David Lambard Wins $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout Bracelet

David Lambard essentially won three single table sit n’ goes en route to his first World Series of Poker bracelet.

Lambard defeated a 313-entry field and French poker streamer Johan Guilbert heads-up to earn $207,193 in the $3,000 no-limit hold’em shootout. The final table featured top pros Justin Bonomo, Martin Zamani and Andrew Lichtenberger.

The 44-year-old from Southern California has been making a living on the felt, mostly in cash games, for the last decade. He still takes the occasional tournament shot and was able to maneuver his way through the toughest final table he ever played.

“I just followed a basic general strategy,” Lambard told WSOP reporters after his win. “Play tight early, then when you get down to five-or-six-handed, open up. Establish a tight image early on.”

Along with his money and bracelet, Lambard picked up 720 Card Player Player of the Year points. With his first cash and first title of 2019, he now sits in 364th place in the 2019 POY race, sponsored by Global Poker.

Lambard followed his strategy and stayed out of the way in the early stages of the final table as Bonomo busted in 10th and Zamani fell in ninth.

Lambard didn’t make any real moves towards the top of the chip counts until he eliminated Ben Farrell in sixth place. Lambard’s pocket jacks held up against Farrell’s A-10, which moved him into the chip lead.

Lambard eliminated Jan Lakota in fifth when they got all in preflop and both players tabled A-K. Lambard’s was suited, however, and flopped the nut flush draw. The river brought a third spade and Lakota was eliminated by Lambard’s nut flush.

Lichtenberger was eliminated by Weiyi Zhang in third, which moved Zhang into the lead and moved Lambard to the bottom of the three-handed chip counts.

The final three players all took a turn with the chip lead before Lambard scored a huge double through Zhang to take a lead that he would never let go of. Zhang flopped trip sevens and was all in on the turn. Lambard had unimproved sixes, and picked up a gutshot on a 10-high board, before moving all in.

He needed a six or a nine to stay alive and hit the six on the river to take a commanding lead. Zhang was eliminated shortly after and Lambard battled with Guilbert heads-up for 31 hands before Lambard won a flip with pocket fours against A-8 to secure the title.

Final Table Results:

For more coverage from the summer series, check out the 2019 WSOP landing page, complete with a full schedule, results, news, player interviews, and event recaps.

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