Twenty-six began the day and one remains: Nick Kost has taken down Event #14: $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Low here at the 2014 World Series of Poker. He'll claim $283,275 in prize money, as well as a priceless WSOP gold bracelet.
It took a smidge over 10 levels, but on the very first hand of Level 11, Kost busted runner-up Kal Raichura in a three-bet pot by rivering a flush in a pot where neither qualified for a low.
Kost also had to overcome a stiff challenge from defending champion Calen "Big Wheel" McNeil, whose title defense was about as worthy as they come before being halted in fourth place. Former Main Event champion Greg Raymer also put together a final table run, but he busted in seventh. Bracelet winners Chris Tryba and Frankie O'Dell also made Day 3 appearances before falling relatively early.
Kost came in with a mere $15,815 in live cashes, but his Omaha Eight-or-Better prowess had already contributed to two of his cashes: a ninth-place finish in different Omaha Eight-Or-Better tournament and a fourth-place finish in a seven-game tournament, both at the 2011 LAPC.
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Nick Kost raised the button, and Kal Raichura three-bet. Kost called, and the flop came . Raichura bet, Kost raised, Raichura put in three bets, and Kost made it four bets. Raichura called, then bet the turn. Kost's turn to call, and then Raichura put the last of it in blind on the river.
Kost quickly called, standing up as he slapped onto the felt for a queen-high flush.
"Nice hand," Raichura said, briefly exposing before the dealer swept it up.
Jim Bucci raised from the button and Kal Raichura called from the big blind. Bucci would get the last of his chips all in on the flop with Bucci holding and Raichura . Bucci held a slight lead but Raichura would assume control on the turn. The on the river would seal the deal for the chip leader and Bucci was eliminated in 3rd place. Heads up play will start with Raichura holding close to a 2:1 chip lead over Nick Kost.
Calen McNeil three-bet from the button after Nick Kost opened, and Kost called. The two got the last of McNeil's chips in on the flop.
McNeil:
Kost:
Kost had flopped a wrap and a low draw, while McNeil and his sizable rail contingent began calling for hearts. The dealer burned and turned: , keeping McNeil best and giving him a scooper if a big card hit.
"Big!" he yelled. "Big!"
The dealer revealed the river card: the . Kost had made the wheel, sending the man known as "Big Wheel" McNeil to the rail in fourth after a valiant champion's defense. He leaned against the door, back to the room in apparent agony, before shaking the remaining players' hands one by one.
Jim Bucci raised from the small blind, and Alex Luneau three-bet. Bucci called, and a flop hit the felt. Bucci and Luneau got the last of Luneau's chips in the middle.
Luneau:
Bucci:
"You got me in bad shape," Bucci correctly observed.
The turn, however, changed everything: , giving Bucci two pair and a flush draw. The river gave Bucci the nuts, and Luneau was done in fifth.
Down to just two big blinds, Steve Chanthabousy called for the rest of his stack after posting the big blind when Calen McNeil put in a raise from the button. Their hands:
Chanthabouasy
McNeil
The flop came to move Chanthabouasy squarely into the lead with top two pair. The turn was the giving McNeil bottom pair, a gutshot straight draw, and a low draw. The river was the cruelest for Chanthabouasy as it was the to give McNeil trips. "Sorry man," said McNeil as Chanthabouasy gathered his things.
After doubling up against Steve Chanthabouasy, Greg Raymer would get the last of his chips in against Alex Luneau on a flop. Their hands were as follows:
Raymer
Luneau
The turn was the and a high card that was not a diamond would give Raymer the entire pot. The river, however, was the giving Luneau the nut low and the nut flush and the 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion would be eliminated. Raymer signed a fossil and handed it over to Luneau as a bust out gift before leaving the table.
Jim Bucci raised first to act and Adam Coats called. Nick Kost three-bet it and Bucci called. Coats made it four bets and Kost capped the action with a fifth bet. Both Bucci and Coats called and we had 450,000 in the pot pre-flop.
The flop came and Kost led out and was called by Bucci. Coats called and was all in for his last 20,000. The turn was the and Kost bet again. This time Bucci folded and the cards were turned over:
Kost for the nut flush
Coats for trip deuces with a low draw
The river was the and Coats was unable to improve and was eliminated in 8th place.
Greg Raymer raised on the button, and Konstantin Puchkov defended his big blind. Puchkov check-raised the flop, and Raymer called. The turned, and Puchkov bet 32,000, everything he had. Raymer called off for 2,000 less.
Raymer:
Puchkov:
Raymer's two pair was ahead, and the river gave him better aces up than his opponent. Nobody had a low.
The next hand Puchkov was all in from the small blind. Calen McNeil and Kal Raichura saw the flop for three bets, and McNeil check-called. McNeil check-raised the turn, forcing Raichura to fold.
He showed for a bluff to take the side pot, and Puchkov was a favorite to survive with . The river gave McNeil broadway though, and Puchkov was the first to exit the official final table.
On the one hand, it seemed unlikely. Down to less than four big bets to start Day 2 of this event, it didn't appear as though Calen "Big Wheel" McNeil would be around for long yesterday, let alone make it to today's final table with one of the bigger stacks among the final nine. But he's made it, and thus the defense of his $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Low title from a year ago continues.
Then again, knowing McNeil's even-keeled approach to the game, the comeback perhaps seems less surprising.
A few months back McNeil sat down with Josh Cahlik for an extended interview for Learn.PokerNews in which McNeil focused on the topic of keeping one's ego in check at the tables. In the interview McNeil conveys some worthwhile advice about being confident without letting ego get the best of you at the table. He also has some good things to say about conveying respect to others at the table, including sharing a wonderful story about a World Series of Poker Circuit event he played this year in which he finished runner-up to a recreational player — and couldn't have been happier for the fellow who won.
. Raichura bet, Kost raised, Raichura put in three bets, and Kost made it four bets. Raichura called, then bet the 
turn. Kost's turn to call, and then Raichura put the last of it in blind on the 
river.
onto the felt for a queen-high flush.
before the dealer swept it up.
flop with Bucci holding 
and Raichura 
. Bucci held a slight lead but Raichura would assume control on the 
turn. The 
on the river would seal the deal for the chip leader and Bucci was eliminated in 3rd place. Heads up play will start with Raichura holding close to a 2:1 chip lead over Nick Kost.
, keeping McNeil best and giving him a scooper if a big card hit.
flop hit the felt. Bucci and Luneau got the last of Luneau's chips in the middle.
, giving Bucci two pair and a flush draw. The 
river gave Bucci the nuts, and Luneau was done in fifth.
to move Chanthabouasy squarely into the lead with top two pair. The turn was the 
giving McNeil bottom pair, a gutshot straight draw, and a low draw. The river was the cruelest for Chanthabouasy as it was the 
river gave him better aces up than his opponent. Nobody had a low.
for a bluff to take the side pot, and Puchkov was a favorite to survive with 
