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This is the second time that Columbia`s Daniel Ospina (cover image) reached the final table at World Series of Poker`s (WSOP) popular $1,500 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw event, the first being in 2015 when he finished second. He did one better this time around and in the process won the first-ever bracelet for his country along with earning himself a payday of $87,678.
In the three-day event, Ospina outlasted a field of 260 players and powered his way through the heads-up match with Timothy Mcdermott to win his career-first bracelet.
Such was the Columbian’s determination to win the bracelet event this year that right before catching the flight to Vegas for the WSOP, he bought his country’s flag from a souvenir shop, so that could use it when he won the bracelet. And win he did!
“I just really felt like it was my time, I never really doubted myself and felt like everything was coming full circle”,said a beaming Ospina after the win.
While he’s into all variants of poker, he enjoys playing no-limit 2-7 single draw that carries the essence of various intangible poker skills.
“It’s just such a pure poker game, there’s some theory, but there is a lot of feel and a lot of leveling. I would play a different style against each opponent in general. I always liked to learn all the games when I started learning and deuce was always one of my favorite ones. It has some no-limit hold’em aspects, but it’s just like pure poker”, he added.
55 players returned on Day 2 and 39 among them made it in the money. Ospina entered Day 3 with a commendable chip lead and held onto it through the day right till the heads-up match.
Notables who cashed the event include Daniel Weinman (11th for $5,420), Stuart Rutter (13 for $4,311), Mark Gregorich (15th for $3,522), Maria Ho (16th for $3,522), Roland Israelashvili (26th for $2,959), Jesse Martin (35th for $2,557) and Robert Mizrachi (35th for $2,276).
The unofficial final table was set after John Bunch and Ray Henson busted out at tenth and ninth place respectively. Both cashed $5,420.
Final Table Recap
The eight-handed final table played down to the final three players on Day 3 with the finalists coming back on Day 4 to play down to a champion!
Just an hour after the final table seats were redrawn on Day 3 and the grind began; Matt Szymaszek and Michael Gathy were busted in one go. Szymaszek open-jammed from cutoff, for 44,500. In what was one of the craziest hands of the event till then, Michael Gathy acted next, going all in with 79,000 and Ospina flatted from the small blind followed by Brant Halealso flatting from the big blind. Ospina stood pat, and all others drew one. Both Hale and Ospina checked and then the hands were tabled. With Ospina’s 10x-7x-6x-5x-2x, Hale’s 8x-7x-6x-2x/Ax, Szymaszek’s 9x-8x-3x-2x-/3x and Gathy’s 9x-8x-7x-5x/Jx Ospina’s pat-ten held up winning him the entire pot, sending both Szymaszek and Gathy to the rail, with the former eliminated in eighth place and the latter busting out in seventh place since he had more chips then Szymaszek at the start of the hand.
The play moved to Level 20, and within ten minutes of the double elimination, it was time for Brant Hale to leave the game. Hale moved all-in from small blind for 52,000 and Mcdermott made the call, putting Hale at risk. Hale drew one while Mcdermott decided not to draw. Mcdermott showed Jx-10x-7x-5x-3x and Hale tabled Jx-9x-4x-2x. It looked like Hale would get a double up but the card he drew turned out to be 4x, bouncing him off at sixth place.
James Alexander who had by now lost more than half his stack to Ospina, three-bet shoved for 52,000 and Shaun Deebcalled. Both of them drew one, and Deep showed 9x-7x-4x-2x drawing a Kx. Alexander tabled 10x-8x-5x-3x but he paired the eight to exit in fifth place.
Over the next few hands, Ospina kept adding to his stack. Soon, Deeb opened the button for 18,000 and Mike Wattel decided to shove all-in for 109,000 from the small blind. Ospina cold-called from big blind and Deeb called. Both, Deeb and Wattel drew one, Ospina deciding to stand pat. He checked to Deeb who checked behind. The players showed their cards, Deeb turned over Ax-9x-5x-4x-2x, Ospina showed 10x-8x-7x-4x-3x. Wattel peeled his hand up, drawing 2x, to pair for 2x-2x-9x-8x-7x but couldn’t beat Ospina’s ten high and was relegated to the rail in fourth place.
Day 4 Recap
Following a break, the final three returned to battle it out for the gold bracelet. It was definitely Ospina’s day as a few hands into play, he started putting pressure on Deeb, busting him out in third place.
On the button, Deeb opened for 25,000, calling a three-bet of 105,000 from Ospina out of small blind. Ospina stood pat, after which Deep drew one. Ospina decided to check and Deeb moved all in for 300,000. Thinking for a minute, Ospina called. Deeb held 9x-6x-5x-3x-2x and Ospina tabled 8x-7x-6x-4x-2x, busting Deeb.
“I three-bet with an eight-seven and I knew when he called, he only had about 1.5 pot or so behind. Deeb drew one, I patted, and he shoved. He likes to play these big polarizing spots and when he shoved, I knew this was the time,” Ospina said, recalling his duel with Deeb in the three-handed play.
The heads-up carried on through many hands over which Mcdermott doubled up through Ospina several times but Ospina kept returning the favor to regain the lead. Right before the final hand, Mcdermott lost most of his stack to Ospina. Limping with only 240,000 left against Ospina’s 1,710,000, he conceded the bracelet when Ospina open-shoved the button. Mcdermott decided to call and both drew one card each. Mcdermott tabled 10x-7x-5x-3x and Ospina showed 9x-7x-6x-2x. Mcdermott had drawn Qx and Ospina turned over 4x. Failing to earn the much-needed double up, Mcdermott was eliminated in second place and the bracelet went to Ospina.
Final Table Results (USD)
1. Daniel Ospina – $87,678
2. Timothy Mcdermott – $54,180
3. Shaun Deeb – $36,330
4. Mike Wattel – $24,920
5. James Alexander -$17,494
6. Brant Hale – $12,576
7. Michael Gathy – $9,263
8. Matt Szymaszek – $6,996
Content and Image courtesy WSOP.com
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