WSOP 2024 Day 21 Recap: Luo and Obst both Win Gold as Hachem Falls Just Short

The 21st Day of action at this year's World Series of Poker saw six bracelet events in action as two winners were crowned and there was drama in four other events at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos in Las Vegas. With the former 2005 WSOP Main Event champ on the rail, the action started with an Aussie going close. 

Xixiang Luo Wins Debut Bracelet as Hachem Heroics Fall Just Short 

Joe Hachem's son Daniel came second in Event #41, the $1,500-entry Mixed NLHE/PLO Double Board Bomb Pot event as Xixiang Luo claimed a maiden WSOP title instead of the Australian.

Hachem, who was supported by his 2005 WSOP Main Event-winning father Joe at the final table (see above) came so close to ending his own personal bracelet drought but in the end, just came up short after a thrilling final day at the felt. 

The final table of nine began with two of the four surviving American players busting in quick succession as first Joseph Dulaney then Robert Cote busted. After the talented Brazilian Marcos Exterkotter left in sixth place, David Funkhouser and the only remaining former WSOP bracelet winner, William Kopp, both departed. 

Daniel Hachem was behind going into the heads-up match but did level up the stacks, only to run into Luo's trip nines with a flush draw. Unable to make his spade flush on turn or river after all the chips went into the middle post-flop, Hachem missed out on glory by the barest of margins as Luo won his debut bracelet for $270,820.

WSOP Event #41: $1,500 Mixed NLHE/PLO Double Board Bomb Pot Results

Obst Outdoes Volpe for Seven Card Stud Crown 

Australian James Obst won his second bracelet seven years after his first as he conquered the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship Event #42. The Aussie, who briefly took a break from poker to attempt an interesting segue as a tennis player, returned to the sport he's aces at and was rewarded after a gruelling final table victory here in Las Vegas. 

Capturing the $260,658 top prize after he defeated Paul Volpe heads-up, Obst was obviously exhausted but clearly delighted as he won the second bracelet of his career. Reaching three final tables in the 2023 summer series, Obst went close to glory 12 months ago but got over the line this time. Mike Lang had the chip lead coming into play but by the time the final table came, Paul Volpe was in pole position for success. 

Two Brazilians busted early, as Yuri Dzivielevski and Andre Akkari left in eight and seventh place respectively. Juha Helppi busted in sixth for his third final table appearance of the 2024 series so far.  After Robert Mizrachi and the aforementioned Lang busted, a lengthy three-way battle ensued, with Obst, Volpe, and Daly all vying for control. Daly lost out in third place before an intense heads-up battle played out, Obst finally getting there when he picked off a bluff then won with a pair of fours to seal a memorable second title, denying Volpe his fourth WSOP title at the death.

WSOP Event #42: 42 $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship Results

Hellmuth Chasing Bracelet #18 in Mixed Event

The 17-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth is poised for a very big day in the 7-Max Event #43, the $1,500-entry Mixed: PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better & Big O event. Entering tomorrow's final day sixth in chips on 1,285,000, Hellmuth has esteemed company at the top of the counts, too, with Shaun Deeb (780,00) chasing a seventh bracelet, and two-time winner Nathan Gamble (990,000) still in the mix.

With 128 players making the money on Day 2, just 22 of them survived to the final day, with John Racener, Benny Glaser and Ben Yu all departing on the penultimate day of the event. With a top prize of $196,970 on the line, the gold WSOP bracelet is even more important to many of the final 22 tomorrow, with chip leader Ying Chu (1,865,000) and other top stacks Dylan Lambe (1,845,000) and Stephen Hubbard (1,725,000) in hot pursuit. 

WSOP Event #43: $1,500 7-Max Mixed PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better/ Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Chip Counts

Lima on Top after Monster Stack Day 2 Madness

Event #38 saw 2,831 players return to the action in the $1,500 Monster Stack event, with 414 players making the Day 3 cut on a day where the field was cut by over 80%. 

Top of the chip counts right now is Vinicius Lima, who with 3.7 million chips has a slim lead from Romanian professional Catalin Pop (3,510,000), Moroccan Mehdi Chaoui (2.95m) and French Winamax Pro Alexandre Reard (2.4m), all of whom made the top 10 and will be fighting for a top prize of $1,098,220 when play resumes. 

WSOP Event #38: $1,500 Monster Stack Day 2 Chip Counts

Sun Burns Brightest on Day 1 of $2k NLHE Event

China's Jianfen Sun bagged the chip lead after a busy Day 1 at the felt in Event #44, the $2,000-entry No Limit hold'em event. With a large stack of 820,000 chips, Sun finished just ahead of players such as Jed Friedman (806,000) and Narcis Nedelcu (777,000), while big names Wai Kiat Lee (557,000) and Lou Garza (471,000) - he of the WSOP victory marriage proposal - hover menacingly in the top 15 players. 

In total, there were 235 survivors from 1,561 entries, with a prize pool of $2,778,580 now on the line, and a top prize of $410,359 up for grabs to the winner. Everyone is guaranteed a min-cash of $4,000 from this stage but while some slid out of contention on Day 1, such as former WSOP title winners Anson Tsang, Jesse Lonis and Chance Kornuth, other luminaries survived, with Chris Moorman (213,000), and former world champions Ryan Riess (164,000) and Koray Aldemir (63,000) making the cut. 

WSOP Event #44: $2,000 No Limit Hold'em Day 1 Chip Counts

Coleman Leads Day 1 of H.O.R.S.E. Championship

In Event #45, the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship, a total of 152 entries saw 87 players make day 2, with late registration still open for the event. Players did battle in Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better for several hours before Maxx Coleman ended the day on top with 307,500 chips.

Slightly short of Coleman were Mike Leah (282,500) and Clayton Mozdzen (273,500), with other survivors including the two-time bracelet winner David Prociak (241,000), the Event #40 runner-up to Scott Seiver, Brandon Shack-Harris (199,000) and the 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Ivey (73,500).

Many big names came and went on a packed opening day, with Mike 'The Mouth' Matusow and Daniel Negreanu among their number. 

WSOP Event #45: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship Day 1 Chip Counts

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