Yueqi Zhu Wins 2018 World Series of Poker $1,500 Mixed Omaha Eight-or-Better Event

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Yueqi Zhu has made his way to the World Series of Poker for nearly two decades, cashing in 72 WSOP events along the way. Now the 55-year-old engineer based in Rowland Heights, CA has finally emerged victorious, defeating a field of 773 total entries to win the 2018 WSOP $1,500 mixed Omaha eight-or-better event. For the win Zhu earned his first gold bracelet and $211,781.

“I think I’m holding the unofficial record of the most top-three finishes without a bracelet,” Zhu told WSOP reporters after taking down the title. “I know a lot of things can happen and I feel bad that a turn of the card can totally change the result, so I’m happy that it went my way today and I didn’t have to extend that record.”

In addition to the money and the bracelet, Zhu was also awarded 912 Card Player Player of the Year points for winning this event. This was his seventh cash but his first final table finish in 2018, and the win moved him into 219th place in the 2018 Player of the Year rankings.

Zhu came into the final table in fifth chip position with eight players remaining. The only player with a bracelet to their name heading into the final table was Carol Fuchs, who won the 2015 WSOP $1,500 dealer’s choice event. She catapulted into the chip lead by knocking out Peter Neff in sixth place ($31,662), getting all-in on the flop with two pair and the second nut straight against Neff’s Broadway straight. Fuchs made a full house on the river to win the massive pot and chip up to over 2.6 million.

Gabriel Ramos scored the next elimination when he got all in with AA65 on a K64 flop against Jon Turner’s Q1074. The 2 on the turn and J on the river earned the scoop for Ramos, sending Turner home with $44,007 as the fifth-place finisher.

Ramos kept accumulating by knocking out Matt Gregoire in fourth place ($62,226), setting up three-handed action with Fuchs and Zhu. At this point Zhu went on a tear, and by the time play was halted for the night after ten levels of action Zhu had accumulated roughly 80 percent of the chips in play.

Fuchs was the first to hit the rail on day 4, running into the seven-high straight and 6-5-4-3-A low of Zhu in limit Omaha eight-or-better to get eliminated in third place ($89,488). With that Zhu took more than a 10-to-1 lead into heads-up play with Ramos. It didn’t take long for him to convert that into a win.

Zhu raised 100,000 on the button in pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better and Gabriel Ramos three-bet to 300,000 from the big blind. Zhu called and the flop came Q104. Ramos bet 75,000 and Zhu raised to 150,000. Ramos moved all-in and Zhu called with the KKJ9 for an overpair and a wrap draw. Ramos held the AQQ6 for top set. The turn brought the 7 and the river the K to give Zhu the straight and the entire pot. Ramos took home $130,850 for his runner-up showing.

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

For more coverage from the summer series, visit the 2018 WSOP landing page complete with a full schedule, news, player interviews and event recaps.

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