Stud Games: 100,000-400,000, 400,000-800,000 Limits, 100,000 Ante
After three long days of play in Event #96: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E., Xixiang Luo reigns victorious to win his second bracelet of the 2024 World Series of Poker along with $725,796. The China native also won Event #41: Mixed Double Board Bomb Pot earlier this summer.
In an event dominated by well-established mixed-game crushers, Luo took home first place despite his background being primarily in no-limit hold’em.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xixiang Luo | China | $725,796 |
| 2 | Albert Daher | Lebanon | $483,866 |
| 3 | Michael Moncek | United States | $336,442 |
| 4 | Phil Ivey | United States | $239,850 |
| 5 | Ryan Miller | United States | $175,423 |
| 6 | Scott Seiver | United States | $131,719 |
| 7 | David Benyamine | France | $101,608 |
| 8 | Adam Friedman | United States | $80,585 |
| 9 | Yueqi Zhu | China | $65,761 |
Winner’s Reaction
Luo spoke to PokerNews through a translator about his experience winning his second bracelet of the summer.
“I’m really happy and excited because this is my second bracelet. At first, it wasn’t as exciting as the first bracelet, but after I have had some time to celebrate I feel just as good as the first.”
Luo was all-in and at risk against Ryan Miller in a hand of stud hi-lo with just eight outs to survive with seven players remaining. Luckily for him, he peeled a nine on the end to double, and he rode this momentum all the way to the title.
The vast majority of Luo’s recorded cashes are in no-limit hold’em, but he also described his love for mixed games.
“Ever since I found out about mixed games I have been super into them. I enjoy playing all the games, but pot-limit Omaha 8 or better is my favorite.”
Luo’s heads-up battle with Albert Daher lasted a while, with the two trading chips for over two hours. At one point, Luo had a 22:1 chip advantage, but Daher kept clawing his way back. Luo credits a supportive rail for allowing him to stay focused.
“I feel really thankful for all my friends being here for me always. I really appreciate all of the support throughout the heads-up match.”
Final Table Action
Yueqi Zhu was the first to fall in ninth place. He got the last of his chips in the middle with top pair, top kicker in a hand of limit hold’em against David Benyamine. Unfortunately for him, Benyamine made a set on the turn, and Zhu was eliminated.
The next casualty was Adam Friedman in eighth place. Friedman entered the day as the short stack but navigated his way to the final eight. He was at risk on third street in a hand of seven card stud against the buried queens of Michael Moncek. Moncek made two pair while Friedman made a lone pair of sixes and hit the rail.
In seventh place was Benyamine. He was on the short stack when he got involved in a Razz hand against Moncek. Benyamine made a nine-eight on sixth street before Moncek improved to a nine-six on seventh to eliminate Benyamine.
The next to fall was Scott Seiver in sixth place, who was denied the opportunity to be the first player in history to win four bracelets in one WSOP. Seiver had lost a few pots in a row before he completed all in during a hand of stud hi-lo against Miller. Seiver started with split jacks, but Miller improved to trip fours on sixth street to send the Player of the Year front runner to the rail in sixth.
The next casualty was Miller in fifth place. He had gotten short stacked over the previous hands and three-bet all in from the small blind in limit hold’em against Moncek, who called. Miller held king-ten against the ace-six of Moncek, who flopped trip sixes to leave Miller drawing slim. A king fell on the turn for a sweat, but the river blanked out, and Miller was eliminated in fifth.
In fourth place was Phil Ivey. The Hall of Famer and 11-time bracelet winner got the rest of his stack in the middle in a hand of seven card stud against Moncek. Ivey could only manage to make a pair of fives while Moncek made a pair of eights, sending Ivey to the rail.
The final three would trade chips for some time before Moncek fell in third place. He got tangled with Luo in a hand of seven card stud in which the remainder of Moncek’s stack found its way into the middle on sixth. Moncek was ahead with aces, but Luo peeled a ten on seventh to make two pair and eliminate Moncek.
Daher and Luo then experienced a back-and-forth heads-up match that lasted over two hours. Daher was the short stack throughout, but he kept surviving, as he survived five separate all-ins. Eventually, it was not enough after he got the rest of his chips in the middle preflop in limit hold’em. Daher held queen-deuce suited against the king-seven of Luo. Neither player paired, and Luo’s king-high was good enough to eliminate Daher as Luo hoisted the bracelet in the air.
That is it for PokerNews's coverage of Event #96: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. Stay tuned tomorrow as we close out the 2024 World Series of Poker with the conclusion of the Main Event along with a few side events.
