The WSOPE Main Event gives Sweden’s Omar Eljach his first bracelet
Posted on: November 17, 2022, 9:08 am.
Last updated: 17 November 2022, 09:08h.
Omar Eljach, in pursuit of his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, accomplished his goal in a big way. He didn’t just win a bracelet, he won WSOP Europe Main Event, which set a record for attendance.
It was not a smooth road to victory; the Swedish player had to overcome a number of seasoned vets to take the gold. The field included 763 entries, 75 more than last year’s record-breaking Main Event.
Among the pros Eljach stepped over to take the win were Barny Boatman and Shaun Deeb, who both made it to the final table. Others, like Vegas regular Roland Israelashvili, had bowed out long before.
Fight for glory
Eljach and five-time WSOP bracelet winner led the field of eight on the final day of action yesterday. As the chips and cards started to fly, France’s Alexandre Reard was the first victim as Eljach shut him down. His pocket aces became a set and a flush, which held against Reard’s pocket Qs, and the race continued.
Boatman was in a good place to gain ground when he also scored against Deeb. However, he didn’t realize that his opponent made two pair on the flop, and Deeb checked the hand.
It’s really hard to describe. So many emotions, all amazing; such a boring fight. I feel relief, I feel an incredible joy. Yes, it’s a great feeling,” Omar Eljach said after winning the WSOPE Main Event.
Eljach then claimed another victim when he responded to a push from Armin Rezaei and his JJ. An ace on the flop was all he needed to eliminate another player and fatten his stack.
At this point, several hours into the game, Deeb was in a good spot and held about half of all the chips on the table. However, he ended up in a drought that continued until there were only three players left.
It cost him big, as Eljach bullied him with suit Q-3 against AJ offsuit. A 3 on the flop was enough to send Deeb to the rail and give Eljach more breathing room. Still, his performance was good enough for only about $610,000.
Only one player remained, and he wasn’t going down without a fight. Eljach and Jonathan Pastore battled for over six hours, trading stacks and mounting comebacks as they held on to hopes of making the biggest tournament of the year.
No Guts, No Glory
Finally, it was time to put it all on the line. Preflop betting increased until Pastore four-bet with his A-8 offsuit. Eljach responded with the bigger stack and revealed QQ. Nothing higher than a J on the board was no help, and a new bracelet winner was crowned.
Eljach, who also took €152,827 (US$158,000) for his runner-up finish at a WSOPE Pot-Limit Omaha event, added €1.38 million (US$1.42 million) to his bankroll with the Main Event win. Pastore, who is coming off a recent winning play in the $5,000 NLHE 6-Handed event this summer WSOP in Las Vegas, added €852,949 ($881,863).
With that, the WSOP ends a year of record performances. Preparations are now underway for the 2023 calendar, which will most likely include returns to Las Vegas and Rozvadov, Czech Republic.