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Steven Loube Wins WSOP $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight-or-Better

Atlanta Resident Wins $267,345 In Very First WSOP Event

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Steven Loube“Easy game.”

That might be what ran through Steven Loube’s mind as he won the first World Series of Poker event he ever entered.

The 34-year-old attorney from Atlanta, Georgia topped a 978-player field to win his first bracelet in Event No. 47, the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better event. In addition to the hardware, Loube also was awarded the $267,345 first-place prize and 912 Card Player Player of the Year points.

A number of players have had their breakout at the WSOP, but only a few can outdo Loube’s story of jumping from low-stakes to six-figure scores: Prior to winning the gold bracelet and more than a quarter-million dollars in prize money, the largest cash in Loube’s career was for $50 gift card at a home game.

Loube had to outlast a number of tough players deep in the event, with notables who made the money including Chip Jett, Barry Greenstein, Dan Heimiller, Lee Watkinson and Dario Alioto.

Loube entered the final table second in chips, but accumulated enough chips to enter heads-up play with a 3-to-1 advantage over Timothy Finne. The heads-up battle did not last long.

Runner-up Timothy FinneOn the final hand of the night, Finne called from the button, Loube reraised to 180,000 from the big blind and Finne called. The flop came KSpade Suit10Heart Suit3Heart Suit, Loube bet 360,000, Finne moved all in and Loube called.

Loube held the AHeart Suit7Heart Suit4Diamond Suit3Diamond Suit, while Finne turned over the KClub SuitQDiamond SuitJSpade Suit6Heart Suit. Finne had the best hand on the flop with a pair of kings, but according to Card Player’s pot-limit Omaha odds calculator, the hands are exactly even money to win the pot.

The turn and river were the QDiamond Suit and the 9Heart Suit, giving Loube a flush on the river to earn him the pot and send Timothy Finne to the rail in second place. Finne earned $165,486 and 760 POY points for the runner-up finish, moving him into 88th place in the overall POY standings. Finne had previously finished third in a WSOP $5,000 seven-card stud event.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at this final table:

Place Player Earnings POY Points
1 Steven Loube $267,345 912
2 Timothy Finne $165,486 760
3 Roch Cousineau $103,538 608
4 Cameron Mckinley $75,151 456
5 Charalampos Lappas $55,479 380
6 Sonu Sharma $41,589 304
7 Paul Taylor $31,634 228
8 Kyle Carlston $24,386 152
9 Paul Ewen $19,052 76