Event #25: $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better

The 2014 World Series of Poker Event #25: $2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low began with 470 players, but after 28 levels of play it was England's John Kabbaj that emerged as the last man standing. Kabbaj, who won the 2009 WSOP Event #45 $10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em for $633,335, captured his second gold bracelet and a $267,327 first-place prize.

The third and final day saw 18 players return to action, and it didn't take long for the field to be cut in half. Within the first four hours nine players hit the rail including Matt Glantz (18th - $7,784), who was the short stack at the start of play; Michael Roeseler (17th - $7,784); WSOP bracelet winners Konstantin Puchkov (16th - $9,462), Owais Ahmed (15th - $9,462), Allyn Jaffrey Shulman (14th - $11,676), and Robert Mizrachi (13th - $11,676); seven-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Chris Reslock (12th - $14,605); online pro Andrey "gigaloff" Zhigalov (11th - $14,605); and the Day 1 chip leader Fu Wong (10th - $18,519).

The final nine players combined to the unofficial final table, and then that bubble burst in Level 24. It happened in stud hi-lo when Joe Tehan completed for 20,000 and Marks called. Erik Seidel raised to 40,000 and both opponents called. On fourth, Seidel bet 40,000 and Tehan called. Marks moved all in for another 24,000 and both opponents called. Sixth and seventh were completed and the players turned over their cards.

Tehan:    /      /  
Marks:    /      /  
Seidel:    /      /  

Seidel had a six-high straight and low draw but could not get there. Marks was hoping for the low as well, but ultimately failed. Tehan scooped the pot with two pair and entered the official final table as the chip leader.

From there, Tom Schneider and Mike Leah bowed out in eighth and seventh place respectively after an active round of Omaha hi-low, and then Seidel followed them out the door in fifth after getting it in against Thomas "Thunder" Keller in a hand of stud hi-low.

Keller followed that up by eliminating Tehan a short time later, and a short-stacked Terrence Hastoo bowed out in fourth. Three-handed play lasted for awhile, but Christopher McHugh exited in the O8 round.

Kabbaj began heads-up play with a more than 2-1 chip lead over Keller, and it didn't take long for him to seal the deal. Kabbaj won two big stud hi-low hands to cripple Keller and then finished him off in a hand of O8.

Congratulations to John Kabbaj on winning Event #25: $2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low for his second gold bracelet and $267,327 in prize money.

That does it for our coverage of Event #25, but there is still plenty of action to sweat in our Live Reporting Section.

Stud Hi-Low

John Kabbaj brought it in with the   and then called when Thomas Keller completed to 50,000. Kabbaj then check-called a bet on fourth before leading out on fifth. Keller called and then bet on sixth when Kabbaj check. Kabbaj announced a check-raise to 200,000, Keller called, and it was off to seventh.

Kabbaj bet 100,000 and Keller reluctantly called.

Kabbaj:      /    
Keller:    /      /  

Kabbaj's kings were good as Keller mucked.

John Kabbaj	3,280,000	400,000
Thomas Keller	250,000	-400,000

Stud Hi-Low

Two hands in a row saw John Kabbaj increase his lead significantly. In the first one he completed with the   showing and then bet fourth, fourth and fifth to enforce a fold from his opponent on fifth.

Kabbaj then completed with the   showing and three bet to 120,000 after the raise of Thomas Keller. Kabbaj called the 40,000 on fourth and then led fifth, sixth and seventh for 80,000 each. Keller called with an ace showing and ultimately had a pair of kings.

Keller:      /    
Kabbaj:      /    

The two pair of Kabbaj scooped the whole pot in the very last hand of level 27.

John Kabbaj	2,880,000	465,000
Thomas Keller	650,000	-465,000

Omaha Hi-Low

After dwindling down to 215,000, Christopher McHugh played a hand of O8 against John Kabbaj.

It began when Kabbaj opened for 80,000 from the small blind and McHugh defended from the big. The     flop saw McHugh call a bet from Kabbaj, and then the   appeared on the turn. Kabbaj bet 80,000 and McHugh called, leaving himself just 15,000 behind.

Kabbaj then bet the   river and McHugh was hesitant but knew he really had no choice. He tossed in his last three pink T5,000 chips with      for sevens and fours with a missed low. Kabbaj then rolled over the      for a full house and the win.

Christopher McHugh

0

-425,000

Stud Hi-Low

Christopher McHugh was just at risk of elimination but essentially freerolled on sixth after his low could not be beaten anymore by John Kabbaj. Thomas Keller was in the same hand as well but ended up folding on fifth after fourth provided a three bet to 120,000 that all three called. Kabbaj checked fifth, McHugh bet 80,000, Keller folded and the Brit put McHugh all in.

Keller:    /     fold
Kabbaj:    / Ad9s6cTc] /  
McHugh:    /      /  

McHugh had the low pot guaranteed already but a five would have given him the scoop.

Both John Kabbaj and Thomas Keller increase the action and Christopher McHugh barely gets involved in the hands anymore. Just then we did see a bigger hand in omaha when McHugh min-raised to 80,000 from the button. Kabbaj called in the big blind and then fired 40,000 on the     flop and 80,000 on the   turn.

McHugh called both bets and the 80,000 after the   river as well. McHugh showed      and won the low pot, Kabbaj took the hi pot with     .

Christopher McHugh

375,000

-125,000

Most people from the United States will likely not recall the name John Kabbaj from somewhere but the Brit boasts more than 2.5 million in live cashes according to his Hendon Mob profile.

In 2004, Kabbaj finished 2nd in a $ 3,000 No-Limit Hold'em and he does have another three final tables at the WSOP with the oldest one dating back to the year 1999. Especially Pot Limit Omaha seems to be his specialty with many scores listing that specific poker type and Kabbaj finished runner-up in a $ 2,500 Pot Limit Omaha/Hold'em. Adding to his diversity, he also cashed in the $ 50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. in 2009 as well.

Two out of his four cashes in Las Vegas five years ago were final table appearances. This does include a golden bracelet in the $ 10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Hold'em for a payday of $ 633,335. Furthermore, he cashed in the £ 10,000 + 350 No Limit Hold'em - World Championship Event of the WSOPE the very same year, too.

Omaha Hi-Low

Action folded to Terrence Hastoo in the small blind and he raised to 60,000. John Kabbaj was in the big and made it 90,000 to go, and then Hastoo four-bet all in for about 10,000 more. Kabbaj called and the cards were tabled.

Hastoo:     
Kabbaj:     

"If I'm going out this is the hand to do it," Hastoo told his rail. Indeed, he held a quality starting hand, but the     flop was far from ideal; in fact, it have Kabbaj a huge lead with two pair. The   turn gave Kabbaj a low draw, and Kabbaj didn't like it.

"High card one time," Kabbaj said. The dealer obliged and put out the  . Hastoo missed and was sent to the payout desk in fourth place to collect $75,713.

Terrence Hastoo

0

-98,000

Omaha Hi-Low

Joe Tehan raised from the button and found a customer in Thomas Keller in the big blind. The     flop turned into a disaster for Tehan as he got the remainder of his stack in with just under four bets and was snap called.

Tehan:     
Keller:     

Keller had top pair, the nut low and the nut flush draw. The   turn saw Tehan drawing slim as he needed to improve to a full house in order to avoid elimination. However, the   river was a blank for him and he has been eliminated in fourth place.

Joe Tehan

0

-415,000