Elie Nakache has won the $10K PLO Championship and his first bracelet after overcoming a field containing many giants of the game.
The Frenchman was one of five players who returned for the finale — none of whom had tasted victory at the WSOP before.
Usually, the $10K championship events are dominated by the big names who come out in force, but this tournament was different.
And it was no less entertaining as the quintet fought tooth and nail for the lion’s share of the $7,542,300 prize pool.
Elie Nakache had less than $300,000 on his resume before winning this event, so the $1,320,945 prize money is certain to be life-changing.
Joshua Adkins had won $331,480 in a WPT event five years ago, but never cashed at the WSOP. The $880,621 prize is a career-defining moment for the young American.
Final Action
Jonathan Bowers was the man on the move when the bell rang. The Brit doubled up through Adkins and then sent Oshri Lahmani packing in quick succession.
This gave him a clear line of sight at Adkins who still maintained a lead after starting the day with a whopping 169 big blinds.
Manh Nguyen was next to bust, a victim of Adkins attempting to restamp his authority on this tournament so close to the finish.
Elie Nakache, for his part, was sensibly staying below the radar, for now.
Bowers’ downfall now began to unfold as Adkins steadily took small pot after small pot away from him to leave him on life support until every chip was gone.
This left the American with a three-to-one chip advantage but he was immediately stunned as Nakache ratcheted through the gears to display a level of aggression we had not seen until this point.
It didn’t take long before Adkins faced a significant disadvantage himself and it was all over when the Frenchman’s six-high straight dealt with Adkins’ aces.
Incredibly, Nakache told reporters that he was new to the game of PLO, having played on Spins over the last two years.
“I’m a spin player, but during the last two years, I fell in love with PLO. I like to play a lot of hands, and tournaments are perfect for that. I had the feeling that I could do something in this tournament. And it was amazing. I’m very lucky, and I won a bracelet.”
Event #66: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship (8-Handed) Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize (USD) |
| 1 | Elie Nakache | France | $1,320,945 |
| 2 | Joshua Adkins | United States | $880,621 |
| 3 | Jonathan Bowers | United Kingdom | $615,251 |
| 4 | Manh Nguyen | United States | $436,751 |
| 5 | Oshri Lahmani | Israel | $315,098 |
| 6 | Krzysztof Magott | Poland | $231,101 |
| 7 | Eelis Pärssinen | Finland | $172,355 |
| 8 | David Benyamine | France | $130,748 |
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