They say that No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw is the ultimate test of a poker player’s bravery, and if that’s the case, then David Funkhouser proved to be the bravest of them all in Event #63: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Funkhouser emerged victorious from a field of 453 players to secure his first WSOP gold bracelet and a top prize of $123,314 after defeating Michel Leibgorin heads-up.
Funkhouser has been close to winning a bracelet several times, making this his fifth WSOP career final table. Just a couple of weeks ago, he finished fourth in the $1,500 Mixed NLH/PLO Double Board Bomb Pot event for $91,891, and in 2022, he was the runner-up to Daniel Zack in the $10,000 Stud 8 Championship.
“It means a lot,” Funkhouser told WSOP after the win. “I’ve come close this year and close for many years. I played dozens, if not hundreds, of these bracelet events. They’re hard to win. We had a tough final table, and Michel is a fantastically tough opponent. They all gave me tough spots the whole way. It’s great to win, and it ain’t easy.”
Funkhouser is a mixed game specialist, with his top five career results coming from different formats. He also won a $10,200 H.O.R.S.E. event at last year’s PGT Mixed Games II, where he defeated three-time WSOP bracelet winner Paul Volpe in a heads-up. Recently, however, he has been gravitating towards big bet games, and No Limit 2-7 Lowball is the perfect blend of high-intensity big bets, and it’s still a draw game, and a lowball at that.
“Anybody who has not tried it should absolutely try it,” an ecstatic Funkhouser added. “Especially if you like PLO or NLHE. It’s a fantastically beautiful game. As long as humans are on this earth, we will be playing no-limit single draw lowball.”
Funkhouser had quite a field to overcome for his maiden bracelet, facing many previous bracelet winners and mixed game specialists, including Owais Ahmed (4th – $37,764), Ali Eslami (5th – $26,555), and the three-time WSOP winner and likely future Poker Hall of Famer, David “ODB” Baker (7th – $14,030).
Event #63: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1 |  David Funkhouser | United States | $123,314 |
| 2 |  Michel Leibgorin | France | $81,412 |
| 3 | Charles Tucker | United States | $54,868 |
| 4 | Owais Ahmed | United States | $37,764 |
| 5 | Ali Eslami | United States | $26,555 |
| 6 |  Tzu Peng Wang | Taiwan | $19,087 |
| 7 | David “ODB” Baker | United States | $14,030 |
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Event #63: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Final Day Recap
From the 68 players that survived the first day of Event #63: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw (7-Handed), only six remained and returned for the final Day 3. Michel Leibgorin led the way with 67 big blinds, giving him a nice lead over Charles Tucker, who brought 39 big blinds into the last day. On the other side of the spectrum, Owais Ahmed was short, with only seven big blinds, and would need some help to stay alive.
Ahmed managed two double-ups and quickly built his stack to escape the danger zone. It was Tzu Peng Wang who became the first victim on the final day. Wang shoved his stack pre-draw, and Tucker called. Wang stood pat with T-9-7-6-5, and Tucker, drawing with a 6-4-3-2, drew a 7 to eliminate Wang in sixth place.
With all five remaining players holding relatively even stacks, the action was intense. Still, no eliminations occurred for several hours until David Funkhouser opened a pot, and both Ali Eslami on the button and Tucker in the small blind called, with all three players drawing one card each. After the draw, Tucker bet his hand, Funkhouser folded, and Eslami shoved. Tucker called with 8-7-4-3-2, which was good, eliminating Eslami in fifth place.
Leibgorin started to pull away from the rest of the field as he eliminated Ahmed, who was no longer short-stacked, in fourth place. Ahmed open-shoved and got action from the Frenchman. Ahmed decided to draw one with T-7-6-2, while Leibgorin stood pat with an unbeatable 8-5-4-3-2.
Tucker finished in third place after he three-bet Funkhouser’s open and received a call. Tucker drew one with 10-6-4-2 while Funkhouser stood pat with T-6-5-3-2. Tucker drew to three outs only, which he missed, making T-9-6-4-2 for an inferior ten-low.
Funkhouser started the heads-up battle in front with the newfound chips, but Leibgorin quickly evened the playing field. As is usually the case with a No-Limit Lowball Draw, a perfect mix of a drawing and a standing pat hand decided the winner. Funkhouser opened the pot and Leibgorin three-bet. Funkhouser moved all-in after confirming he had slightly more chips, and Leibgorin called, putting himself at risk.
Leibgorin drew one with 8-6-3-2, while Funkhouser stood pat with a made nine-low 9-8-7-6-4. Leibgorin needed a nine, seven, five, or a four for the bracelet, but he drew a king on the final draw, finishing as the runner-up to David Funkhouser, who captured his first career WSOP bracelet and $123,314.
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* Images and hands courtesy of WSOP and PokerNews.
