Event #58: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better

The 2012 World Series of Poker continued on Thursday as the final 31 runners of a 526-player field returned to battle it out for the Event 58: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split 8-or-Better title. Unfortunately, the fate of the gold bracelet and $330,277 first-place prize would not be determined until an impromptu Day 4, where Viacheslav Zhukov ultimately captured both.

On Day 3, which occurred on Thursday, Felicia Johnico began the day as the chip leader with 397,000, which helped her early on, as the eliminations came at a rapid pace, but it would not carry her to the final table. After 20 eliminations, only 11 players were left when a monster pot developed. The preflop action remains unknown, but on a flop of     with 200,000 already in the pot, Roch Cousineau ended up being all in for 513,000 and at risk against Johnico.

Showdown

Cousineau had flopped top two pair and the nut low, which was ahead of Johnico's top and bottom pairs with the second-nut low. The   turn gave Cousineau a full house, but it'd be the   on the river that would secure him the entire pot, worth a whooping 1.3 million; meanwhile, Johnico was devastated and left with just 30,000. Needless to say, she was the next player to go. After Daniel McNally was eliminated in tenth place, the final table was set.

It didn't take long for the first elimination of the final table to occur, and it happened when Juan Ramirez fell to Cousineau, who was the massive chip leader.

From there, David "ODB" Baker went on a bit of a tear quartering the chip leader, eliminating Scotty Nguyen in eighth place, and then vaulting into a big chip lead after eliminating Jack Ward in seventh place.

As if that wasn't enough, Baker went on to eliminate Yuval Bronshtein in sixth place, though Chris Bell would score the next elimination when his      beat Randy Ohel's      after the board ran out      . Ohel, who won Event #22 $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball earlier in the series, fell short of his second bracelet of the summer, instead taking home a $75,662 consolation prize.

Four-handed play was an extended affair, but eventually a big hand developed when Cousineau opened for 115,000 under the gun and Baker defended from the small blind. The latter checked the     flop, but then check-raised Cousineau's 180,000 bet the size of the pot. Cousineau simply said, "All in," and Baker got in for around 900,000 total.

Showdown
Baker:     
Cousineau:     

It was a bad spot for Baker as Cousineau held the better heart draw, an open-ended straight draw, and low outs if it came runner-runner. The   turn was a dagger through Baker's heart as it gave Cousineau the said straight, while the   sent Baker out the door in fourth place and putting an end to his dreams of a second bracelet.

The three remaining players battled out for another hour or so on Day 3, but the chips were eventually bagged up, with Bell, Cousineau and Zhukov forced to take the night to dream about securing the bracelet. Here is how the chip stacks looked heading into the fourth and final day.

Bell, who started the day as the short stack, would succumb to the rail in third place early in the day. Bell's last hand saw him all-in preflop holding      against Zhukov's     . The board ran out       and it was over for Bell.

Zhukov would start the heads-up battle with almost a 2-1 chip lead, but it wouldn't be an easy ride from there. The lead would exchange hands multiple times, but inevitably the last hand of the night would play out around three hours after heads-up began.

Cousineau fought gallantly to finish in second place, making this his second final table of the summer after being on the final table of Event 47: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split 8-or-Better.

Zhukov can now call himself an Omaha Hi-Low specialist, with today being his second bracelet in this form of poker after winning the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship in 2011.

Final Table Results

That does it for our coverage from Event 58: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split 8-or-Better, but there are still a few events left in the 2012 WSOP. Be sure to visit our Live Reporting Section to learn which ones are happening now and be sure to follow along with this year's Main Event!

One of the largest hands of the day has just played out and it went like this. Viacheslav Zhukov limped the button and Roch Cousineau called. On the     flop, Cousineau check-called a bet of 100,000. Cousineau then check-called again on the   turn, this time a bet of 300,000. The   on the river would see Cousineau check-call a bet of 500,000 and the two players would turn their hands over.

Zhukov scooped the big pot with the nut flush and Cousineau was left crippled. This is the biggest chip lead of the final day so far.

Viacheslav Zhukov	4,100,000	1,000,000
Roch Cousineau	635,000	-1,000,000

Viacheslav Zhukov had the button and limped. Roch Cousineau then raised it up to 300,000 and Zhukov called. On the     flop, Cousinea and Zhukov both checked and it was on to the   turn. Cousineau led for 350,000 here and Zhukov promptly raised the pot. Cousineau didn't want to continue, letting his hand go and sending the pot to Zhukov.

Viacheslav Zhukov	2,425,000	650,000
Roch Cousineau	2,310,000	-650,000

Roch Cousineau started with the button and raised it up to 200,000. Viacheslav Zhukov called in the big blind and a     flop was dealt. Both players checked here and then Zhukov checked the   turn. Cousineau bet 250,000 on the turn and it was enough to see Zhukov's cards into the muck and the pot into Cousineau's stack.

Roch Cousineau	3,510,000	205,000
Viacheslav Zhukov	1,225,000	-205,000

Viacheslav Zhukov has just taken down one of the largest pots of the day, managing to scoop the following hand against Roch Cousineau. Zhukov had the button and raised it up to 225,000. Cousineau called and then both players checked the     flop.

On the   turn, Cousineau bet 350,000 and Zhukov called. The   river would see Cousineau again bet, this time a pot-sized 1,150,000. Zhukov called and the two players turned over their hands.

Zhukov's hand was enough to send Cousineau's straight into the muck as Zhukov again has a big chip lead.

Viacheslav Zhukov	3,510,000	1,725,000
Roch Cousineau	1,225,000	-1,725,000

Viacheslav Zhukov had the button and simply limped. Roch Cousnieau checked in the big blind and a     flop was dealt. Cousineau check-called a bet here and then both players checked the   turn. On the   river, Cousineau led for 250,000 and Zhukov folded, sending the small pot to Cousineau.

Roch Cousineau	2,650,000	225,000
Viacheslav Zhukov	2,085,000	-225,000

Viacheslav Zhukov opened the button to 225,000 and Roch Cousineau three-bet to 675,000 in the big blind. Zhukov called and the dealer spread out a     flop. Cousineau led with a post-sized bet of over 1,000,000 here and raked in the pot when Zhukov folded.

Roch Cousineau	2,800,000	675,000
Viacheslav Zhukov	1,935,000	-675,000

Roch Cousineau started the play with the button and raised it up to 225,000. Viacheslav Zhukov called out of the big blind and a     flop was dealt. Both players checked here and a   hit the turn. This time Zhukov check-called a bet of 350,000 and both players checked the   river. This is how the cards looked at showdown.

With no qualifying low, Zhukov's set on the river would see him scoop the pot.

Viacheslav Zhukov	3,285,000	780,000
Roch Cousineau	1,450,000	-780,000

Roch Cousineau started with the button and raised it up to 225,000. Viacheslav Zhukov three-bet to 675,000 from the big blind and Cousineau made the call.

Both players checked down the       board, at which point Zhukov tabled      - enough to send Cousineau's cards into the muck.

Viacheslav Zhukov	2,780,000	675,000
Roch Cousineau	1,955,000	-675,000

The players are back from their break and we are ready to try and crown us a champion.