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2010 World Series of Poker
Event 4 - $1,500 Buy-in Omaha Hi-Lo Split 8 or Better Final Results. 2010 WSOP.

2010 World Series of Poker
Event #4 - Omaha Hi-Lo Split
8 or Better
2010 World Series of Poker Event #4 Results
2010 World Series of Poker        
Final Results        
Event # 4
Buy In: $1,500        
Date: May 30 - June 1, 2010
Game: Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better
Number of Entries: 818
Net Prize Pool: $1,104,300
First Place Prize: $237,140
Total Spots Paid Out: 81
Michael Chow
Final Results:
Place
Name
Hometown
Prize
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
Michael Chow
Dan Heimiller
Ylon Schwartz
Fred Koubi
Scott Epstein
Michael Cipolla
Sasha Rosewood
Joe Leibman
Todd Barlow
James Mcwhorter
Stephen Su
Jeff Madsen
Hamid Salari
Chris Viox
Robert Ferdinand
Andreas Krause
Mike Puskarich
Huck Seed
Ward Crane
Brian Lives
Shawn Buchanan
Anthony Reategui
Jesse Hollander
David Bach
Daniel Klein
Steve Cowley
Chau Giang
Howell Cheek
Robert Goldfarb
Bradley Libson
Lonnie Heimowitz
Tom Schneider
Ed Smith
Clinton Steelman
John Brock Parker
Robert Kearse
Robert Lipkin
Ty Takishita
Allen Kessler
Larry Etherington
Sam Mudaro
Steve Chanthabouasy
Dean Jackson
Daniel Quach
Daniel Baldev
Dennis Seagle
Tom McCormick
Jordan Siegel
James Collopy
Paul Fisher
Charles Thompson
Todd Brunson
Matthew Waxman
Alan Engel
Greg Mascio
Mario Zeledon
Allen Chang
Marc Ferguson
Oleg Shamardin
Samuel Smith
Ron Ware
Spanne Joey
Michael Moed
Cameron Mckinley
Kevin Murphy
Suk Min Sung
Clarke Hill
Paul Zibits
Kenneth Dillon
John Bunch
Walter Smiley
John Farrington
Berry Johnston
Shawn Koehn
Chip Jett
Fu Wong
Andrew Black
Jeffrey Dewitt
Jeff Planck
Douglas Kovacs
Ken Lennaard
Honolulu, HI
Henderson, NV
Austin, TX
Van Nuys, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Fresno, CA
Santa Cruz, CA
Fort Atkinson, WI
Scottsdale, AZ
Wellston, OH
Houston, TX
Las Vegas, NV
Scottsdale, AZ
Glen Carbon, IL
Revere, MA
Heilbronn, Gambia
N. Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas, NV
Berea, OH
Draper, UT
Abbottsford, Canada
Chandler, AZ
Las Vegas, NV
Athens, GA
Toronto, Canada
Midlothian, MA
Las Vegas, NV
San Jose, CA
Scottsdale, AZ
Annapolis, MD
Monticello, NY
Scottsdale, AZ
Twentynine Plms, CA
Cincinnati, OH
Silver Springs, MD
Las Vegas, NV
Buffalogrove, IL
Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas, NV
Phoenix, AZ
Las Vegas, NV
Wyoming, MI
Waukon, IA
Westminster, CA
Hillsborough, NJ
Las Vegas, NV
Fargo, ND
Irvine, CA
Washington, D.C.
El Paso, TX
Santa Cruz, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Parkland, FL
Las Vegas, NV
Brea, CA
Santa Ana, CA
Brooklyn, NY
Las Vegas, NV
St. Peterburg, Russia
Idaho Springs, CO
Discovery Bay, CA
Danville, CA
Miami Beach, FL
Vancouver, WA
Highland Mills, NY
Torrance, CA
Scottsdale, AZ
Long Beach, CA
Lake Elsinore, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Gardena, CA
Brooklyn Center, MN
Bethany, OK
Las Vegas, NV
Henderson, NV
Chandler, AZ
Dublin, UK
Redmond, WA
Houston, TX
North Canton, OH
Norrtalje, Sweden
$237,140
$146,505
$94,561
$69,272
$51,493
$38,794
$29,584
$22,825
$17,801
$14,046
$14,046
$14,046
$11,330
$11,330
$11,330
$9,110
$9,110
$9,110
$7,454
$7,454
$7,454
$7,454
$7,454
$7,454
$7,454
$7,454
$7,454
$6,128
$6,128
$6,128
$6,128
$6,128
$6,128
$6,128
$6,128
$6,128
$5,123
$5,123
$5,123
$5,123
$5,123
$5,123
$5,123
$5,123
$5,123
$4,295
$4,295
$4,295
$4,295
$4,295
$4,295
$4,295
$4,295
$4,295
$3,633
$3,633
$3,633
$3,633
$3,633
$3,633
$3,633
$3,633
$3,633
$3,103
$3,103
$3,103
$3,103
$3,103
$3,103
$3,103
$3,103
$3,103
$2,749
$2,749
$2,749
$2,749
$2,749
$2,749
$2,749
$2,749
$2,749
2010 World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
Official Report
Event #4
Omaha High-Low Split
Buy-In: $1,500
Number of Entries: 818
Total Net Prize Pool: $1,104,300
Number of Places Paid: 81
First Place Prize: $237,463
May 30 to June 1, 2010


Tournament Headlines:

Happy Birthday to Me! Michael Chow Wins First Gold Bracelet!

On 33rd Birthday, Hawaiian Poker Pro Collects $237,463 in Omaha High-Low Split Battle

Former WSOP Gold Bracelet Winner Dan Heimiller Takes Second Place

Third-Largest Omaha High-Low Tournament in History Attracts 818 Players

Overview

What a birthday present! Michael Chow, a poker pro from Honolulu, HI, won his first WSOP
gold bracelet in the $1,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Split event on the day of his 33rd
birthday. The tournament ended about 4:30 am, with a large cheering section celebrating
Chow’s personal and professional triumph. Chow, who previously worked in real estate
before playing poker full-time, now concentrates mostly on high-stakes cash games in his
native Hawaii and in casinos in both Las Vegas and Los Angeles; he earned a cool payout
totaling $237,463 for winning Event 4 at this year’s WSOP. Chow defeated longtime
tournament veteran Dan Heimiller in heads-up play. Chow dominated most of play on Day
Three, but lost his chip lead late against Heimiller. In fact, it appeared the Las Vegas pro
would defeat Chow at one point. But Chow made a strong comeback and earned a well-
deserved victory. This was the third-biggest field in the history of WSOP Omaha High-Low
events, with 818 players.

The Champion – Michael Chow

The 2010 World Series of Poker $1,500 buy-in Omaha High-Split Eight-or-Better champion is
Michael Chow, from Honolulu, HI.

Chow is 33-years-old. He was born in Honolulu.

His victory occurred on his 33rd birthday.

Chow also owns a home in Las Vegas, NV. He bought a second home because he spends
much of his time playing poker in Las Vegas.

Chow is a professional poker player. He has been playing full time since 2007. Prior to
playing poker, Chow was a real estate broker and investor. He made a very good living and
saved up enough money to bankroll an initial poker career.

Chow attended the University of Hawaii 10 years ago. He did not graduate.

Chow is single.

Chow’s first recorded tournament cash took place in 2001.

Chow previously had about $300,000 in live tournament winnings. He is now up over half a
million in earnings.

Chow plays in many private poker games in Hawaii.

Chow has not concentrated much on tournament play, choosing instead to focus his energy
on cash games. He is a regular in the mid- to high-stakes cash games played at the
Commerce Casino (Los Angeles) and elsewhere. Chow commonly plays $200-400 limit and
$300-600 limit.

Chow first attended the WSOP in 2003 when it was held at Binion’s Horseshoe.

Chow collected $237,463 for first place. He was presented with his first WSOP gold bracelet.

According to official records, Chow now has seven WSOP cashes, two final table
appearances, and one win. His career WSOP earnings now total $370,752.

Among those who were near tableside cheering for Chow was Lisa Hamilton, who is also a
Hawaii native. She won last year’s Ladies World Championship.

Chow is believed to be only the second Hawaiian in WSOP history to win a gold bracelet,
after Hamilton was the first last year.

Winner Quotes:

On the see-saw final table battle, particularly when playing heads-up against Dan Heimiller:
“At one point I felt it slipping away. He was the one player I did not want to play heads up
with.”

On what winning the WSOP gold bracelet means: “This means a lot. I have been working
hard trying to make a living for the past four or five years. I made a final table at the WSOP
before, and I won a Bellagio event. So, I have had cashes here and there. But to win a gold
bracelet, that’s everything to me. This means everything right here. It makes me feel a lot
better about everything I am doing.”

On being Hawaiian and taking pride in his victory: “There are a lot of very good players who
come out of Hawaii. There are a lot of games back home. Many people come to Las Vegas
from Hawaii. Maybe more people will come and play poker now (after I won).”

The Final Table

The final table consisted of only one former WSOP gold bracelet winner -- Dan Heimiller.

This was an all-American final table. Only a few events last year did not include an
international mix, and they are becoming rarer as the WSOP continues to attract a wider
diversity of competitors from many different nations.

The final table began nine-handed. Every final table participant had at least one prior WSOP
in-the-money finish.

Final table participants ranged in age from 28 to 50.

The runner up was Dan Heimiller. He is a 48-year-old poker pro from Las Vegas. Heimiller
won his gold bracelet back in 2002 in the Seven-Card Stud championship.

The third-place finisher was Ylon Schwartz, from Austin, TX. A former chess master originally
from New York City, he is best known for finishing fourth in the 2008 WSOP Main Event. This
marked Schwartz's 14th time to cash in a WSOP event. He now has in excess of $4 million
in career WSOP earnings.

The fourth-place finisher was Fred Koubi, from Van Nuys, CA. A fixture at major poker
tournaments for many years, Koubi now has four WSOP cashes.

The fifth-place finisher was Scott Epstein, from Las Vegas, NV. He now has eight WSOP
cashes.

The sixth-place finisher was Michael Cipolla, from Fresno, CA.

The seventh-place finisher was Sasha Rosewood, from Santa Cruz, CA.

The eighth-place finisher was Joe Liebman, from Ft. Atkinson, WI.

The ninth-place finisher was Todd Barlow, from Scottsdale, AZ.

The final table officially began at 9:45 pm and ended at 4:10 am.

Other In-the-Money Finishers

The top 81 finishers collected prize money. Aside from those who made the final table,
former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event included – Jeff Madsen
(12th), Huck Seed (18th), Anthony Reategui (22nd), David Bach (24th), Chau Giang (27th),
Lonnie Heimowitz (31st), Tom Schneider (32nd), John Brock Parker (35th), Todd Brunson
(52nd), Walter Smiley (71st), and Berry Johnston (73rd).

With his 73rd-place finish, five-time WSOP gold bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Fame
inductee Johnston now has 58 cashes, which currently ranks fourth on the all-time list.
With his 27th-place finish, Chau Giang cashed for the 51st time, which ranks eighth on the
all-time list.

Jeff Madsen, who finished 12th, was the 2006 WSOP Player of the Year.

Huck Seed, who finished 18th, was the 1996 WSOP Main Event champion.

David Bach, who finished 24th, was the $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. champion last year.

Tom Schneider, who finished 32nd, was the 2007 WSOP Player of the Year.

Walter Smiley, who finished 71st, was the first African-American ever to win a WSOP gold
bracelet, which took place in 1975.

Odds and Ends

This is the 832nd gold bracelet event in World Series of Poker history. Note: This figure
includes every official WSOP event played, including tournaments during the early years
when there were no actual gold bracelets awarded. It also includes the 11 gold bracelets
awarded at WSOP Europe (to date).

The final table had to be played off the usual Main Stage, which is normally surrounded by
ESPN television cameras. Instead, the finale was held at one of the so-called "feature"
tables in the corner of the Amazon Room at the Rio. This was due to the $50,000 buy-in
Poker Players Championship finale being held on the same day at the same time.

The defending champion from 2009 (and 2008) was Thang T. Luu. He was not among those
who entered this year.

With 818 players, this was the third-largest live Omaha High-Low Split tournament in
history. The largest Omaha tournaments ever held were this same event held last year
(918 entrants) and the 2008 event (833 entrants).

The official WSOP gold bracelet ceremony takes place on the day following the winner’s
victory (or some hours later when the tournament runs past midnight). The ceremony takes
place inside The Pavilion, which is the expansive main tournament room hosting all noon
starts this year. The ceremony begins at the conclusion of the first break of the noon
tournament, usually about 2:20 pm. The national anthem of the winner’s nation is played.
The entire presentation is open to public and media. Video and photography are permitted
by both public and members of the media.

Chow requested that the national anthem of the United States be played at his WSOP gold
bracelet ceremony.

Event History

Omaha High-Low Split has been included on the WSOP schedule every year since 1990.
Omaha (High) was first played at the 1983 WSOP. The game was phased out as interest
declined and Omaha High-Low Split gained popularity. The last Omaha (High) tournament
was held in 2003. All Omaha-related events between 1983 and 1989 were either High-Only
or Pot-Limit Omaha.

The previous winners of this event were as follows:
Thang T. Luu (2009)
Thang T. Luu (2008)
Alex Kravchenko (2007)
Jack Zwerner (2006)
Patrick Poels (2005)
Curtis Bibb (2004)
Frankie O'Dell (2003)
Mike Matusow (2002)
Scotty Nguyen (2001)
Howard Lederer (2000)
Mike Wattel (1999)
Paul Rowe (1998)
Deane Stonier (1997)
Men "the Master" Nguyen (1996)
Dr. Max Stern (1995)
J.C. Pearson (1994)
Erik Seidel (1993)
Eli Balas (1992)
Joe Becker (1991)
Monte Kous (1990)

The $1,500 buy-in event has traditionally been held early on the WSOP schedule. As Omaha
High-Low Split gained popularity, other buy-in events were added, including buy-in levels
from $2,000 up to $10,000.

Tournament Play

The tournament was played over three consecutive days, from May 30th through June 1st,
2010. The tournament extended into a fourth day by virtue of the late end on the morning
of June 2nd.

The tournament was played over Memorial Day weekend.

DAY ONE: 818 played down to 274. The chip leader at the end of Day One was Oleg
Shamardin. He cashed in 59th place.

DAY TWO: 274 played down to 26: The chip leader at the end of Day Two was Sasha
Rosewood, He cashed in 7th place.

DAY THREE: 26 played down to the winner: The chip leader at the start of the final table
was Mike Cipolla. He cashed in 6th place.

When heads-up play began, Dan Heimiller enjoyed about a 2 to 1 chip advantage over
Chow. He increased his lead to about 5 to 1 at one point. But Chow stormed back during
the last 90 minutes and won the victory.

The final table officially lasted 6 hours and 25 minutes.

The tournament officially began on Friday, May 30th at 5:00 pm. The tournament officially
ended on Wednesday, June 2nd, at 4:10 am PST.

2010 WSOP Statistics

Through the conclusion of Event #3, the 2010 WSOP has attracted 1,655 total entries;
$6,996,750 in prize money has been awarded to winners thus far.

Through the conclusion of Event #3, the nationalities of winners have been:
United States (3)

Through the conclusion of Event #3, the national origin (birthplace) of winners has been:
Vietnam (1)
United States (2)

-- Report by Nolan Dalla

For official news and the latest updates from the 2010 World Series of Poker, visit: www.
wsop.com
To view the complete schedule and results for the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP), click on the link below:

2010 World Series of Poker Schedule and Results
Poker Stars
World Series of Poker (WSOP) Results
2010 World Series of Poker Event #4 Winner Michael Chow