Tong Li Wins 2022 World Series of Poker $25,00 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller

The 2022 World Series of Poker $25,000 buy-in pot-limit Omaha high roller event attracted a massive field of 264 entries, with many of the biggest names in the game turning out for this high-stakes PLO showdown. In the end, the last player standing was a relative newcomer: Tong Li. He emerged victorious with his first bracelet and the top prize of $1,467,739.

“I cannot find the right words… it’s unbelievable,” Li told Card Player after coming out on top.

Li is a 60-year-old businessman based out of Shanghai who is hoping to retire soon. He only picked up poker in the last decade, and only began making the long trip around the world to play at the WSOP in 2018. This was his third time competing, and the first time he cashed at the series.

“I started out with hold’em, but later found that PLO is more exciting,” Li said with a smile.

In addition to the title and the money, Li also scored 1,512 Card Player Player of the Year points in this event. He now sits in 72nd place in the 2022 POY race, sponsored by Global Poker. He also earned 700 PokerGO Tour points for the win, enough to move him into 39th place on that leaderboard.

While Li may not have been a household name before this win, there were plenty of established stars that made deep runs in this event, including former champion of this event Stephen Chidwick (29th – $44,253), two-time bracelet winner Keith Lehr (25th – $50,575), two-time bracelet winner Yuri Dzivielevski (24th – $50,575), bracelet winner Noah Schwartz (22nd – $50,575), six-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu (16th – $57,738), bracelet winner Ben Lamb (15th – $67,313), three-time bracelet winner Chance Kornuth (13th – $80,105), and bracelet winner David Williams (9th – $120,457).

The final day of this event began with just five players remaining and Austrian PLO cash game specialist Fabian Brandes in the chip lead. Two-time bracelet winner Scott Ball was the first to fall on day 4. Ball three-bet preflop holding AAQ5 and received a call from Brandes’ 10988. The rest of the chips went in on a Q107 flop. The 4 improved neither player, but the 9 gave Brandes two pair for the win. Ball earned $342,590 as the fifth-place finisher, the third-largest score of his career. He now has more than $1.7 million in career tournament earnings to his name.

Four-time bracelet winner and defending WSOP Player of the Year Josh Arieh earned a crucial double-up during four-handed play when his bottom set of sixes beat out the flush draw and two pair of Brandes. All of the chips went in on the flop, and Arieh’s set remained best by the river to see him surge into second place on the leaderboard. Brandes’ stack took a hit, but he remained in the lead for the time being.

Arieh doubled up a short-stacked Li, but bounced back from that and then surpassed Brandes in time to play the next big all-in pot of the final table. Bracelet winner Sam Stein three-bet from the small blind preflop with KKQ8 and Arieh, who had opened with 7542 from the button, made the call. The flop came down 1072 and Stein moved all-in with his overpair and king-high flush draw. Arieh called with his two pair and lower flush draw. The 8 hit the turn, leaving Stein in need of help heading into the river. The 3 was a blank and Stein was knocked out in fourth place, earning $465,717 for his strong showing in this event. He now has more than $5.3 million in lifetime cashes.

Arieh’s lead slipped away less than ten minutes later when he lost a big pot with top two pair against the top set of Brandes. All three players spent some time atop the leaderboard during three-handed play, which continued for roughly two hours before the next elimination hand arrived. Li overtook the top spot midway through that stretch, and then extended his lead as the short-handed showdown continued.

Li expanded his advantage even further thanks when he turned aces full of fours with AAQ5 on a 944A board. Li, who had just called with the pocket aces out of the big blind preflop facing. raise from Arieh, checked as the first to act. Arieh bet 2,000,000 and Li just called. The river brought the 7 and Li checked again. Arieh moved all-in for 5,500,000 and Li made the call. Arieh revealed the J992 for a flopped full house. He was sent home in third place, earning $644,365 for his second podium finish of the series. With the $616,047 he earned as the third-place finisher in the $25,000 no-limit hold’em eight-max event just shy of a week earlier, Arieh now has more than $1.25 million in earnings so far at the 2022 WSOP.

Li took roughly a 3:1 chip lead into heads-up play with Brandes. The gap was even larger by the time the final hand was dealt. Li raised on the button with AK103 and Brandes three-bet holding AQ98. Li called and the flop came down 10107. Brandes moved all-in for just over 4 million and Li called with his flopped trips. The 7 on the turn and K on the river were no help to Brandes. He earned $907,132 as the runner-up, by far the largest live tournament score of his career.

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

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