2014 WSOP Event #37 Brandon Paster Dominant in PLO Victory

Brandon Paster dominated the closing stages of the Pot Limit Omaha Event to defeat Marcel Vonk heads-up and win his first WSOP bracelet and the $264,400 prize.

The conclusion to Event #37 of the 2014 WSOP was a game of two halves. What started off as a very tight final day sprang into a very open game after six levels of play, with Brandon Paster eliminating four of his five opponents after the game went six-handed.

Paster had gone into the final day of Event #37 second in chips behind overnight chip leader Marcel Vonk, but had taken the chip lead by the time the final table was set courtesy of crippling AP Phahurat during the early exchanges – Phahurat eventually busted by Marcel Vonk in eleventh place.

Paster and Vonk Battle Out Chip Lead

Marcel Vonk regained the chip advantage in the first hand of the final table when catching Kevin Saul bluffing, but Saul recovered many of his chips when eliminating Dapreesch Scates in tenth place A♠ A♥ 6♥ Q♣ > K♣ J♣ 8♥ 9♦ after Scates had missed all his outs on the flop of Q♦ 3♣ 10♣.

Unusually for a pot limit event, the pace of the game slowed down thereafter, and the sole casualty during the next two levels of play was Galen Hall; who was eliminated in ninth place by Brandon Paster A♣ J♠ 10♠ 2♣ > Q♠ J♠ 9♠ 8♠ when Paster completed his club flush on the River – moving once again ahead of Marcel Vonk at the top of the leaderboard.

Tournament Springs into Life

As the game was just about to enter Level 26 (blinds 20,000/40,000 – no ante) the game suddenly sprung to life. Kevin Saul was eliminated in eighth place when Millard Hale´s Turned flush best Kevin Saul´s missed open-ended straight, and then Dimitrii Valouev (2♥ 2♠ 9♥ 6♠) called Matthew Dames shove with A♥ K♥ J♠ 10♣ – Valouev soon aware of his fate after the flop of 10♦ A♠ 10♠.

A few hands later and Brandon Paster flopped trip Nines to bust Millard Hale in sixth place A♠ J♦ 9♦ 5♠ > A♥ A♣ K♥ 4♥, and then two eliminations happened in the space of three hands – Matthew Dames finding no help from the board to be sent to the rail in fifth place by Marcel Vonk A♠ A♦ Q♦ J♠ > A♣ J♦ 5♣ 5♠, before Brandon Paster Turned a Ten-high straight to bust Matthew Humphrey in fourth spot Q♠ 9♠ 8♥ 5♥ > A♣ A♥ K♥ 5♠.

Paster Spikes Ace to Win PLO Bracelet

Three-handed play resumed after the dinner break with Brandon Paster (2,620,000 chips) having a commanding advantage over Gabriel Nassif (900,000 chips) and Marcel Vonk (835,000 chips). Blinds were now 25,000/50,000 and it did not take long for Brandon Paster to wrap up victory in Event #37 of the 2014 WSOP.

Gabriel Nassif departed in third place after moving all-in with 7♣ 5♠ 4♠ 3♦ on the flop of A♥ 7♠ {6♣ç. Brandon Paster made the call with 9♦ 6♥ 5♥ 3♣ and paired his Nine on the Turn to bust Nassif and take a 12:1 chip advantage into the heads-up against Marcel Vonk.

Vonk´s challenge lasted just three hands – moving all-in with A♦ Q♣ 3♠ 2♣ and getting a call from Paster who had A♠ A♣ K♠ 8♠. The flop of 2♦ 4♣ Q♦} temporarily put Vonk ahead in the hand, but the A♥ spiked on the River to give Brandon Paster victory in Event #37 of the 2014 WSOP.