Johnny Oshana wrote the biggest chapter of his career by winning the Event #88 (US$ 300 Gladiators of Poker NLH) at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). In addition to his first career bracelet, the American secured US$ 250,000 after overcoming a massive field of 11,185 entries, which distributed US$ 2,751,510 in prizes.
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While the Final Day started with only 12 players, eliminations happened quickly. Emma Stevenson, the last woman in the competition, and Vu Tran left the tournament early on. After the victory, Oshana celebrated the moment and revealed that he is already thinking about his next goal. “It’s an incredible feeling! Now I’m looking forward to my second bracelet”, he said in an interview with PokerNews.
However, the journey to the title had difficult moments. Johnny Oshana started Day 3 among the leaders but lost a big pot to Kenneth Baime, when the opponent’s K♥K♦ beat his 5♥5♦. Even so, he kept his confidence and turned the disadvantage into motivation. “After that hand, I put it in my head that I was going to win. I was patient and waited for the right moments”, he told PokerNews.
Additionally, the champion stated that he usually feels comfortable with a short stack. According to him, this trait made a difference in the tournament’s final stretch. “Actually, I play better with a short stack, and that motivated me even more to win”, he highlighted to PokerNews.
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Check out the final table payouts:
| Position | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnny Oshana | United States | US$ 250,000 |
| 2 | Kenneth Baime | United States | US$ 166,000 |
| 3 | Ryan Hull | United States | US$ 124,500 |
| 4 | Luis Genel | United States | US$ 94,000 |
| 5 | Said El Harrak | United States | US$ 71,350 |
| 6 | Valentin Farkas | Croatia | US$ 54,600 |
| 7 | David Hirst | Australia | US$ 42,100 |
| 8 | Sumit Kumar | United States | US$ 32,700 |
| 9 | Gary McCoy | Ireland | US$ 25,550 |
Dominance at the final table and Brazilian presence in the final stretch
From the comeback, Johnny Oshana began to control the final table. He made notable eliminations and reached the heads-up. Before that, it is worth highlighting the presence of a Brazilian in the decisive stretch. The veteran from Rio de Janeiro, Marcos Sketch, was eliminated in 15th, receiving US$ 12,750.
Additionally, the decisive heads-up against Kenneth Baime lasted over an hour and featured several lead changes. However, in the decisive hand, Oshana’s 7♥7♦ held against the opponent’s A♦Q♣ and secured his first career bracelet, along with the prize of US$ 250,000.
Off the tables, Johnny Oshana works as a mechanical engineer and has played poker recreationally for 16 years. Now, the champion plans to invest a good part of the prize through his investment company, reserve some for new tournaments, and celebrate the result with his family. “I also intend to take my wife out for a nice dinner”, he concluded to PokerNews.
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