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Lou Garza Wins WSOP Event #14: High Roller PLO/NLHE
Lou Garza eliminated three of his four opponents on his route to winning his second WSOP bracelet and a career-high result of $1,302,233 in Sin City on Thursday night. With a $5,757,500 prize pool, the $25,000-entry High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha/No-Limit Hold’em Event #14 saw Garza came back from 4:1 down in chips to win heads-up against the highly decorated 2011 WSOP Player of the Year Ben Lamb.
WSOP Event #14: High Roller PLO/NLHE Final Table Results:
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1st | Lou Garza | United States | $1,302,233 |
| 2nd | Ben Lamb | United States | $868,140 |
| 3rd | Chongxian Yang | China | $598,285 |
| 4th | Robert Cowen | United Kingdom | $421,524 |
| 5th | Brandon Mitchell | United States | $303,773 |
| 6th | John Pannucci | United States | $224,034 |
| 7th | Zhargal Tsydypov | United States | $169,183 |
| 8th | Youness Barakat | Italy | $130,896 |
| 9th | Michael Moncek | United States | $103,821 |
Massive Prize Pool in Mixed High Roller
The $25,000 High Roller Event #14 took place in both Pot Limit Omaha and No Limit Hold’em this week. With a whopping 245 entries all putting up the five-figure buy-in, the prize pool of $5.75 million was distributed between 37 players, with stars of the felt such as John Hennigan (36th for $50,829), Cherish Andrews (34th for $50,829), Jason Koon (32nd for $50,829), and Bryce Yockey (26th for $53,371) all claiming profit.
Closer to the final table but falling short were players like Stephen Chidwick (21st for $53,371), Shaun Deeb (17th for $60,520), Nick Schulman (14th for $70,546), and Michael ‘Texas Mike’ Moncek (9th for $103,821), who all failed to reach the final day but booked profit for the tournament nevertheless.
Chasing a top prize of $1,302,233, and one of the most prestigious WSOP bracelets on offer this summer, Lamb’s lead at the end of the penultimate day was a huge one, but his Day 2 was nothing but anything but easy in getting there. With 14 players left, Lamb was down to just two big blinds. Bouncing off the canvas, however, Lamb refused to be cooked and once back in contention, played like a man living a second life to the full. Bullying anyone he could, Lamb bagged up almost half the chips in play with four men standing between him and the third WSOP bracelet of his career.
Final Five Gather to Roast Lamb
The final day of the 14th bracelet event this summer was an additional one, and when players sat down, the third-place finisher from the 2011 WSOP Main Event and a three-time bracelet winner, Ben Lamb, held almost half of the chips in play to amass a vast lead. In $25,000-entry events,
Lamb got off to a fast start, raising and taking several pots. Garza, although safely second in chips, was to Lamb’s direct right, so had to be hyper-aware of the ICM pressure he was under, along with all the other players trying to stop the chip leader. An opportunity presented itself for the eventual winner when Garza found pocket kings after Brandon Mitchell had shoved with king-nine. No help came for Mitchell who was the first man out, as Garza picked up chips and momentum.
Mitchell had gone and soon after, so too did Robert Cowen. The Welsh player, chasing a second bracelet, saw his aces cracked by Ben Lamb’s wrap and just three players were in the hunt with Chinese player Chongxian Yang down to fumes. Yang was quickly the next victim of Garza, who took out another, yet soon faced a 4:1 deficit.
Garza Gets the Gold
Down to the final two, everything went Garza’s way. Winning with two pair, then a wheel, he managed to chip up through Lamb to the extent that he was in the lead. Garza pressed in PLO and for some time grew his lead but Lamb wrestled back control. Garza, undeterred, succeeded with a triple barrel bluff and tossed the cards in Lamb’s face at the conclusion of the hand, a display of arrogance designed to underline his intentions to take charge.
Soon after, trips for Garza improved his chances and with 80% of the chips in play, Lamb’s ten-blind shove with king-ten suited ran into Garza’s pocket aces which held to win him the gold. Lamb, desolate, was the gentleman, hugging Garza and shaking his hand, but he must still be wondering how he lost the chance of his latest title.
“It feels great, but we’ve got some more work to finish off. We’re not done yet.” Garza declared. “It means everything to have family and close friends here supporting me. Once we got heads up, I knew I had to flip the switch, get aggressive, and just go for it with nothing to lose.”
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