'Seventh Time's the Charm' for Damjan Radanov in CMSOP $1,100 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
Damjan Radanov has made several deep runs this past month in various tournaments throughout Las Vegas. Today, Radanov saw victory at Planet Hollywood as he defeated heads-up opponent Dean Joe in the CMSOP $1,100 H.O.R.S.E. Championship to win $16,479.
"Seventh time's the charm," he told PokerNews in a winner's interview. "Last month I had a run, it was like six final tables."
Radanov, a mixed games and Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) specialist who fittingly won with seven cards during a game of Stud Hi-Lo, bested an esteemed final table that included seven-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Josh Arieh (7th - $2,551) and 2023 Global Poker Index (GPI) Mid-Major Player of the Year Nick Pupillo (5th - $3,747), who also had a final table appearance in last night's $1,100 Omaha 8 or Better Championship.
$1,100 H.O.R.S.E. Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Damjan Radanov | United States | $16,479 |
| 2 | Dean Joe | United States | $10,489 |
| 3 | Tom McCormick | United States | $7,038 |
| 4 | Thomas Taylor | Canada | $4,985 |
| 5 | Nick Pupillo | United States | $3,747 |
| 6 | Adam Kipnis | United States | $2,990 |
| 7 | Josh Arieh | United States | $2,551 |
| 8 | Patrick Hu-A-Kam | Canada | $2,334 |
| 9 | Carol Anderson | United States | $2,307 |
Playing for His Daughter
The two-day $1,100 H.O.R.S.E. Championship drew 54 runners for a prize pool of $52,920. Nine places paid and those nine players returned on Day 2 to be guaranteed a payout of $2,307.
Short stacks Carol Anderson and Patrick Hu-A-Kam both busted out early the opening orbit of Seven Card Stud before a roller-coaster ride for Arieh.
It started in Omaha Hi-Lo as the future Poker Hall of Famer doubled in a full-house-nut-low scoop, but a boat then sank him in a Razz hand where he filled up on seventh street against the two pair of Pupillo to go out in seventh place for $2,551. CMSOP founder Allen Kessler called it a "very rare" hand to lose to in Razz.
Pupillo went out in fifth place soon after, but not before impressing the table by flopping a steel Wheel in Omaha Hi-Lo to triple up a short stack.
Radanov put a tough beat on third-place finisher Tom McCormick as he rivered Broadway in Omaha Hi-Lo to crack aces and had even more fortune during heads-up play.
"You ran over me during heads-up," Joe told Radanov right before a fateful hand of Stud Hi-Lo.
In that final hand, Joe needed to dodge Radanov's gutshot outs, but he couldn't do so as Radanov continued his hot streak by binking a straight on seventh street.
“Man, no one can stop Damjan!” Kessler said earlier while checking out the final table.
Radanov, who is from Serbia but now lives in Tennessee and who has $2.2 million in Hendon Mob earnings, had his young daughter in mind after closing out the tournament. As he posed for winner's photos, he propped up his phone on full brightness with a photo of her.
“I wanted to take one picture with my kid. It feels good, but nothing feels (like) just being next to her," said a reflective Radanov.
