Hassan Kamel Wins $10,000 PLO Hi/Lo Bracelet In Record Time

Jordan C

Jul 6, 2023

Hassan Kamel

It’s quite common for events to require an extra day of play at the 2023 WSOP, but Australian Hassan Kamel has broken that trend by winning the $10K PLO Hi/Lo Eight or Better event a day early! The tournament was initially scheduled for four days, starting on July 2nd and finishing on July 5th, but Hassan tore through the competition and won the event on July 4th.

Dominating Performance

Nineteen players returned to Day 3 of the PLO Hi/Lo Eight or Better event, all hoping to get their hands on the hardware and the first-place prize money. Hassan sat third in chips, but it didn’t take long until he took the chip lead.

Hassan entered what looked to be a tough final table with the chip lead, but he didn’t relinquish that lead for a second. He went wire to wire across seven hours of play, eliminating four of the last six players, and at one point holding a nearly 7:1 chip advantage over the rest of the players combined while three-handed.

The players Hassan was up against are no cakewalk, with the likes of Dzmitry Urbanovich, Dylan Weisman, and Anton Smirnov at the table, but he cut through the field like a knife through butter, seemingly winning every pot he played! Hassan’s dominating performance was certainly one reason why the tournament ended early, but another reason was the speed of play. All the players at the final table played the game at a fast pace, creating a fun environment in which Hassan revelled.

Flying Visit

Unlike most players, Hassan isn’t in Vegas to play a full WSOP schedule; he’s eager to continue his road trip! He only arrived in Vegas five days ago as part of a road trip across America and thought he might as well enter a few events while he was in town. Tournaments aren’t even his usual game, saying, “I don't really like playing tournaments. I found my favourite game, hang out, have been road-tripping across America.”

Throughout the event he was downplaying his experience, repeatedly stating that he doesn’t play much poker anymore. This continued in his winner’s interview, where he said he’s been “playing cash games back in the days but honestly don't play that much any more. I just happen to be here and sort of thought I come and check it out.”

So, what are the plans for Australia’s newest bracelet winner? Well, in his words, it’s to “get the fuck outta here!” Hassan isn’t planning on playing any more bracelet events, as he’ll be - “Just in town; get blind drunk tonight and back out the next day. I am still in the middle of my road trip and my car is in Minneapolis right now. I gonna fly back there and continue the trip.”

He’ll be flying back to Minneapolis with nearly $600K in his pocket and a shiny gold bracelet - not bad for a few days' work!

Event #75 $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Eight or Better Championship Final Table Results

Place Winner Country Prize (USD)
1 Hassan Kamel Australia $598,613
2 Ryan Hoenig United States $369,972
3 John Holley United States $265,156
4 Anton Smirnov Russia $192,562
5 Dylan Weisman United States $141,727
6 Stephen Deutsch United States $105,737
7 Long Tran United States $79,979
8 Dzmitry Urbanovich Poland $61,346


Will Hassan stick to his plan, or will the allure of the WSOP be too much? Who will be the next WSOP bracelet winner from Australia? Stay tuned for all the latest WSOP news and events.

Image Source: Pokernews.com