Michael Casella has spent a lot of his life taking part in chess at a excessive degree, however he has change into one of many many to transition to poker in recent times. Nevertheless, with solely 4 profession WSOP cashes, desires of World Sequence of Poker glory appeared out of attain, till as we speak.
The 554-entry area in Occasion #8: $1,500 Badugi on the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas was filled with mixed-game legends, however after seizing the chip lead with 4 tables remaining on Saturday evening, the Los Angeles native outlasted all of them.
His path to the $141,963 prime prize was something however simple. To assert the title, Casella needed to navigate a three-handed battle towards poker titans Scott Seiver and Nick Schulman. Undeterred, he rode his wire-to-wire lead straight to the winner’s circle to seize his very first WSOP gold bracelet.
Occasion #8: $1,500 Badugi Ultimate Desk Outcomes
1Michael CasellaUnited States$141,963
2Nick SchulmanUnited States$94,607
3Scott SeiverUnited States$62,920
4Gary BensonAustralia$42,815
5Brant HaleUnited States$29,824
6Stephan NussrallahUnited States$21,279
Winner’s Response
Casella was keenly conscious of the competitors that awaited him on the ultimate day, however his aggressive facet was trying ahead to the problem.
“I used to be planning on this final evening,” he defined, “4 means with me, [Scott] Seiver, Nick [Schulman], and Yuri [Dzivielevski], and that I might beat all of them.”
Dzivielevski fell in need of the ultimate desk, however Casella’s premonition got here partially true after tussling with Seiver and Schulman three-handed.
Schulman isn’t any stranger to prolonged heads-up matches, and as we speak was no completely different as Casella battled with the Poker Corridor of Famer for over three hours of motion. Casella held the chip lead for all however one hand, and he had Schulman on the ropes a number of instances.
“I am relieved,” the newly-minted bracelet winner elaborated, “[Schulman] was all-in so many instances, and he is such a very good participant so something can occur. Every time he gained I felt like I may lose at any time.”
Nonetheless, Casella stored his composure by the ups and downs, relying upon his chess expertise.
“I have been competing my complete life in chess,” he continued, “It’s extremely demanding bodily and emotionally, so I can deal with heads-up poker higher.
Though nearly all of Casella’s match cashes have are available in No-Restrict Maintain’em, he plies his commerce in blended video games within the Los Angeles casinos.
“Within the blended video games they all the time have Badugi, and everyone loves Badugi.”
Casella additionally gave a shoutout to his poker buddies again house, particularly “the fellows and ladies on the Bike and Commerce who’ve been rooting me on.”
Each Casella, and his followers, have a lot to have fun after an unbelievable efficiency.
Day 3 Motion
From the beginning area of 554 hopefuls, simply ten gamers would return for Day 3 this afternoon. It was a star-studded forged of crushers, all of whom had their eyes on the bracelet.
The sphere was shortly lowered from ten to the unofficial remaining desk of seven.
5-time bracelet winner Yuri Dzivielevski and long-time blended sport crusher Jon Turner have been eradicated on the primary few arms of the day after bricking their remaining attracts, and Kyle Arora adopted shortly thereafter after he made a ten Badugi towards Seiver’s 9.
Casella held the result in start the ultimate desk, however Seiver and Gary Benson have been shut behind.
Walter Chambers was the primary casualty in seventh place. He grew to become short-stacked and was drawing to a wheel towards Stephan Nussrallah’s jack Badugi. Chambers couldn’t make his hand, and he hit the rail after one other sturdy efficiency.
Stephan Nussrallah was then the following to fall. He misplaced nearly all of his stack in a cooler towards Casella, and shortly thereafter acquired the remainder of his stack in with a six draw towards the made queen of Seiver. Nussrallah did not discover any of his outs, and he exited in sixth place.
After surviving a couple of ladders, Brant Hale‘s run got here to finish in fifth place. He finally grew to become short-stacked and acquired the remainder of his chips into the center, in danger towards Seiver. Each gamers had sturdy attracts, however two bricks adopted and Seiver’s three-card 5 was finest to attain the elimination.
After dropping a big pot to Casella, Australia’s Gary Benson was the following to be eradicated. The bracelet winner discovered himself in danger and drawing towards the made queen of Schulman. Benson couldn’t join, and he hit the exit in fourth place.
This arrange an epic three-handed battle between Casella, Schulman, and Seiver as a big rail shaped contained in the Paris Ballroom to witness historical past.
After a couple of failed bluffs and coolers by the hands of Casella, Scott Seiver was eradicated in third place. He grew to become short-stacked and was all-in with a 5 draw towards the made eight of Schulman. The poker legend was drawing slim, and he did not draw any of his outs. His shot at an eighth bracelet must wait one other day.
Casella would start the heads-up match towards Schulman with a three-to-one lead, however the two would commerce blows for hours as the boundaries continued to extend.
Schulman was capable of seize the chip lead for a single hand at one level, however his momentum was short-lived.
Casella regained a commanding chip lead, and he had Schulman all-in and in danger on six completely different events, with the Corridor of Famer surviving each time.
Cats might have 9 lives, however it seems that Schulman solely has seven. On the ultimate hand, Casella put Schulman in danger earlier than the ultimate draw. Each gamers have been drawing, with Casella holding the stronger three-card. Schulman peeled a brick, and Casella was capable of have fun an unbelievable accomplishment because the room gave a spherical of applause for each him and Schulman.
This concludes PokerNews’s protection of Occasion #8: $1,500 Badugi. Keep tuned as we proceed to cowl all occasions right here on the 2026 World Sequence of Poker and ship the most well liked information from across the poker world!
