James Calderaro Wins First WSOP Bracelet in PLO High Roller

The World Series of Poker returned the $25,000 Pot Limit Omaha High Roller for the third year and drew 205 entrants – the largest in the history of the event. The third and final day saw 20 players return to action and James Calderaro won his first bracelet and $1.2 million

“The bracelet is amazing to me because I had the WPT championship and I gave that to my first-born son and I promised my son and daughter that they would get the next one,” Calderaro said moments after winning. “So, my second son got the bracelet, so now he’s got that. But now, I have a granddaughter, so I got to get two more. So, I can’t quit.”

The moment when the final card hit for Calderaro. (Photo: PokerPhotoArchive.com)
“It means everything to get my boy right here his bracelet,” he said. “Right here and him being here at the World Series means everything to me.”

Calderaro is known for playing a loose, aggressive style – which comes from financial security outside the poker world. “As far as edge goes, yeah, I’d say it would because it doesn’t mean as much to me as the people that play poker for a living,” he added. “My financial income is not from poker so playing the game, losing or winning is not going to change my lifestyle.”

Calderaro has 14 WSOP cashes for $2.3 million. “In the smaller events I probably play a little more wild and try to get chips early and stuff like that,” he continued. “I play tighter in the bigger events and play more snug for sure. I probably play those a little more and with less of an attitude and just wanted to dance around and just have fun and stuff like that. So, I probably don’t take those as seriously as I should.”

Filling out the final table was Russian Alexey Rybin, East Cost pro Esther Taylor, Dan Smith and Ben Tollerene.

Esther Taylor scored the largest cash of Series for a female player. (Photo: PokerPhotoArchive.com)
“I was winning this, hands down,” he said. “From the time I walked in today.”

Final Table Payouts

1. James Calderaro – $1,289,074
2. Alexey Rybin – $796,706
3. Esther Taylor – $543,713
4. Artem Babakhanyan – $379,128
5. Bryce Yockey – $270,242
6. Dario Sammartino – $197,007
7. Dan Smith – $146,961
8. Ben Tollerene – $112,239