Alex Manzano Ascends to Win Event # 33: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha DeepStack
A pool of 2,402 players entered the field of Event #33: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha DeepStack in the 2024 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, but when the dust settled on Day 2, Alex Manzano from Chile hoisted the gold bracelet in victory.
The prize for first place of $161,846 was the second-highest score of Manzano’s career, but this was his first WSOP gold bracelet, and it held special significance for him.
“This was my first tournament when I started playing twenty years ago. Since I started playing professionally, I’ve won [several different series], but this was the special one that I always wanted, and I couldn’t play it professionally many years ago, so winning it now is something beautiful.”
Final Table Payouts
| Rank | Player | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Manzano | $161,846 |
| 2 | Robert Gill | $107,874 |
| 3 | Kelly Kim | $78,018 |
| 4 | Damon Sita | $57,034 |
| 5 | Oziel Velador | $42,149 |
| 6 | Mitchell Hynam | $31,492 |
| 7 | Nicholas Gonzalez | $23,792 |
| 8 | Ruslan Nazarenko | $18,177 |
| 9 | Nicolas Vatan | $14,046 |
Day 2 started with 95 players and many ups and downs for Manzano, who ran hot at the right time to amass a healthy chip stack at the final table.
“I’m still shocked. Like I can’t still believe the feeling of this, but it feels really good.”
At the final table, Manzano was surrounded by so much energy. His rail was chanting his name and often breaking into song when he won a hand. When asked about his plans for the celebration, Manzano stated, “I usually don’t celebrate my winnings because I’m really tired after such a long session, but they are going to a party, and I have to be there, so… we are going to do something.”
Final Table Recap
Nicolas Vatan and Ruslan Nazarenko fell early at the hands of Robert Gill before Manzano started gaining traction in a three-way all-in hand that boosted his chip stack. Gill played friendly poker, showing hands often when opponents folded. Manzano then busted four of the next five eliminations from the table.
There was plenty of back-and-forth battling for smaller pots between Gill and Manzano, where Gill hijacked the chip lead for nearly three levels. While short-stacked, Manzano won a string of hands in a row to regain the chip lead, and he says that’s when he knew this event was his.
In the final hand, Manzano called an all-in bet from his opponent on the flop. When the cards were revealed, Manzano was behind, but he pulled ahead on the turn, which paired his ace. The river improved his hand to two pair, and the room exploded with applause as he had won the grand prize of $161,846 and the coveted gold bracelet.
This concludes the live coverage from Event #33. Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for all of the action from the rest of the 2024 World Series of Poker.