Event #66: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better
Day 3 Completed
Event #66: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better
Day 3 Completed
On Friday night, William Kopp bested a 1,125-player field and defeated Michael Rodrigues heads up in a one-sided match to claim his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet and the $259,549 first-place prize in Event #66: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better.
The Ohio native added to his $1 million in career-tournament earnings and joined his sister, Katie Kopp, who won the 2022 Casino Employees Event, as a WSOP bracelet winner. Today's victory marks Kopp's eighth cash of the series and his biggest cash to date.
"It feels really good, especially since my best friend won a bracelet this year and my sister won one last year," Kopp said when asked how he felt about his victory.
Kopp attributes part of his success to having a strong poker family.
"When we were growing up we were always about poker. We're pretty close...me, my sister, and my mom. We all talk poker and help make each other better," Kopp said.
...a pair of lucky socks may also have helped, according to Kopp.
"It's the first time I wore my lucky socks in two years," Kopp explained. "The last time I wore them I had a big score too."
Place | Player | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | William Kopp | United States | $259,549 |
2 | Michael Rodrigues | Portugal | $160,418 |
3 | Mike Linster | United States | $113,991 |
4 | Sterling Savill | United States | $82,104 |
5 | Joseph McCarthy | United States | $59,953 |
6 | Loni Hui | United States | $44,391 |
7 | John Goyette | United States | $33,335 |
8 | Anthony Zinno | United States | $25,394 |
9 | Aaron Wallace | United States | $19,627 |
Day 3 began with a flurry of double-ups that saw Mike Linster, Anthony Zinno, and Philipp Krieger all double up through Kopp — more than halving his stack from the start of play. The escalating blinds kept forcing the action, however, and after Jorge Leon was knocked out early, Kopp was able to quickly rebound through the eliminations of both Krieger and Yuval Bronshtein to retake the chip lead and reduce the field down to a final table.
Wallace fell in ninth place in short order after getting his aces cracked by Kopp and Zinno quickly followed suit after bricking with a pair and a flush draw against Kopp’s top pair.
Despite entering the final table second in chips, John Goyette hit a bad run that saw both Linster and Joseph McCarthy double up through him to leave him short-stacked. Goyette would end up running into McCarthy's aces and failing to improve to bow out in seventh place.
McCarthy and two-time bracelet winner Loni Hui, who had been nursing short stacks for much of the day, managed to hold on for multiple pay jumps before exiting in sixth and fifth place respectively.
Four-handed play saw momentum shift massively in Rodrigues' favor after he managed to double through Kopp and take the chip lead. Rodrigues continued his ascension by eliminating Sterling Savill in fourth place, at which point Rodrigues held more than half the chips in play.
Kopp wouldn't be denied, however, as he gained a much-needed chip boost after knocking Linster out in third in a pot where Linster's low was counterfeited by a running two pair that left him second best.
Kopp began his heads-up duel against Rodrigues with a fairly significant chip deficit but was quickly able to grind Rodrigues' stack down with relentless aggression. A key turning point occurred when Kopp quartered Rodrigues with a six-high straight and nut low — giving Kopp an over two-to-one chip advantage. Just a few hands later, Rodrigues made his last stand with a flopped flush draw that ended up bricking out against Kopp's Broadway straight to end the tournament.
That's a wrap for PokerNews coverage of Event #66: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better here at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Be sure to check out our live-reporting hub for continuing coverage of the 2023 World Series of Poker.
In what would be the last hand of the tournament, Michael Rodrigues limped on the button and William Kopp raised to 600,000. Rodrigues then reraised to 1,800,000 and Kopp called.
The flop came J♥10♣9♥ and Kopp bet pot, which was enough to put Rodrigues all in. Rodrigues called and hands were revealed.
Michael Rodrigues: A♥7♠5♥3♥
William Kopp: A♦Q♠8♠3♠
The board ran out J♥10♣9♥K♦6♠ — giving Kopp broadway and eliminating Rodrigues in second place.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
William Kopp |
28,100,000
7,800,000
|
7,800,000 |
|
||
Michael Rodrigues | Busted | |
|
That's the cheer that's been going out from William Kopp's boisterous rail which has now seen their man take firm control of this heads-up match.
Michael Rodrigues raised to 600,000 and got a call from Kopp to see a flop of 3♦3♠2♣. The players checked to see the 5♦ on the turn.
Fireworks began on the turn as Kopp check-raised a 700,000 chip bet from Rodrigues to 2,400,000. His Portuguese opponent made the call.
On the 4♣ river, Kopp bet the pot, 6,200,000 and got called by Rodrigues.
Kopp showed A♠9♦6♠4♠ for a wheel and a six-high straight as well, while Rodrigues showed A♠A♦8♠4♦ for a wheel to get quartered by Kopp.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
William Kopp |
20,300,000
4,500,000
|
4,500,000 |
|
||
Michael Rodrigues |
7,800,000
-4,500,000
|
-4,500,000 |
|
William Kopp has taken down a series of small pots to take the lead over Michael Rodrigues.
In a recent pot, Rodrigues limped on the button and Kopp raised to 600,000. Rodrigues called.
The flop came 5♠10♠5♦ and Kopp continued for 500,000. Rodrigues again called.
Kopp fired 1,500,000 into the middle when the K♣ fell on the turn and Rodrigues folded as momentum continues to shift in Kopp's favor.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
William Kopp |
15,800,000
3,400,000
|
3,400,000 |
|
||
Michael Rodrigues |
12,300,000
-3,400,000
|
-3,400,000 |
|
Level: 31
Blinds: 100,000/200,000
Ante: 200,000
William Kopp has cut into Michael Rodrigues' chip lead with a pair of recent pots.
First, after a limp from Rodrigues, Kopp raised to 400,000 and got called.
On the 4♦2♠K♥ flop, Kopp bet 500,000 and got a call from Rodrigues.
The 10♣ fell on the turn, and Kopp kept firing, this time for 1,500,000. Rodrigues folded his hand to send the pot across the table.
Shortly after, Rodrigues raised to 400,000 and got a call from Kopp.
The flop came A♠3♥2♠ and Kopp check-called a bet from Rodrigues.
The players checked the 4♠ turn, but on the 9♥ river, Kopp led for 800,000 and got another fold from Rodrigues.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Michael Rodrigues |
15,700,000
-2,000,000
|
-2,000,000 |
|
||
William Kopp |
12,400,000
2,000,000
|
2,000,000 |
|
William Kopp and Michael Rodrigues are now heads-up for the bracelet and $259,549 first-place prize.
Rodrigues enters battle with a sizable chip lead over Kopp with 17.7 million to Kopp's 10.4 million.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Michael Rodrigues |
17,700,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
||
William Kopp | 10,400,000 | |
|
William Kopp opened to 400,000 on the button and was called by Mike Linster in the big blind.
Linster checked to Kopp on the 6♥A♠8♦ flop and he bet 400,000. Linster then made a pot-sized raise all in and Kopp called to put Linster at risk.
Mike Linster: 10♥7♠3♥2♦
William Kopp: A♦10♣4♦2♣
The board ran out 3♦ turn and the 2♥ river left Kopp best with aces-up and Linster was eliminated in third place.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
William Kopp |
10,400,000
3,400,000
|
3,400,000 |
|
||
Mike Linster | Busted |
Sterling Savill raised to 325,000 in the cutoff and was met with a three-bet to 1,155,000 on the button by Mike Linster. William Kopp folded in the small blind and Michael Rodrigues then cold-called from the big blind.
With just under 1,500,000 total, Savill debated briefly and then made the call, leaving himself just 300,000 behind.
On the 10♠Q♠Q♣ flop, Rodrigues led out for pot, 5,375,000, which sent Linster to bolt out of his seat. Savill called off his last 300,000, and a visibly frustrated Linster folded his A♥K♦10♦2♥ face up, leaving Savill's fate to Rodrigues.
Sterling Savill: A♣9♠5♣3♠
Michael Rodrigues: A♠10♥4♥2♠
Savill was drawing very thin, and after the 6♠ on the turn gave Rodrigues his nut flush, the 7♦ on the river was meaningless, sending Savill to the rail in third place.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Michael Rodrigues |
17,350,000
2,850,000
|
2,850,000 |
|
||
William Kopp |
7,000,000
950,000
|
950,000 |
|
||
Mike Linster |
3,805,000
-1,490,000
|
-1,490,000 |
Sterling Savill | Busted |