John Kabbaj Wins Event #25 Title to Capture Second Bracelet ($267,327)
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The 2014 World Series of Poker Event #25: $2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low began with 470 players, but after 28 levels of play it was England’s John Kabbaj that emerged as the last man standing. Kabbaj, who won the 2009 WSOP Event #45 $10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Hold’em for $633,335, captured his second gold bracelet and a $267,327 first-place prize.
The third and final day saw 18 players return to action, and it didn’t take long for the field to be cut in half. Within the first four hours nine players hit the rail including Matt Glantz (18th - $7,784), who was the short stack at the start of play; Michael Roeseler (17th - $7,784); WSOP bracelet winners Konstantin Puchkov (16th - $9,462), Owais Ahmed (15th - $9,462), Allyn Jaffrey Shulman (14th - $11,676), and Robert Mizrachi (13th - $11,676); seven-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Chris Reslock (12th - $14,605); online pro Andrey “gigaloff” Zhigalov (11th - $14,605); and the Day 1 chip leader Fu Wong (10th - $18,519).
The final nine players combined to the unofficial final table, and then that bubble burst in Level 24. It happened in stud hi-lo when Joe Tehan completed for 20,000 and Marks called. Erik Seidel raised to 40,000 and both opponents called. On fourth, Seidel bet 40,000 and Tehan called. Marks moved all in for another 24,000 and both opponents called. Sixth and seventh were completed and the players turned over their cards.
Tehan: 
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Marks: 
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Seidel: 
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Seidel had a six-high straight and low draw but could not get there. Marks was hoping for the low as well, but ultimately failed. Tehan scooped the pot with two pair and entered the official final table as the chip leader.
From there, Tom Schneider and Mike Leah bowed out in eighth and seventh place respectively after an active round of Omaha hi-low, and then Seidel followed them out the door in fifth after getting it in against Thomas “Thunder” Keller in a hand of stud hi-low.
Keller followed that up by eliminating Tehan a short time later, and a short-stacked Terrence Hastoo bowed out in fourth. Three-handed play lasted for awhile, but Christopher McHugh exited in the O8 round.
Kabbaj began heads-up play with a more than 2-1 chip lead over Keller, and it didn’t take long for him to seal the deal. Kabbaj won two big stud hi-low hands to cripple Keller and then finished him off in a hand of O8.
Congratulations to John Kabbaj on winning Event #25: $2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low for his second gold bracelet and $267,327 in prize money.
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | John Kabbaj | $267,327 |
| 2nd | Thomas Keller | $165,177 |
| 3rd | Christopher McHugh | $105,000 |
| 4th | Terrence Hastoo | $75,713 |
| 5th | Joe Tehan | $55,451 |
| 6th | Erik Seidel | $41,230 |
| 7th | Mike Leah | $31,115 |
| 8th | Tom Schneider | $23,833 |
That does it for our coverage of Event #25, but there is still plenty of action to sweat in our Live Reporting Section.