Michael Rocco Caps Off Career Summer by Capturing First Bracelet
![Michael Rocco Michael Rocco](https://pnimg.net/w/articles/4/669/66fb40bae1.jpg)
Table Of Contents
"I always don't close big spots; that's just what I do."
That is what Michael Rocco had to say to Jeff Platt after finishing in third place in Event #21: $25,000 No Limit Hold'em Six-Handed earlier this summer. Fast forward a few weeks, in which Rocco took his total number of World Series of Poker final table appearances to ten, he finally captured his first bracelet in another six-max tournament, namely Event #94: $10,000 Six-Handed No Limit Hold'em Championship.
Rocco was mobbed by friends who jumped over the rail to celebrate with a player who, perhaps more than any other, was due a bracelet. The high-stakes tournament regular captured the win after defeating the defending champion, Alexandre Reard, in a short-lived heads-up match. Rocco outlasted a field of 502 entrants that included a large number of the top tournament crushers in the world to claim the $924,922 first-place prize, the lion's share of the $4,668,600 prize pool.
Event #94: $10,000 Six-Handed No Limit Hold'em Championship Final Table Results
Place | Player | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Michael Rocco | United States | $924,922 |
2 | Alexandre Reard | France | $610,013 |
3 | Aleks Dimitrov | Bulgaria | $410,657 |
4 | Aram Zobian | United States | $282,302 |
5 | Adrian Mateos | Spain | $198,261 |
6 | Egor Procop | Moldova | $142,316 |
When asked what was different about this final table attempt, Rocco said that it was the culmination of "playing hard this summer" and "studying ICM spots, including non-final table ones."
"I woke up at four in the morning for 98 days straight and studied for six hours daily. I feel like it helped me at this tournament. I was quite short most of the time. I think I would have played a few hands differently had I not studied. It ended up working out."
The reaction from Rocco as he achieved the goal that had taken so much dedication was as much relief as joy. Clearly, the bracelet that had been lacking from an otherwise top-notch tournament resume had at least occupied a part of his mind, perhaps more so now as Rocco plans to leave poker behind to pursue an agricultural business.
![Michael Rocco](https://pnimg.net/w/articles-attachments/1/669/66f75345c3.jpg)
"Yeah, I mean, I'm sure I'll play here and there. But I'm really not sure how the time looks."
As a result, this will likely be the last series for a while that Rocco puts in the high volume we have seen at this year's edition. That volume and the consistently good results have put him in the running for WSOP Player of the Year with just a couple of days of action left.
"I would love to win the player of the year. I'll play whatever else they have. I guess I'll have to final table one of those or win one of those." But with the red-hot form Rocco is in, he cannot be counted out to pip current leader Scott Seiver to the title.
Some special mention should go to the runner-up. Reard topped a 550-strong field in this event last year to claim his second bracelet and came as close as he could to winning it all again. A couple of bad beats at the most critical time cost him the tournament as he sought to become the second French bracelet winner of the day. Still, he walks away with $610,013 to show for his outstanding effort.
Final Day Action
Just 28 players returned for the third and final day of play. Things got off to a quick start, with the field trimmed to the last three tables in just a couple of hours. Those who fell during the early stages of play included bracelet winner and online legend Daniel Smiljkovic (23rd - $38,326) as well as Pokerstars Team Pro Alejandro Lococo (19th - $38,326).
From there, the pace of play slowed down somewhat but eventually three tables became two and not long after Connor Rash became the final table bubble boy when he and Brad Albrinck were felled in the same hand by Reard's flopped set of kings.
Due to that last hand, Reard took a massive chip lead into the final table. He was unable to fully capitalize on the advantage, however, as the ever tricky Adrian Mateos called him down in a large pot holding a straight to snatch away the lead.
For a while, Mateos dominated play and seemed set to add to his already considerable reputation. Then, another big clash with Reard occurred, but this time, it was the Frenchman who emerged best after rivering a flush.
A little while after that hand, the first elimination came. Start of day chip leader Fahredin Mustafov had already come back from being down to just one big blind a few levels earlier to make the final table. Yet, he was unable to spin it up further, instead losing a flip in one of the more painful ways to bust in seventh place.
![Adrian Mateos](https://pnimg.net/w/articles-attachments/1/669/66ef72007c.jpg)
He was followed out the door by the table short stack Egor Procop in sixth place afer the Moldovan ran into Aleks Dimitrov's jacks. A couple of hands later, Reard completed his revenge by putting a beat on Mateos to send him to the rail in fifth place.
Aram Zobian had ridden his dwindling stack to several payjumps. Ultimately, he fell in fourth place when Reard picked up tens on the button.
Three-handed play continued right until the dying of moments of the scheduled day but with mere seconds on the clock during the last level, Dimitrov fell in 3rd place after getting into a two pair over two pair situation with Reard. That elimination set the stage for a heads-up duel between Rocco and Reard as the two were extended a single courtesy level.
![Alexandre Reard](https://pnimg.net/w/articles-attachments/1/669/66f0aca6be.jpg)
Although Reard took a 3:1 chip advantage into the showdown, Rocco quickly doubled with sevens against eights after spiking a set on the flop to move into the lead. Just a couple of minutes later, Reard's demise was complete when, in another two pair versus two pair scenario, Rooco, with the inferior of the holdings, filled up on the river to win in dramatic fashion.
Reard, meanwhile, could only look on as Rocco and his rail celebrated, though he could still take solace in knowing how extraordinary a feat it is to perform so well in a tournament that demands such skill not just once but twice. That, and the combined score of nearly $1.7 million, ought to soften the blow somewhat.
At the same time, Rocco got what many in the poker world felt he had deserved for a while. His name no longer sits alongside others considered great but who have yet to win a bracelet.
This wraps up coverage of Event #94: $10,000 Six-Handed No Limit Hold'em Championship at the 2024 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews as its live reporting team continues to provide coverage of tournaments around the world.
In this Series
- 1 Dong Meng Wins Second Bracelet & $200,000 in WSOP Tournament of Champions
- 2 Jose Garcia Wins Event #2: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em for $79,134
- 3 Asher Conniff Wins First Bracelet in Event 1: $5,000 Champions Reunion for $408,468
- 4 Daniel Willis Wins First WSOP Bracelet in Event #3: $500 Kickoff NLHE
- 5 James Chen Wins WSOP Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo ($209,350)
- 6 Darius Samual's 50% Bankroll Risk Pays Off in WSOP $25K Heads-Up Championship
- 7 Mixed Game Legend John Hennigan Wins Seventh Bracelet at 2024 WSOP
- 8 Bryce Yockey BLASTS 25K Fantasy Draft Price After $5K PLO Bracelet Win
- 9 "I'm Only Here to Win Bracelets," says Nick Guagenti as He Captures His Second
- 10 Malcolm Trayner Made a Millionaire in WSOP Mystery Millions
- 11 Great Scott! Seiver Adds to Legacy with Fifth WSOP Bracelet
- 12 David Prociak Conquers The $1,500 Badugi for His Second Bracelet and $129,676
- 13 Simeon Spasov Wins $1,500 6-Max to Claim Second Bracelet for $439,815!
- 14 Robert Mizrachi Joins Brother on Five WSOP Bracelets After $10,000 Dealer's Choice Victory
- 15 20 Years in the Making: TJ Murphy Becomes a WSOP Champion
- 16 Caleb Furth Captures Maiden Bracelet in Event #15: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better for $265,361
- 17 Dylan Weisman Wins Second WSOP Bracelet in Event #18: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha
- 18 Brent Hart Rises From Pack to Win Event #16: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em
- 19 John Racener Spins Shortest Stack Up to WSOP Gold in LHE Championship
- 20 Aaron Cummings Wins His First Bracelet In Lowball Triple Draw Event
- 21 "Feeling Vindicated": Brek Schutten Wins WSOP $25,000 High Roller for $1,405,641
- 22 Sean Troha Completes Hat Trick in $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
- 23 Huge Comeback Inspires Daniel Sepiol to First Bracelet in $1,500 Shootout
- 24 Daniel Vampan Claims First Bracelet and $148,635 in $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Max
- 25 Stephen Winters Defeats 20,647 Players to Win $300 Gladiators of Poker ($401,210)
- 26 Nick Schulman Wins Fifth WSOP Bracelet in $25K High Roller ($1,667,842)
- 27 Gruneberg & Bonnacci Capture First WSOP Pennsylvania Online Bracelets of the Summer
- 28 Evan Benton Goes From Poker Beginner to WSOP Bracelet Winner
- 29 Michael Christ "Gets Lucky" On His Way to Winning Event #27: $1,500 Big O
- 30 Alen Bakovic Laughs His Way to the WSOP Event #30 $600 PLO/NLH Mix Title
- 31 Nicholas Seward Wins His First WSOP Bracelet in $3,000 6-Handed for $516,135
- 32 Phil Ivey Wins His 11th WSOP Bracelet in $10K 2-7 Triple Draw Championship
- 33 Richard Ashby Wins Second WSOP Bracelet in Same Stud Event
- 34 Alex Manzano Ascends to Win Event #33: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha DeepStack
- 35 Antonio Galiana’s Big Bluff Propels Him To First Bracelet in Event #34
- 36 Another Comeback, Another Bracelet For Phillip Hui In $1.5k H.O.R.S.E.
- 37 Timur Margolin Wins Third Bracelet in Event #36: $800 NLHE Deepstack for $342,551
- 38 John Fauver Wins The First Ever $10k Big O Championship For $681,998
- 39 Sergio Aido Wins 2024 WSOP $50,000 NLHE High Roller ($2,026,506)
- 40 Two Bracelets in Two Weeks: Scott Seiver Wins Sixth WSOP Gold in $1,500 Razz
- 41 James Obst Captures Second WSOP Bracelet in $10K Stud
- 42 Xixiang Luo Wins First-Ever WSOP NLHE/PLO Bomb Pot Mix Event
- 43 Magnus Edengren Gets His Crowning Moment in $1,500 Mixed Omaha
- 44 Kingery's Ransom: Longshoreman Ships $2K No-Limit Hold’em for $410,359
- 45 "It Was My Time": Chris Hunichen Captures First Bracelet & $2.8M in $100K High Roller
- 46 Peter Park Wins First Bracelet and $240,724 in Event #51: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty!
- 47 Dominant Performance: Pedro Neves Crushes On Way to WSOP Monster Stack Bracelet
- 48 Extra Special Day for Christopher Vitch As He Wins Event #48: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
- 49 Mostafa Haidary Tears Through the Final Four to Win Event #52: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em
- 50 Third Time's the Charm: Patrick Moulder Captures First Bracelet and $177,045 in $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw
- 51 Frank Funaro Wins Second WSOP Bracelet in $10k Super Turbo Bounty
- 52 Dario Sammartino Wins First Bracelet in Event #61: $2,500 Stud 8/Omaha 8 for $222,703
- 53 Sean Jazayeri Claims First Bracelet in Event #59: $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em
- 54 We Want the Funk! David Funkhouser Wins First Bracelet in $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball
- 55 Paolo Boi Stages Impressive Comeback to Win Event #60: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em ($676,900)
- 56 Daniel Negreanu Wins 7th WSOP Bracelet in $50,000 Poker Players Championship
- 57 Ben Collins' All Ins Were Unbeatable in Event #67: $500 Salute to Warriors
- 58 Heads-Up Masterclass Propels Elie Nakache to $10K PLO Championship Title
- 59 Determined Scott Seiver Captures 3rd 2024 Bracelet by Winning $10k No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw
- 60 Runner-Up No More: Shiina Okamoto Wins Ladies' Event With Fierce Determination and Confidence
- 61 WPT Announcer Tony Dunst Wins Third World Series of Poker Bracelet
- 62 David Eldridge Overcomes the Odds to Claim Second Bracelet in $25k PLO High Roller ($2,246,728)
- 63 VAMOS! Martin Alcaide Claims First Bracelet and $501,250 in Event #70: $400 Colossus
- 64 Matthew Lambrecht Wins $10,000 Mystery Bounty for First WSOP Bracelet
- 65 Team Setna is "On Cloud 9" as the Duo Take Down Event #75: $1,000 Tag Team No Limit Hold’em
- 66 Wing Po Liu Flies High To Win Second Bracelet for $209,942
- 67 Nine Years After Near Tragedy, Arash Ghaneian Wins Second Bracelet in $10,000 Stud Hi-Lo Championship
- 68 First Cash, First Bracelet as Daniel Perkusic Dominates $50,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha
- 69 Georgios Skarparis Wins Mini Main Event After a Promise to His Student ($554,925)
- 70 Francis Anderson Wins 2024 WSOP $800 Independence Day Celebration ($501,040)
- 71 Dominating Final Table Performance Sees Aditya Agarwal Take Down Event #82: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em ($189,661)
- 72 Chance Kornuth Flips His Way to Fourth Bracelet in Event #85: $1,000 Flip & Go No-Limit Hold'em
- 73 Matthew Alsante Triumphs Over the Pros in $5K 8-Handed No Limit Hold'em ($785,486)
- 74 It’s a Poker Fairytale For Carsten Heidemann, Winner of Event #84: $600 Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold’em
- 75 2024 WSOP Online: Watson Becomes Poker's 10th Triple Crown Winner; Prociak Claims Third Bracelet
- 76 Sascha Wilhelm Scores Biggest Career Win in $1k Mystery Bounty PLO
- 77 “This Bracelet is Worth Three”: Calvin Anderson Joins Five-Timer Club
- 78 Joseph Sanders Claims First Bracelet and $269,530 in $1.5k 6-Max PLO
- 79 Jared Bleznick Captures First Bracelet in $50k No-Limit Hold'em High Roller
- 80 Career-Best Score and First WSOP Bracelet for $3K HORSE Winner Gary Bolden
- 81 Inaugural $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship A Huge Success as Clement Richez Wins $1,041,989
- 82 Michael Rocco Caps Off Career Summer by Capturing First Bracelet
- 83 Xixiang Luo Doubles Up with Second Bracelet of the Summer in Event #96: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
- 84 Michael Liang Turns the Tables in Heads-Up to Win $777 Lucky 7's for $777,777
- 85 Summer Saved! Alex Livingston Claims Second Bracelet and $390,621 in Event #97: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed!
- 86 Jonathan Tamayo Wins Record-Breaking 2024 WSOP Main Event ($10,000,000)
- 87 Aneris Adomkevicius Wins First WSOP Bracelet in Event #99: $1,000 Super Turbo No-Limit Hold'em
- 88 Ching Da Wu Conquers The $1,500 Closer at the 2024 WSOP
- 89 Kyle “BluffNTuff” Lorenz & William “mortyc137” Nunley Win Final WSOP Pennsylvania Online Bracelets