June 22, 2019 (Las Vegas) - Stephen Chidwick is the winner of the $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller. He takes home $1,618,417 and, finally, the World Series of Poker gold bracelet. Chidwick already had an impressive resume, but now adds a WSOP bracelet to his more than $24-million in tournament winnings.
Chidwick is often grinding several tournaments a day during the WSOP, but this summer was a little different. He arrived and this was his first event of the summer.
“It’s super ironic. Usually, I play every single tournament. Usually I play a final table, bust and then register a $1,500 Stud immediately. Just like play everything. I come in here halfway through, haven’t played any of the others and then just win the first one I play. Pretty funny,” he said.
“It means a lot. It feels great. It’s obviously a good one to win it in. I’m in shock a little bit,” he said after the win.
This was Chidwick’s 13th final table at the WSOP. He had a runner-up finish in 2015 in the $10,000 Stud Hi-Lo and several top-five finishes. He entered the day as the chip leader, but kept a level head as he played through the final day.
“I try really hard to detach from the bracelet and everything around it. I’ve been here a lot of times and had a lot of heartbreak over the years too, so I try and just put that as much out of my mind as possible,” he said.
He didn’t allow himself to think that he might win until he won a big hand with aces, to leave James Chen with less than ten big blinds.
“I thought, I guess this might happen this time.”
For several years, Chidwick’s name was mentioned as a great player who had never won a major title. Since 2017, Chidwick has booked a few very high profile wins and now claims the highest prize, a WSOP gold bracelet. He credits hard work and a little luck for his recent successes.
“I worked pretty hard to constantly keep getting better. I don’t think that the success that I’ve had over the past couple years is proportional to how much better I’m playing. Cards are falling my way in some of the big spots and that’s what it takes to win tournaments.”
Chidwick topped a field of 278 players. The players returned for the final day of play today at noon. Seven players returned to start the day. Ka Kwan Lau was the eighth place finisher on Friday night. He took hom $150,483.
Then Wasim Korkis was the first to bust when he was eliminated by Alex Epstein. Epstein turned a jack to make a set and beat the overpair of Korkis. Korkis took hom $197,637 for his seventh place finish.
James Chen sent eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Erik Seidel to the rail in sixth place when the two got all in on the flop, Seidel holding queens and Chen kings. Seidel’s prize was $264,186 and Chen moved up the leaderboard with five remaining.
Epstein was the next to go. Epstein already had a bracelet this summer from the $10,000 Short Deck and was second in chips for most of the day. Then Epstein lost a big pot to Chen when Chen shoved over Epstein on the turn. Epstein let it go, but was eliminated shortly by the chip leader Chidwick. Epstein finished in fifth place, taking home $359,320.
Robert Mizrachi was also at his second final table of the summer. He finished third in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Eight or Better and now finished fourth here today. He won $497,112 after Chidwick busted him with a flush.
This meant that the winner would be a first-time bracelet winner and Chidwick was in the lead with three players remaining.
Matthew Gonzales was extremely short and was eliminated shortly after three-handed play began. Gonzales took home $699,364. Chidwick sent Gonzales to the rail and left himself heads up for his first bracelet against Chen. Chidwick held a pretty big lead.
Chidwick finally claims his first WSOP bracelet and the $1,618,417 first prize. His win cements his position as one of the best players in the world and moves further up the all-time money list.
Final table payouts: (Click here for a list of the full results)
1) Stephen Chidwick ($1,618,417)
2) James Chen ($1,000,253)
3) Matthew Gonzales ($699,364)
4) Robert Mizrachi ($497,112)
5) Alex Epstein ($359,320)
6) Erik Seidel ($264,186)
7) Wasim Korkis ($197,637)
8) Ka Kwan Lau ($150,483)