
| 4 | $150,445 | ||
| 5 | $109,340 | ||
| 6 | $81,317 | ||
| 7 | $61,919 | ||
| 8 | James Obst | Australia | $48,300 |
