If you want to find the softest spots in poker, you go to the $1/$2 tables on a Friday night. If you want to test your soul against the most terrifying Pot Limit Omaha wizards on the planet, you buy into Event #13: $50,000 High Roller PLO at the WSOP Bahamas.
The stakes don’t get much higher, and the field doesn’t get much tougher.
After two days of four-card warfare, a new name has etched himself into high-roller history. Charles Hook, a player who finished 20th in the Triton Invitational earlier this year, just turned his “almost” into a “definite.”
Hook topped a field of 115 entries to capture his maiden WSOP bracelet and a career-defining score of $1,456,000. But the story isn’t just about who won. It’s about who didn’t. To lift the gold, Hook had to derail the runaway freight train that is Michael Moncek, denying “Texas Mike” a third career WSOP bracelet in a heads-up match that swung harder than a PLO variance graph.
Here is exactly how the action went down at the WSOP Bahamas.
A Field of Legends
Let’s be honest: nobody accidentally stumbles into a $50k PLO tournament. This event attracted the absolute elite of the mixed game world. We are talking about a field where even the “fish” (if you can call them that) have millions in live earnings.
The tournament generated a prize pool of over $5.4 million, drawing sharks from every corner of the high-stakes ecosystem. Day 1 saw the usual suspects battling for position, but the structure was unforgiving. Legends like Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu fired their bullets but failed to spin them up, bricking the event entirely.
By the time the dust settled for Day 2, Hungarian crusher Andras Nemeth led the final 25 survivors. But with only 17 spots paid, the tension was palpable. In these high rollers, the bubble isn’t just about min-cashing; it’s about avoiding a $50,000 swing to your bottom line.
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The $105,000 Bubble Sweat
The bubble phase in a PLO tournament is a unique kind of torture. Unlike Hold’em, where you can often fold your way into the money, the equities in Omaha run so close that survival is rarely guaranteed.
The unfortunate title of “Bubble Boy” went to Andreas Torbergsen. The hand was a classic example of “run it once” brutality.
Torbergsen found himself all-in for his tournament life with a good hand: A♥ K♠ 3♠ 2♠
He was up against the aggressive Russian high roller Artur Martirosian, who looked him up with a raggedy, double-suited structure: A♠ 8♠ 6♥ 3♦
Torbergsen was a statistical favorite, and the flop looked safe enough: 7♥ 7♠ 4♥
The turn K♦ improved Torbergsen to top pair, and he looked poised to double up and make the money. But PLO is a cruel game. The river peeled off the 5♠, giving Martirosian a gutshot straight to crack Kings up.
Torbergsen walked away with nothing, while the remaining 17 players, including Martin Kabrhel (16th), Jason Mercier (15th), and Yuri Dzivielevski (14th), locked up a minimum payout of $105,000.
Final Table Demolition
Once the money bubble burst, the play loosened up, and the eliminations came fast. The final table was a murderer’s row of talent.
Spain’s Lautaro Guerra had a brief stint as chip leader but bowed out in 8th place ($161,000). He was followed quickly by American high-stakes regular Jason Koon, who couldn’t find the momentum to spin his stack, exiting in 7th for $203,000.
Then, the focus shifted to one man: Josh Arieh. Arieh, already a seven-time bracelet winner and a certified PLO specialist, was hunting for number eight. He played his trademark aggressive style but ultimately ran into the wall of variance, crashing out in 5th place. While $352,000 is a nice score, Arieh likely left disappointed he couldn’t close out the win.
Following him to the rail was UK titan Stephen Chidwick. Known as one of the best tournament players in history, Chidwick navigated the short-handed dynamic well but succumbed in 4th place for $481,000.
This set the stage for a marathon three-handed battle.
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The Three-Handed Grind
For nearly two hours, it was a triangular deadlock between Charles Hook, Michael Moncek, and start-of-day chip leader Andras Nemeth.
Three-handed PLO is an entirely different game than fullring. You cannot wait for Aces. You have to fight for blinds, float light, and re-bluff rivers. The chip lead rotated, but eventually, the structure caught up to the Hungarian.
Andras Nemeth finally bowed out in 3rd place, taking home $673,000. His elimination left Hook and Moncek almost dead even in chips, setting up a heads-up clash for the ages.
Heads-Up: Aces, Swings, and The Final Dagger
The narrative coming into heads-up play was heavily skewed toward Michael Moncek. “Texas Mike” already holds two WSOP bracelets and has been on a tear in mixed events over the last few years. A third win here would have cemented his status as a modern PLO legend.
The match started with high volatility. In Omaha Poker, equity advantages are rarely more than 60/40, meaning the chip lead can flip in a single hand. Moncek and Hook traded blows, with Moncek eventually seizing the momentum and pulling ahead. It looked like the bracelet was heading to Texas.
But Charles Hook refused to roll over.
The Turning Point
The match was decided in a massive cooler pot. On a flop of 10-5-4, all the chips went into the middle.
- Hook: held A-A-x-x (Overpair).
- Moncek: held bottom pair with backdoor draws.
It was a classic PLO spot. The Aces were ahead, but far from invincible. However, the board bricked out for Moncek. Hook’s Aces held, and Moncek was left decimated, holding little more than two big blinds.
The Final Hand
The tournament ended moments later. Moncek, forced to gamble, shoved from the button.
- Moncek: K♠ 9♦ 4♣ 4♦
- Hook: A♦ J♠ 7♦ 7♣
The flop gave Moncek a glimmer of hope: K♦ J♣ 3♠. Top pair for Moncek, putting him in the lead.
But the turn was the A♥.
Hook drilled two pair (Aces and Jacks), leaving Moncek drawing dead to a King or a 4.
The river was a meaningless 3♦.
Charles Hook had done it. He denied a legend, conquered one of the toughest fields at the WSOP Bahamas, and claimed the $1.45 million top prize.
Event #13: $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller Payouts
Here is how the payouts of the final table looked for Event #13: $50,000 High Roller PLO:
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Charles Hook | United States | $1,456,000 |
| 2nd | Michael Moncek | United States | $966,000 |
| 3rd | Andras Nemeth | Hungary | $673,000 |
| 4th | Stephen Chidwick | United Kingdom | $481,000 |
| 5th | Josh Arieh | United States | $352,000 |
| 6th | Laszlo Bujtas | Hungary | $264,000 |
| 7th | Jason Koon | United States | $203,000 |
| 8th | Lautaro Guerra | Spain | $161,000 |
Notable deep runs outside the final table included Jesse Lonis (10th), Artur Martirosian (11th), and Yuri Dzivielevski (14th).
Conclusion
For Charles Hook, this victory is more than just a pile of cash; it’s validation. Navigating a field that includes Chidwick, Arieh, and Koon requires more than just running well; it requires nerves of steel.
For the rest of us watching from the rail (or the micro-stakes tables), it was a reminder of why we love Pot Limit Omaha. One turn card changes everything. One pair of Aces can hold for a million dollars, or crack for a bubble exit.
Images: WSOP
With over 12 years of Omaha Poker experience, Lebi is the Head of Content at PLO365. A dedicated PLO specialist, he bridges the gap between complex GTO theory and practical street poker. He leads our review team, stress-testing PLO solvers, HUDs, and training courses to ensure they meet the demands of the modern grinder. When he isn’t auditing poker room RNGs or writing strategy guides, you can find him grinding mid-stakes PLO cash games and Turbo MTTs.
