Dario Sammartino Wins First Bracelet at 2024 World Series of Poker2019 WSOP Main Event Runner-Up Takes Down $2,500 Stud Eight-or-Better and Omaha Eight-or-Better Mixed Event, Earning $222,703 |
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Dario Sammartino has been agonizingly close to winning a World Series of Poker bracelet several times. While he most famously finished as the runner-up in the 2019 WSOP main event for a $6,000,000 payday, the Italian poker pro has another runner-up showing and ten other top-five finishes in bracelet events.
After all of those near-misses, Sammartino finally landed the trophy in the 2024 WSOP $2,500 mixed Omaha eight-or-better and stud eight-or-better event. He topped a field of 507 entries to earn his first bracelet and the top prize of $222,703.
Sammartino now has more than $17.4 million in career tournament earnings, extending his lead atop Italy’s all-time money list. He now has more than a $4.6 million lead on second-ranked Mustapha Kanit.
This event awarded 1,260 Card Player Player of the Year points to the top finisher. This was Sammartino’s first POY-qualified score so far, but it alone was enough to move him inside the top 225 in the 2024 standings presented by Global Poker.
The $1,128,075 prize pool for this event was split amongst the top 77 finishers. Notables that ran deep included 2005 WSOP main event champion Joe Hachem (37th), five-time bracelet winner Robert Mizrachi (31st), bracelet winner Yueqi Zhu (29th), five-time bracelet winner Benny Glaser (23rd), bracelet winner Joey Couden (7th), and Matt Vengrin (6th).
The third and final day of play began with bracelet winner and 2004 WSOP main event runner-up David Williams and Sammartino essentially tied for the chip lead, while four-time bracelet winner Jeff Madsen sat in the middle of the pack with 21 players remaining.
That trio and Jon Kyte made it down to the final four. Madsen’s run ended in fourth place ($71,810), with Kyte scooping the pot in stud eight-or-better with a pair of queens.
Williams soon followed when his flush draw, open-ended straight draw, and bottom pair ran into the top set of jacks held by Sammartino in Omaha eight-or-better. The set held up to see Williams sent to the rail with $102,335. He now has more than $9.5 million in recorded earnings after this, his 182nd recorded in-the-money finish.
Kyte entered heads-up play with 10,700,000 to Sammartino’s 7,000,000. A big scoop with threes full in Omaha eight-or-better saw Sammartino take the lead. He was able to pull away even further from there.
In the final hand of the event, Kyte got all-in on third street in stug eight-or-better. The boards ran out as follows:
Kyte: (K
6
)43K5
(9)
Sammartino: (86)109Q6
(J)
Kyte made a pair of kings on fifth and had an open-ended straight draw that doubled as a low draw. Sammartino held a double gutshot straight draw going into seventh, and hit a jack to make a queen-high straight. Kyte bricked out on all fronts and was eliminated in second place ($148,462).
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded in this event:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
| 1 | Dario Sammartino | $222,703 | 1260 |
| 2 | Jon Kyte | $148,462 | 1050 |
| 3 | David Williams | $102,335 | 840 |
| 4 | Jeff Madsen | $71,810 | 630 |
| 5 | Federico Ottenio | $51,315 | 525 |
| 6 | Matthew Vengrin | $37,354 | 420 |
| 7 | Joseph Couden | $27,709 | 315 |
| 8 | Scott Blackman | $20,954 | 210 |
Visit the Card Player 2024 World Series of Poker page for schedules, news, interviews, and the latest event results. WSOP coverage sponsored by Global Poker.
Winner photo credit: WSOP / Rachel Kay Winter.
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