Volodymyr Kokoulin was a card away from elimination. As a substitute, he grew to become the latest World Sequence of Poker Europe (WSOPE) bracelet winner after taking down Occasion #2: €550 Pot-Restrict Omaha.
Kokoulin constructed up an enormous chip lead three-handed and defeated Poland’s Tomasz Kozub heads-up to win his first WSOP bracelet and €56,100 high prize. “Tremendous good. I dreamed about this since I began taking part in. So it’s tremendous cool. I really feel very happy,” Kokoulin mentioned after prevailing over the 642-entry discipline.
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Occasion #2: €550 Pot-Restrict Omaha Last Desk Outcomes
The Ukrainian wanted some assist to outlive the ultimate desk. With 4 gamers left, Kokoulin was all in with two pair towards Claudio Di Giacomo’s high set of kings and was at severe threat of elimination. He ended up catching a runner-runner flush for a miracle double up that propelled him into the chip lead and in the end to the bracelet. “Solely a backdoor flush saves me. I bought tremendous fortunate,” he mentioned.
Kokoulin describes himself as principally a money recreation participant, however he does have a number of notable event scores at King’s Resort in Rozvadov. He’s completed runner-up in two WSOP circuit occasions and in addition completed in third place within the €3,000 Thriller Bounty occasion on the Massive Wrap competition right here in February. He had greater than $80,000 in dwell event winnings on his resume earlier than this occasion, primarily in Omaha occasions, a recreation he’s targeted extra on lately.
“I used to play maintain’em tournaments for seven years. After which I switched to money Omaha as a result of it’s extra enjoyable. Extra variance,” he mentioned.
Runner-up Kozub can also be no stranger to Omaha. An everyday in high-stakes Omaha tournaments, he had greater than $1 million in dwell profession earnings, together with a win in an Omaha occasion right here at King’s in 2020 for €200,000. He additionally completed second in that very same Massive Wrap competition earlier this 12 months for greater than €92,000. However his first WSOP bracelet eluded him right now as Kokoulin grew to become the 14th participant from his native Ukraine to take house WSOP gold.
Last Desk Motion
The ultimate eight gamers took their seats on the last desk at 1 p.m. native time on the televised characteristic desk. Damjan Radanov entered because the quick stack and was the primary to search out himself in danger as Di Giacomo made a pair of aces towards his jacks because the Serbian-born, US-based professional was despatched out in eighth place at his seventh profession WSOP last desk. Di Giacomo picked up his second bustout of the ultimate desk when he spiked a straight on the flip to eradicate Andrei Shpak in seventh place.
Hristiyan Banov picked up aces to double up off Di Giacomo, then discovered himself concerned in an enormous three-way all in towards Stefan Kostner and Kozub. The three gamers noticed an ace-high flop the place Kostner wager 550,000. Kozub known as and Banov moved all in for 720,000. Each opponents known as to the flip the place Kostner bought his final 940,000 within the center. Kozub had the lead with aces and deuces with a flush draw towards Kostner’s ace-king and Banov’s ace-queen. Banov had simply three outs to keep away from the double elimination and spiked one in all them on the river to triple up, whereas Kozub took out Kostner within the facet pot.
Kostner’s sixth-place bustout was simply the primary in a flurry of eliminations that adopted. Ivan Nikolov missed flush and straight attracts towards Di Giacomo’s kings to complete in fifth. Kokoulin was at risk of becoming a member of them on the rail till his miracle flush on the river towards Di Giacomo made him the chip chief with practically 7,000,000. Di Giacomo was left with simply 935,000 after the hand and was eradicated shortly after in fourth place by Kozub.
Kokoulin started to tug away throughout three-handed play after hitting two pair on the river towards Banov, then betting Kozub off two pair with a river shove. Banov then moved all in for 1,390,000 within the large blind with ten-high and Kozub known as. Kozub flopped journey kings to go away Banov already drawing useless and on his solution to the exit in third place.
Kokoulin led 11,660,000 to 4,285,000 at first of heads-up. He shortly prolonged his lead when he known as Kozub’s wager of 1,000,000 on the river with a flush. Kozub doubled up as soon as, however then discovered himself all in for 1,975,000 with two jacks towards Kokoulin’s queens. Kozub picked up a straight draw on the flop, but it surely was Kokoulin who ended up making a straight on the river to finish the event.
Kokoulin practically didn’t even play the event after max late-regging on Day 1. He doubled up instantly and the event went easily for him from there. “I simply performed regular video games, 40 BBs principally. The construction was tremendous good,” he mentioned. “In the beginning of the ultimate desk I used to be in a really unhealthy state of affairs as a result of there have been three large stacks over me and a few quick stacks, so I might do nothing. Then within the three- and four-max when stacks grew to become extra equal, I started to really feel extra comfy.”
Kokoulin isn’t letting the bracelet change his plans for the remainder of the collection. “I believe I’ll play principally money, as a result of I’m a money participant not a event participant. Perhaps I’ll play the Principal Occasion, but it surely relies on the money video games,” he mentioned.
That concludes PokerNews’ protection of Occasion #2: €550 Pot-Restrict Omaha. Keep tuned for extra protection all through the 2024 WSOP Europe at King’s Resort in Rozvadov.
