This Week's Big Winner: James Calderaro Wins First WSOP Bracelet In $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championhsip

Despite the hefty buy-in, the $25,000 pot-limit Omaha championship event at the 2017 World Series of Poker proved to be a big hit with the players, drawing a field of 205 and generating a total prize pool of $4,868,750. It was a sizable increase from the 184-player field in 2016 and the 175 runners in 2015.

In the end, the title went to 51-year-old James Calderaro, who earned his first career bracelet and the huge $1,289,074 first-place prize. It was the largest score of the Florida-based poker pro’s career.

Calderaro now has more than $3.5 million in live tournament earnings. In addition to winning a World Poker Tour title in 2014 at the Lucky Hearts Poker Open, he also went deep in the 2009 WSOP main event, earning $633,022 for his 13th-place finish.
Here are the five biggest hands that propelled Calderaro to the win.

Tournament: WSOP $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship
Buy-In: $25,000 • No. of Entries: 205 • Prize Pool: $4,868,750 • 1st Place Prize: $1,289,074$1,289,074

The Action

With two tables remaining, Palevic limped in from the cutoff and Calderaro raised from the button. Parvizi called from the small blind, and Palevic called as well. The flop came down 10 9 7 and Parvizi checked. Palevic bet 375,000 and Calderaro raised to 1,400,000. Parvizi then moved all-in for 3,100,000 and Palevic called off his stack as well. Calderaro, with both players covered, then made the call. Parvizi showed Q J 10 5 for top pair and an open-ended straight draw, Palevic showed A 7 7 3 for bottom set, but Calderaro’s J 10 9 8 had both in bad shape with his flopped straight and top-two pair. The turn was the 9, giving Caldero a full house, and the river was the 8. Palevic was eliminated in 16th place and Parvizi took 15th, both earning $48,896.

The Action

With six players remaining, Sammartino limped in and Rybin raised to 160,000. Calderaro called from the big blind, and Sammartino raised the pot to 680,000. Rybin folded, and Calderaro reraised the pot, effectively putting Sammartino to the test for his tournament life. Sammartino quickly called with K K 4 2, which was a 61 percent favorite over Calderaro’s A K 10 8. The board ran out A 8 7 8 4, however, and Calderaro dragged another pot. Sammartino banked $197,007 for his sixth-place showing.

The Action

After bluffing off a lot of his stack, Calderaro raised to 275,000 and Babakhanyan called on the button, as did Rybin in the big blind. The flop came down A K 3 and Rybin checked. Calderaro bet 700,000 and Babakhanyan called. Rybin folded and the 6 hit the turn. Calderaro then bet the pot of 2,275,000, leaving himself with just 100,000 behind. Babakhanyan didn’t realize that Calderaro wasn’t all-in, and the cards were nearly exposed before Calderaro bet dark. The Q on the river failed to improve Babakhanyan, who held 5 4 3 2 for busted straight and flush draws. Calderaro held A J 8 6 and his two pair doubled him back into contention with four players remaining.

The Action

Rybin raised to 350,000 on the button and Calderaro called from the small blind. Babakhanyan called in the big blind and the flop fell A 10 4. Calderaro checked and Babakhanyan moved all-in for 610,000. Rybin folded, and Calderaro made the call with 8 7 6 3 for a flush draw. Unfortunately for him, Babakhanyan held K J 4 2 for a better flush draw to go along with a pair and a straight draw, meaning Calderaro was more than a 4:1 dog to win the pot. The turn and river, however, came 9 6, and Calderaro made a runner-runner straight to take it down. Babakhanyan earned $379,128 for his fourth-place run.

The Action

Rybin raised to 700,000 on the button and Calderaro responded with a three-bet. Rybin four-bet, and then called off his stack when Calderaro moved all-in. Calderaro showed A K Q 6, but he was a slight underdog against Rybin’s A Q Q 10. The flop of K 10 8, however, flipped the advantage to Calderaro. The K on the turn gave Calderaro trips, and it meant that Rybin could only stay alive with a jack on the river to chop. Instead, the 8 came, sealing the tournament for Calderaro. Rybin earned $796,706 for his runner-up finish, the largest score of his career and first cash since 2013. Calderaro picked up his first career bracelet and the massive $1,289,074 first-place prize.

Final Table Results

1. James Calderaro — $1,289,074
2. Alexey Rybin — $796,706
3. Esther Taylor — $543,713
4. Artem Babakhanyan — $379,128
5. Bryce Yockey — $270,242
6. Dario Sammartino — $197,007
7. Dan Smith — $146,961
8. Ben Tollerene — $112,239