The second bracelet of the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has been awarded, and it goes to David Shmuel, who triumphed in Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better after three days of intense action at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Shmuel navigated a 910-player field to claim his first-ever WSOP bracelet, earning $205,333 from the $1,208,025 prize pool. He was among the leaders from the start, including bagging the chip lead on Day 1 and entering the final day second in chips. Shmuel maintained the form throughout the final table and eventually in heads-up, where he confidently sealed the deal against Omaha specialist Joe Ford.
This is Shmuel’s third six-figure score in his poker career, topping his prior cashes of $174,734 and $124,476 for third and fourth place finishes at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open in 2023 and 2024. With this win, his live tournament earnings now surpass $1.4 million.
As a runner-up, Joe Ford once again came close to winning a bracelet as he previously finished fourth in this very event back in 2013 and has now five cashes in Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better WSOP events. While Ford just fell short of getting his maiden bracelet, there’s still a long summer ahead with 98 more bracelets yet to be awarded at 2025 WSOP.
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2025 WSOP Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  David Shmuel | United States | $205,333 |
| 2 | Joe Ford | United States | $136,855 |
| 3 |  Darren Taylor | United Kingdom | $95,253 |
| 4 | Gregory Wood | United States | $67,392 |
| 5 |  Ilia Krupin | Russia | $48,480 |
| 6 |  Patrick Stacey | Canada | $35,471 |
| 7 | Melvin McCraney | United States | $26,403 |
| 8 | Joseph Bertrand | United States | $20,001 |
2025 WSOP Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Final Table Recap
Sixteen players returned for the third and final day of the first mixed game event of the 2025 World Series of Poker. With a three-time bracelet winner Chris Vitch bowing out in tenth place, it was guaranteed that a new name would be added to the prestigious list of WSOP champions.
After Kevin Pier’s elimination in ninth, the official final table was formed. Darren Taylor led the way with 5.2 million in chips, good for 32 big bets and followed closely by Ilia Krupin with 4.6 million.
Joseph Bertrand managed to squeeze himself into his first-ever WSOP final table, holding less than one big bet as he put it in under the gun. He picked up two callers in Krupin and Melvin McCraney, but Krupin flopped a flush and scooped the pot as no low hand qualified. Bertrand exited in eighth for $20,001.
Joe Ford, who entered the final table as the second shortest stack, quickly gained momentum. Scooping multiple pots, he surged to the chip lead in under an hour. Among the victims of his run was Melvin McCraney, who limp-raised preflop and saw two players call. Ford flopped trips on a 10♥7♣7♥ board, improved to a full house on the turn, and sent the start-of-the-day chip leader home early in seventh for $26,403.
Canadian Patrick Stacey was next out, after three-betting Krupin’s open with A♦J♥10♣5♦. Krupin tabled A♥K♠8♣2♥ and held on a 6♣6♥5♠A♣7♥ runout, taking the pot with a better ace and a low. Stacey collected $35,471 for sixth place.
Russian got to work with newfound chips but found a lot of resistance in Darren Taylor, David Shmuel, and eventually in Gregory Wood, who knocked Krupin out in fifth. On a board of 3♦8♣K♠Q♠7♠, Krupin bet all three streets holding a flush and no low. Wood called down happily, revealing a higher flush and a made low, sending Krupin to the payout desk to collect $48,480.
With four players remaining, Shmuel and Ford began separating themselves from the field. Gregory Wood flopped top two pair with king-jack on a 6♠J♥K♣board, but Ford had flopped a set of jacks, eliminating Wood in fourth place for $67,392.
David Shmuel’s rise began from this point, notably in several key pots against Darren Taylor. In the elimination hand, Taylor moved all in with A♣7♠6♥2♠ and Shmuel showed A♦10♥3♠2♣. The board ran out 4♥K♥5♣Q♦2♦, giving Shmuel a rivered wheel and the full scoop. Taylor said goodbye in third with $95,253 in the pocket.
That hand gave Shmuel a nearly 2:1 chip lead heading into heads-up play with Ford, and from there, the final battle was mostly one-way traffic.
In the final hand, Ford got his chips in with Q♠8♥4♠2♠ but was dominated by Shmuel’s A♠A♥K♠K♦. The board offered no help to the underdog, and the aces held. With that, David Shmuel claimed his first WSOP bracelet and the $205,333 top prize, while Joe Ford took home $136,855 for a strong runner-up finish.
* Hands courtesy of pokernews.com
