Fabian Brandes finished as a runner-up in the $25,000 Buy-In Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) High Roller tournament nine days ago. Yet, he beat 718 entrants in the $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Six-Max event. He won his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet and $371,358.
The poker pro informed WSOP reporters that the day was a rollercoaster for him, and he didn't believe that he had won the bracelet. He has cashed over $1.27 million in the 2022 WSOP after winning $907,132 as runners-up in the last PLO high roller.
The recent finish earned Brandes 1,260 Card Player Player of the Year (POY) points and 1,368 points after leading in the719 entries field. His two big scores have improved his position in the 2022 POY race that Global Poker funds to among the top twenty.
The $3,000 PLO Omaha Six-Max event had a $1,919,730 prize pool which 108 finishers shared. Several notable players in the event had deep runs, such as Dash Dudley (a two-time bracelet champion), Robert Cowen (two-time bracelet champion), Shankar Pillai (two-time bracelet winner), Norbert Szaecsi (three-time bracelet champion), Frank Kassela (three-time bracelet winner), Matthew Waxman (bracelet champion), Jonathan Cohen (Limit Hold 'em winner), Jason DeWitt (two-time bracelet champion), Andriy Lyubovetskiy (bracelet winner) and Peter Jachtmann (bracelet winner).
Action on the Final Day
The event's final day started with six finalists, and Leonid Yanovski had the highest number of chips. Brandes was second in the stack standings having over 100 big blinds. He got the day's first knockout after his queens and tens beat Grzegorz Derkowski's queens and fours.
The river didn't help Derkowsk, and he got busted in sixth place, taking home $55,501. Sean Winter, a renowned American poker player, advanced to his fourth WSOP final table and was keen on winning the first bracelet in the series. He eliminated Frenc Deak in fifth place after his double-suited pocket jacks beat his single-suited pocket sevens, thus earning him $76,880.
Even so, Winter incurred a huge chip loss after doubling up Thomas Morrison. He was left with less than two big blinds and survived several all-ins.
Brandes had taken over the chip lead from Yanovski by then. He got more momentum after Morrison exited the event in fourth place with $108,604.
The latter had gone all in with ADiamond SuitKHeart SuitKDiamond Suit2Diamond Suit against Yanovski's ASpade SuitAHeart Suit5Diamond Suit3Heart Suit. The board didn't improve both players, thus ending Morrison's run.
Brandes' Victory
Winter lasted longer than Morrison and dropped to the bottom of the stack standings in a three-handed play. The former used QHeart SuitQDiamond SuitJDiamond Suit9Heart Suit to make a small blind raise facing Brandes' 10Club Suit8Spade Suit8Heart Suit7Diamond Suit.
Brandes called and got a middle set from a 10Spade Suit8Club Suit4Spade Suit flop. Winter used overpair, and a wrap draw to check. Then, Brandes called and saw a JClub Suit turn five as Winter had a queen-high straight.
Still, tables turned, and Brandes got a winning full house after the board paired the 10Heart Suit river. Winter left the table in third place with $156,401, thus increasing his poker career cashes to almost $21.6 million.
Brandes had an early stack lead, but Yanovski reclaimed it. The latter took a hit and spun his chips, but a KDiamond Suit9Spade Suit4Spade Suit flop got him at risk. He held AClub SuitKHeart Suit9Diamond Suit8Diamond Suit top two pair as Brandes held KClub SuitQSpade SuitJClub Suit7Diamond Suit for top pair, live kickers, and a gutshot.
Brandes' straight completed after a 10Heart Suit appeared on the turn, thus prompting Yanovski to urgently seek a nine or king on the end. But the latter got a 10Diamond Suit and finished as the runners-up with $229,529.
