Drew O’Connell Wins Event #3 of World Series of Poker Online Series for $96,000

The latest World Series of Poker bracelet event took place this week, with the third event of the 2022 WSOP Online Series producing a winner in Drew O’Connell. At a final table that included players such as Ryan Laplante and Calvin Anderson, it was O’Connell who claimed gold after a strong of big names busted on the outskirts of the final table.

Only Nine Make the Final

With 74 players entering the $3,200-entry High Roller Event #3, there were 25 rebuys, meaning 99 entries and a prize pool of a massive $376,960. It took 11 hours to find a winner. The early stages saw players such as Matt Berkey, new World Poker Tour ambassador Brad Owen and the unlucky bubble boy in the event, Landon Tice, all crash out without making any money.

Other superstars of the game who did make it into profit but couldn’t quite last until the final table included Darren Rabinowitz (25^th for $3,015), 2022 WSOP bracelet winner and former GPI #1 Alex Foxen (17^th for $3,543), and Andrew ‘LuckyChewy’ Lichtenberger, who came 11^th for $5,239).

When the final table started, two quick eliminations almost immediately reduced the field to seven. Zach Schwartz busted in ninth place for $6,596 before Peter Mugar was dominated and defeated by Ryan Laplante. Mugar had committed his chips with ace-ten but couldn’t survive against Laplante’s ace-queen and cashed for $8,481 in eighth place.

Madsen and Apter Crash Out

In seventh place, Jeff Madsen cashed for $11,346 after a period of 30 minutes without an elimination ended. Madsen’s all-in with ace-nine fell as it failed to hit against Shaun O’Donnell’s pocket threes, condemning Madsen to defeat in back-to-back final tables in WSOP Online events.

Next to go was Giuseppe Pantaleo, who busted in sixth place for $15,153. His shove with pocket eights was unable to hold against the ace-king of O’Connell who was still dominating at the top of the leaderboard.

When Brett Apter was all-in with ten-nine, he finished in fifth place for $20,468. That was down to O’Connell calling with queen-jack and staying ahead through the board to reduce the field to four players.

Laplante Loses Out

“Shaun O’Donnell shoved with ace-eight in an effort to double his short stack.”

With four left, it was anyone’s bracelet, but Ryan Laplante was probably the most experienced player still at the virtual felt. Sadly for him and his many fans, the talented Laplante busted next in fourth for $28,611 when Laplante’s queens couldn’t hold against Calvin Anderson’s pocket threes, which hit a set to send play three-handed.

Despite winning that hand, Anderson was the next man to bust, as he lost out in third for $40,824. Anderson’s pocket sevens flopped a set but eventually were shot down by O’Connell’s straight coming in, and that set up possibly the most confusing pair of names ever to play heads-up for a bracelet – O’Connell and O’Donnell!

Both hailed from America and it was only one hand that ended the heads-up as soon as it began. Shaun O’Donnell shoved with ace-eight in an effort to double his short stack, but O’Connell’s call with king-ten saw a ten land on the river to pair up his hand and hand him the title along with the $96,087 top prize. O’Donnell claimed second place for $59,371.