The 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has a new champion, as Michael Christ triumphed in Event #27: $1,500 Big O, claiming his first gold bracelet and a prize of $306,884. The tournament drew 1,555 entrants and generated a prize pool of $2,075,925, with payouts for the top 234 players.
Event #27: $1,500 Big O Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Michael Christ | United States | $306,884 |
| 2 | Matthew Beinner | United States | $204,601 |
| 3 | Dylan Lindsey | United States | $146,595 |
| 4 | Eduardo Lezcano | United States | $106,315 |
| 5 | Matthew Bretzfield | United States | $78,056 |
| 6 | Damjan Radanov | United States | $58,025 |
| 7 |  Tomoki Matsuda | Japan | $43,681 |
| 8 | John Bunch | United States | $33,035 |
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Key Moments on Day 3
Day 3 began with 20 players, including notable names like Sammy Farha and Nathan Gamble. Farha’s run ended in 11th place when his K♣K♦ was bested by Beinner’s A♣A♠ in a preflop all-in showdown. Gamble exited in 15th place after Farha’s rivered straight sealed his fate.
Starting the day in third place with 3,335,000 chips, Christ played aggressively and smartly. A critical hand against Tomoki Matsuda saw Christ holding A♣A♠3♣3♦, and facing elimination when Matsuda showed A♣A♠6♣6♦ for aces full of sixes. A fortunate river card improved Christ’s hand to aces full of tens, allowing him to double up and take the chip lead.
Reflecting on this pivotal hand, Christ commented, “I knew he had the nuts, either having ace-six or ace-deuce-three type of hand for the low. I thought by going all in I could possibly get him off the low hand, but he didn’t, and I got lucky.” This moment exemplified his tournament mantra: “play bad and get lucky.”
Dominance at the Final Table
Christ entered the final table with a commanding chip lead and maintained his dominance throughout. He held nearly half of the chips in play when four players remained and eliminated five of his seven final table opponents. His aggressive and calculated play secured his well-deserved victory.
Christ’s Reaction
Exhausted but elated, Christ described the journey to his win as “absolutely exhausting,” noting that he usually keeps his poker sessions between six to eight hours. “I’m literally pooped right now,” he admitted.
On winning his first bracelet, Christ shared, “It’s super surreal. That excitement hasn’t really hit me yet. But never in a million years did I think it would be me as the last one standing.” He emphasized his strategy of focusing on each hand individually rather than fixating on the final outcome.
Looking ahead, Christ is considering playing in the $10K Big O event but might prioritize family time instead. “I told my wife if I won a bracelet, I would catch an early flight and meet up with her and the boys, so we’ll see,” he said.
Christ’s victory in Event #27: $1,500 Big O at the 2024 WSOP stands as a testament to his resilience and strategic play, marking a memorable milestone in his poker career.
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* Images and hands courtesy of WSOP and PokerNews
