Michael Rocco Wins First Bracelet In World Series of Poker $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max Championship

Heading into the 2024 World Series of Poker $10,000 no-limit maintain’em six-max championship, Michael Rocco had made 5 top-three finishes in WSOP bracelet occasions with out coming away with a win. Just over a month earlier than this event started, the 34-year-old recorded a third-place end in a $25,000 buy-in excessive curler on the collection. Rocco’s frustration with the outcome was evident in his bust-out interview with PokerGO’s Jeff Platt.

“I always don’t close [in] big spots. That’s just what I do,” he stated at level.

Really respect and recognize Michael Rocco taking us by means of what truthfully was operating by means of his thoughts as he busted in third: pic.twitter.com/KO2ysBkXWP

— Jeff Platt (@jeffplatt) June 9, 2024

Rocco was capable of shut on this huge spot, although. He beat out a subject of 502 entries within the remaining $10,000 buy-in championship occasion of the summer season to earn his first WSOP gold bracelet and a career-best payday of $942,922. This victory elevated Rocco’s lifetime event earnings to $7,137,887.

In an interview with Pokernews through the remaining day of this occasion, Rocco revealed that he has purchased a farm and intends to spend extra time cultivating crops than taking part in flops within the close to future.

Rocco was awarded 2,100 Card Player Player of the Year factors for the win. This was his second title and tenth final-table end of the yr. With 5,183 complete factors and practically $2.2 million in to-date POY earnings, he now sits in sixth place within the 2024 race standing offered by Global Poker. Rocco additionally secured 925 PokerGO Tour factors, sufficient to catapult him into the outright lead within the PGT season-long factors race.

The high 76 finishers made the cash on this occasion, with huge names like 2013 WSOP fundamental occasion champion Ryan Riess (forty eighth), 2021 WSOP fundamental occasion champion Koray Aldemir (forty first), 2015 WSOP fundamental occasion champion Joe McKeehen (thirty fifth), two-time bracelet winner Joao Simao (twenty ninth), Viktor Blom (twelfth), two-time bracelet winner Eric Baldwin (eleventh), and bracelet winner James Chen (tenth) among the many many who ran deep.

The third and remaining day of this occasion started with 28 gamers remaining. Rocco was in seventh chip place to begin the day. He remained in that spot when the unofficial remaining desk of seven was set. He outlasted Fahredin Mustafov (seventh – $104,465) and Egor Procop (sixth – $142,316) to make it all the way down to the ultimate 5.

Four-time bracelet winner Adrian Mateos was the subsequent to fall, together with his pocket nines unable to carry in opposition to the A-9 of two-time bracelet winner Alexandre Reard, who received this very occasion in 2023. Mateos earned $198,261 for his newest deep run. He additionally took residence 875 POY factors, sufficient to see him regain the lead within the 2024 POY standings. He has 7,502 complete factors accrued throughout 13 final-table finishes. His to-date POY earnings now sit at greater than $8.6 million.

Reard continued to drag away from the pack when his pocket tens bested the A-6 suited of bracelet winner Aram Zobian (4th – $282,302) to slim the sphere to 3. Rocco was capable of shut the hole a bit throughout three-handed motion, however Reard made two-pair over two-pair to bust Aleks Dmitrov (third – $410,657) to increase a large chip benefit once more.

Heads-up play started with Reard holding 23,100,000 to Rocco’s 8,700,000. Reard had an opportunity to shut out the win and safe back-to-back victories on this occasion, however his pocket eights have been outrun by Rocco’s pocket sevens. Rocco flopped a set and held from there to double into the lead.

The remaining hand of the event was a wild one. Reard min-raised to 500,000 on the button with Q5 and Rocco defended with 43. The flop got here down Q54 and Rocco check-called for 500,000. The flip introduced the three and Rocco checked his fours and threes. Reard wager 900,000 with queens and fives. Rocco check-raised all-in and Reard shortly known as. According to Card Player’s Poker Odds Calculator, Reard was a 91-percent favourite to win the hand and double up. The 3 appeared on the top, although, giving Rocco threes full for the win.

Reard earned $610,013 because the runner-up. The French participant now has greater than $5.9 million in lifetime earnings.

Here is a take a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the remaining desk:

Winner photograph credit score: WSOP / Rachel Kay Winter.

Visit the Card Player 2024 World Series of Poker web page for schedules, information, interviews, and the most recent occasion outcomes. WSOP protection sponsored by Global Poker.