Star-Studded Field Tries to Follow Amnon Filippi Into Winner's Circle When $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Begins Today
Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, with its propensity for split pots, is a game that requires patience.
Amnon Filippi knows all too well that, in poker, patience can be a virtue. For 17 years, despite more than 50 World Series of Poker cashes and $1 million in earnings, Filippi had to wait for his first bracelet. Filippi watched while friends such as J.C. Tran and Quinn Do racked up bracelets, wondering when it would finally be his turn. Then, after reaching heads-up in the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better event at the 2022 WSOP against Matt Vengrin, Filippi had to wait again while the final table was extended to a fourth day.
Filippi proved it was worth the wait and could finally cross his name off the best players without a bracelet list. “I’m just glad to get it out of the way. I come from a crew of guys…they all have bracelets. Me and Nam Le were the last two of the Mohicans who don’t have bracelets so now I’m on the list of having one, I’ve got to go for another,” Filippi said following his victory. Now another crop of players will get their chance when Event #17: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better begins at 2 p.m. local time inside the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Past Results
| Year | Entries | Winner | Earnings | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,086 | Amnon Filippi | $252,718 | Matt Vengrin |
| 2021 | 607 | Connor Drinan | $163,252 | Travis Pearson |
| 2019 | 853 | Derek McMaster | $228,228 | Jason Berilgen |
| 2018 | 911 | Julien Martini | $239,771 | Kate Hoang |
| 2017 | 905 | Benjamin Zamani | $238,620 | Jared Hemingway |
This event usually attracts a star-studded field of mixed game specialists. In addition to Filippi and Vengrin, Matt Glantz and David Funkhouser also made the final table last year in a field of 1,086 entries. Shaun Deeb, Felipe Ramos, and Robert Mizrachi all made deep runs in what was a record-setting field for this event.
The players who take their shot today will begin with a 25,000 starting stack. Play on Day 1 consists of 15 40-minute levels, with a 15-minute break after every three levels. Late registration is open through the end of break after Level 9, which should come around 8:45 p.m.
PokerNews will be on hand as another large field fills up the Paris Ballroom today and everyone tries to do what Filippi did last year, outlast the field.