James Obst Captures His Second WSOP Bracelet within the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship

For 4 years, James Obst had to wonder if he would ever get this sort of expertise once more, of sitting beneath the intense lights on the primary stage competing towards the most effective poker gamers on the earth. One thing that had been such an enormous a part of his life since he was a youngster was not there. However, as we speak on the ultimate desk of Occasion #42: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship, the lengthy wait lastly got here to an finish and Obst was proper again the place he belonged.

The Australian professional, who left poker in 2019 on the age of 28 to try a profession at skilled tennis with the dream of competing at Wimbledon, defeated a area of 107 of the highest names within the recreation to win his second World Sequence of Poker bracelet and $260,658 high prize after prevailing in a prolonged heads-up duel with Paul Volpe.

Ultimate Desk Outcomes

“Somewhat bit overwhelming. Very strung out. It’s been a protracted couple of days,” Obst stated following his victory. “I can’t actually imagine it simply excited about the week that I’ve had. To be right here with a bracelet is surreal. It’s unreal.”

Obst had been a daily fixture on the WSOP since 2014, making seven ultimate tables in a five-year span (together with twice on this similar match). His first bracelet got here seven years in the past within the $10,000 Razz Championship. He was additionally concerned in some of the memorable pots in current WSOP historical past, when he folded a full home to Michael Ruane’s straight flush deep within the 2016 Major Occasion the place Obst ultimately completed 13th.

Obst was already a star within the on-line poker world when he was nonetheless in his teenagers. Enjoying beneath the title “Andy McLEOD,” Obst received 4 Spring Championship of On-line Poker titles and one World Championship of On-line Poker title and earned thousands and thousands in profession earnings.

However then he determined to stroll away, even when he spent your entire time dearly lacking the sport that had meant a lot to him. “I by no means actually wished to depart solely. Part of my soul, I believe, lives right here on the World Sequence,” he stated.

“It was a protracted few years with out it, grinding away in Melbourne by way of lockdowns and doing different issues. I missed it terribly. In the intervening time it’s balancing priorities and simply determining how lengthy I can keep right here and luxuriate in this expertise whereas not shedding sight of doing the opposite issues I need to do in my life.”

Obst returned to the WSOP final 12 months, and it was like he by no means left. He made three ultimate tables in 2023, together with the $50,000 Poker Gamers Championship. Now he’s a two-time bracelet winner, solely the sixth participant from his native Australia with a number of bracelets. The wait proved effectively price it.

Day Three Motion

Day Three started with 11 gamers remaining, with Iowa businessman Mike Lang holding the chip lead as the one participant with greater than 1,000,000 out of a beginning area that included 9 bracelet winners. Obst started the day in fourth place with 732,000.

Brazilian celebrity Yuri Dzivielevski was in third place firstly of the day as he sought to win his fifth WSOP bracelet, however he took an early hit when Jason Daly made quad jacks on the primary hand. Lang bumped into Volpe’s journey aces to lose the chip lead as Volpe climbed up previous 1,300,000.

Volpe then made a pair of kings to bust Alex Livingston in 11th place as the primary casualty of the day. Yuval Bronshtein was eradicated in 10th place by Obst, who completed with two pair to set the nine-handed ultimate desk.

Volpe and Daly led the best way to start the ultimate desk, with Obst and Lang following behind. A flurry of fast eliminations adopted as Kane Kalas was eradicated in a four-way pot as he held two aces within the gap, however Volpe made kings full to ship him to the rail in ninth place. Dzivielevski’s day got here to an finish by the hands of countryman Andre Akkari, who hit kings and sevens on the river to beat Dzivielevski’s queens and deuces.

Obst moved into rivalry for the chip lead after having three sixes within the gap to go together with the 2 fives on his board for a full home, taking a large pot off Daly. Volpe then knocked out Akkari in seventh place with journey sixes towards kings and tens, whereas Juha Helppi fell in sixth place to Obst, who made journey fives to beat aces and jacks.

The remaining 5 gamers then took their seats on the primary characteristic stage for the beginning of the PokerGO dwell stream. Robert Mizrachi, already with one bracelet this summer time, was first to depart when Obst had jacks and nines displaying by seventh, whereas Mizrachi missed a flush draw to hit the rail in fifth place. Lang, the start-of-day chip chief, was ousted in fourth place by Jason Daly’s flush.

Obst, Volpe, and Daly performed three-handed for greater than three hours as they every took turns holding the chip lead. Daly made a full home in a pot towards Volpe to depart the stacks nearly even, however Obst then known as Daly with a pair of fours as Daly was caught bluffing to fall all the way down to a brief stack.

Daly was ultimately eradicated in third place as Obst made nines and fives whereas Daly missed a flush draw. Obst led Volpe firstly of heads-up play, holding 3,535,000 to 2,890,000.

It will be a grueling battle for the bracelet that lasted into the early hours of the morning. Obst started to drag away when he known as a guess on seventh with two pair, and Volpe mucked to give up the massive pot, giving Obst a 2-1 chip benefit. Obst then picked off a bluff when he known as Volpe with a pair of eights, knocking Volpe all the way down to barely over 1,000,000.

Volpe spiked a straight on the river to take down a large pot and climb again as much as 2,100,000, however Obst continued to dominate the match as he picked off one other bluff with only a pair of threes as Volpe fell to 815,000. Obst made kings and threes to depart Volpe with simply two massive bets, and, almost 4 hours after the heads-up match started and on the 255th hand of the ultimate desk, Volpe received in his final 235,000.

Obst completed with a pair of fours, whereas Volpe missed every little thing on seventh to fall wanting his fourth bracelet and end as runner-up.

The lengthy day took its toll on Obst, each bodily and mentally, however he managed to drag by way of and emerge the champion. “Truthfully, I’m bodily destroyed proper now,” he stated.

“I didn’t sleep a lot in any respect final night time. It’s arduous to place two and two collectively. However adrenaline received me by way of. It was very troublesome, and Paul is a straight-up killer so robust to play heads-up towards such a terrific participant. It was daunting but in addition exhilarating on the similar time.”

Obst as soon as exchanged shuffling poker chips for gripping a tennis racket. Now, again within the recreation he loves, he has a shiny gold bracelet to place round his wrist.

That concludes PokerNews’ protection of the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship. Keep tuned for extra protection all through the 2024 WSOP.