Event #6: $15,000 8-Game

Tamon Nakamura Wins Event #6: $15,000 8-Game for $239,700

Posted March 22, 2022 at 9:23 pm ET by Keegan McCann

Proving to be quite the mix game specialist, Japan’s Tamon Nakamura captured his second title of the 2022 U.S. Poker Open, defeating Phil Hellmuth heads-up to take home $239,700 and the Event #6: $15,000 8-Game title.

Start of day chip leader Ben Yu parlayed the chip lead into a third-place finish for $105,750 after having his ace-cracked by Hellmuth’s ace-king late in the 50K/100K level during Omaha Hi/Lo. Bryan Micon finished fourth for $77,550, Damjan Radanov finished fifth for $56,400, Scott Seiver finished sixth for $42,300, and Jeremy Ausmus finished seventh for $28,200.

2022 U.S. Poker Open Event #6 Results

The 47-entrant feild in Event #6: $15,000 8-Game created a prize pool of $705,000 and paid the top seven finishers as Maxx Coleman fell in eighth place when Yu’s superior flush bested his flush in Stud Hi/Lo to send the final seven home for the evening on day 1.

Nakamura’s Road To Victory in Event #6

Nakamura came into the day seventh in chips and was down to his last 165,000 chips early when he found a double through Seiver playing Razz during 60,000 and 120,000 limits. Nakamura made a seven on six street to leave Seiver drawing dead before seventh but was still the short stack at the table with just 405,000.

Turning the page to Limit Hold’em, Ausmus would be the first to head out the door when his [KdJd] ran into the [QsQc] of Yu. The flop [Js8d7d] hit the felt and gave Ausmus a pair and the flush draw to best the queens, but when the board ran out [8s] on the turn, and the river [5h] completed the board, Ausmus walked out the door in seventh place for $28,200.

Nakamura would then find his second double of the final table when his [AhQc] ran down the pocket eights of Micon. An ace on the turn secured the double to 710,000.

Limit Hold’em at 40,000/80,000 would also see Seiver’s downfall when he three-bet [AsKc] from the small blind against the [AcTh] of Radanov on the button. The flop fell [Ts2s9d], and Radanov check-called a continuation bet from Seiver. The turn [Td] would see Radanov check-raise Seiver all-in, and when the New York native made the call, he was drawing dead before the river hit the felt, and he took home $42,300 for the sixth-place finish.

From there, it was a battle of attrition as the remaining five players battled through ten different double-ups over a nearly three hour period before Radanov got in his last 300,000 at the 75,000/150,000 level holding [AhQcJhTd] playing Omaha 8 or better only to see Yu three-bet to 450,000 holding [AdAc6h6c] on the button and Hellmuth came along with [AsKs5d4h] from the big blind.

The board ran out [Kd7s5c2s8s], and Hellmuth made the nut flush and an ace-four low to scoop the pot, eliminate Radanov in fifth place for $56,400 and take the chip lead.

A few hands later, in the same level playing No-Limit Hold’em with the blinds at 50,000/100,000, Micon got his last 300,000 into the middle holding [Qd8s] from under the gun only to see Nakamura wake up with [AhKh] in the small blind.

The board ran out [Th2s5d3d3c], and Micon was headed to the rail in fourth place for $77,550 while Nakamura moved into second place in chips with just over 2.1 million chips.

Two hands later, Yu was all-in from the small blind for his last 950,000, holding [Jc9h] against the [5h5c] of Nakamura in the big blind. The board ran out [Td2sKh9d5d], and Nakamura rivered a set of fives to eliminate Yu and in third place for $105,750 and set the stage for the heads-up battle with Hellmuth.

Nakamura would quickly wrestle the chip lead away from Hellmuth thanks to consecutive Razz hands at the 200,000/400,000 limit level. The first hand saw Hellmuth bring in with the [8h4d]/[6s] and Nakamura completed with [Qh3h]/[Ad]. Hellmuth put in the raise, and Nakamura called.

Nakamura hit the [7d] and Hellmuth hit the [2d] on fourth street. Hellmuth bet, and Nakamura called. On fifth street, Nakamura hit the [5d], and Hellmuth hit the [Th]. Nakamura led, and Hellmuth called.

On sixth street, Nakamura hit the [9d] and Hellmuth hit the [8s]. Nakamura bet, and Hellmuth called. On seventh street, Nakamura hit the [2h] to give him a seven, and Hellmuth hit the [7h] to give him an eight-seven. Nakamura bet, and Hellmuth paid it off, sending the 3.7 million chip pot Nakamura’s way, giving him the over two to one chip lead.

Two hands later, Nakamura sent Hellmuth under one million chips when his [KdJc]/[9s8dTc8s]/[7h] bested Hellmuth’s [Ah6h]/[QdTsQsJs]/[Jd]. Hellmuth brought in, and Nakamura completed before Hellmuth called. Hellmuth called every street after that and was left with just 725,000.

Hellmuth would score a double a few hands later to 1.6 million, but when the game switched to Limit-Hold, it was all Nakamura. Nakamura sent Hellmuth back under 600,000 when he flopped a pair of aces against Hellmuth’s flopped pair of sevens.

The final hand saw Nakamura open the button with [Ac3c] and Hellmuth three-bet all-in with [Ks7c]. The board ran out [QdThTsQs9h], and Nakamura’s ace-high completed the accent from worst to first and sent Hellmuth home with the $155,100 second-place prize.