Event #51: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better

We're witnessing quite a scene here. David Singontiko of California has just won his first WSOP bracelet -- in the first event he's ever entered! -- besting a field of 946 to win Event No. 51, the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better event. His group of joyous supporters have surrounded him, and it looks like the celebrating will be continuing for some time this evening.

It was a hard-fought ten-handed final table that saw several big chips swings, some clever play, and more than a few moments of good fortune along the way. During the very first orbit of play, David "Doc" Sands lost his huge chip lead and more than two-thirds of his stack after losing a huge hand versus Jeffery Gibralter. Sands would hang on a while longer before exiting in 10th and missing the official final table.

While Gibralter maintained his newly-gained chip lead, the short stacks fought for a while before soon falling one by one, with John Reiss (ninth), Robert Campbell (eighth), and Cliff Kettinger (seventh) going out in short order. The Brazilian Marco Oliveira -- with recent bracelet winner Andre Akkari on the rail cheering him on -- went out next in sixth, followed soon by Thomas Scarber in fifth.

Meanwhile, Singontiko was accumulating chips, and after knocking Igor Sharaskin in fourth in a particularly unlucky hand for the Russian, held a large chip lead when three-handed play began.

It looked like Michael Yee was destined to go out in third, stuck on a short stack for much of the time the trio played. But a huge pot developed between Singontiko and Gibralter that saw the latter hit the rail in third, and it would only take a couple more hands for Singontiko to take the last of Yee's short stack.

The story we're hearing is that Singontiko worked several months for his father's mortgage company at $10/hour to save up for this one event, his first ever at the Series. Soon after winning, Singontiko gave his father a call to tell him the good news -- in three days he'd earned a cool $268,235 with that $1,500 he saved up working for his dad! Not to mention a nice piece of jewelry to commemorate his effort.

The celebrating is still going on, and it's hard not to smile as we watch. Congratulations to David Singontiko! And thanks for following our coverage of Event No. 51 here at PokerNews.

That momentum of Jeffrey Gibralter's just came to an abrupt halt in a big hand between himself and chip leader David Singontiko.

Gibralter opened with a raise to 130,000 from the button, Michael Yee folded, and Singontiko reraised the pot to 415,000. Gibralter thought a moment, then called the reraise, leaving himself about 920,000 behind.

The flop came    . Singontiko sat quietly for a moment, then looked up at the dealer and said "pot." Before the chips were counted out, Gibralter said "call," thinking he was pushing all in. In fact he was committing all but 115,000 with the call, but the pair agreed to bet and call in the dark to get the rest in. Their cards were thus tabled before the turn arrived:

Singontiko     
Gibralter     

The turn was an especially bad card for Gibralter -- the   -- giving Singontiko a full house and leaving Gibralter needing a friendly low card to win at least part of the pot. But the river was the  , and Gilbralter is out in third.

Singontiko bumps up to 3.7 million, and will have a huge advantage over Michael Yee to start heads-up play. Yee has just 375,000.

Jeffrey Gibralter raised to 85,000 from the button, Michael Yee folded, and David Singontiko called from the big blind. The flop came all clubs --     -- and Singontiko checked. Gibralter bet 75,000, then Singontiko check-raised the minimum to 150,000. Gibralter called. The turn then brought the   and both checked.

The river was the  , and Singontiko checked again. Gibralter pushed out a bet of 250,000 this time, and Singontiko sat with his head down for several seconds before letting his hand go.

Singontiko still leads with 2.24 million, with Gibralter climbing to 1.42 million. Yee, meanwhile, is still the short stack with a little under 600,000.

Jeffrey Gibralter has been chipping back up over the last few hands. He just picked up a few more in a hand versus leader David Singontiko.

After Michael Yee folded, Singontiko completed from the small blind, Gibralter raised to 105,000, and Singontiko called. The flop came     and both checked. The turn was the  . This time Singontiko checked, Gibralter bet 175,000, and Singontiko called.

The river was the   and both checked. Gibralter showed      for a small flush and no low, and Singontiko mucked.

Gibralter is back up to 1.35 million, while Singontiko is now at about 2.25 million.

We had a huge pot just now and were one card away from a heads-up battle, but as is often the case with Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better, we ended up chopping the pot.

David SIngontiko raised it up to 90,000 from the button and Jeffrey Gibralter called.

The flop came down     and Singontiko put out a 225,000 bet. Gibralter called and the two saw a   turn. Gibralter almost knew his fate was sealed as he pushed all in and got an instant call from Singontiko.

Singontiko:     
Gibralter:     

Singontiko had a full house and anything but a low river card would mean heads-up play. The river however hit the   and the two chopped the pot. Gibralter stays alive for now and it's still anyone's game

Since three-handed play started, the story has been Gibralter and Singontiko with the chip lead and them waiting until Yee pushes his short stack in. Now however, Yee and Gibralter are nearly even after Singontiko has taken down a few more pots and Yee has as well. The battle for which two will go heads-up just got a lot more interesting. Stay tuned.

David Singontiko	2,500,000	170,000
Jeffrey Gibralter	900,000	-275,000
Michael Yee	800,000	25,000

"Three-way chop?" said the short-stacked Michael Yee with a grin when three-handed play began. "I just want to put that out there," he added. Both Jeffrey Gibralter and David Singontiko chuckled.

Down to just 260,000, Michael Yee received his cards on the button and peeked to look. He shrugged, said "pot" for a raise to 105,000, and David Singontiko quickly folded. Jeffrey Gibralter checked his cards, announced a raise to put Yee all in, and Yee quickly called.

Gibralter     
Yee     

A royal minus the king for Yee, while Gibralter was looking for low cards on the flop. "Jack, jack, ten!" came the cry from the rail in Yee's cheering section.

Then came the flop --    ! Not exactly the order, but good enough. Indeed, the flopped boat for Yee made the turn   and river   no matter.

Yee doubles to 535,000, while Gibralter now has about 1.3 million.

Just after those two knockouts, we came within a card of seeing a third in three hands.

David Singontiko opened for 75,000 from the button, Igor Sharaskin reraised pot from the big blind, Singontiko reraised again, and Sharaskin called with his remaining chips.

Sharaskin showed      and Singontiko     . The flop came a stunning     -- a set of jacks for Singontiko, plus the nut low draw to go with it. Sharaskin's prospects appeared dim, but the   on the turn did give him hopes for a gutshot straight to go with the out represented by the case ace.

Then came the river -- the  ! -- giving Sharaskin the straight and saving his tourney life. "No better flop in the world for you," said Jeffrey Gibralter to Singontiko afterwards. "And you still lost!"

Actually he only lost half the pot, as he still took the low while Sharaskin claimed the high. Sharaskin still has about 650,000, while Singontiko is sitting at 1.7 million.