Scott Clements Denies Hellmuth and Brunson in $10k Omaha Hi-Lo Championship

Bracelet No. 4 was a long time coming for Scott Clements, and it fittingly came in a game where he’s enjoyed so much success in the past.

Clements first earned a piece of World Series of Poker gold jewelry 20 years ago in the $3,000 Omaha Hi-Lo event. Over the years, he’s had several close calls in the $10,000 version of the event event, finishing second in 2009 and fourth in 2015. A win had so far eluded him, but that changed today at the final table of Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship.

Clements built up an overwhelming chip lead and steamrolled the final table on his way to the bracelet, his first since 2019. The Washington native made quick work of Dylan Weisman heads-up to take home the $450,176 top prize, his biggest live score since 2007.

Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship Final Table results

Clements is the consummate WSOP grinder, compiling a record of more than 80 cashes and 30 final tables going back to 2005. The steadfast focus on firing everything on the schedule didn’t change with this win. Late registration in the $1,500 Mixed Omaha event was just ending right as Clements was securing the bracelet, and he quickly headed off to join that field.

For Weisman, the runner-up finish might have been bittersweet, but it continued what’s been a stellar start to the series so far for the two-time bracelet winner. It was Weisman’s second final table already, after he finished sixth in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event a few days ago.

Day 3 Action

Day 3 began with 15 players returning to the Paris Las Vegas ballroom at 1 p.m. local time. Clements and Weisman began as the top two chip stacks, Clements with 1,980,000 and Weisman not far behind with 1,940,000.

Jason Kluska busted on the first hand of the day to Phil Hellmuth, joking that he only made it through “38 seconds.” Hellmuth also busted Rob Hollink in 14th, while David Lin fell in 13th against John Esposito’s flopped flush.

James Obst was nursing an extreme short stack when he earned three-quarters to survive. He and Philip Long then got all their chips in the middle after both flopped trips, but Obst spiked a flush on the river to win the pot and send Long to the rail in 12th place.

The frentic pace of bustouts continued when Robert Mizrachi, left with just 90,000 after settling for a quarter of the pot against Weisman, ran into Esposito’s full house to bust in 11th. Weisman then cracked aces to bust Day 1 chip leader James Chen in 10th.

Weisman climbed up past 3,000,000 and into a big chip lead over the final table players. He then made a full house to win a big pot off Esposito, but Esposito got some back with a full house and a low to take three-quarters.

Josh Arieh was left short after Obst rivered a straight. Hellmuth then made a wheel and Arieh fell on the final table bubble in ninth place. Weisman and Clements were still the chip leaders at the start of the final table, Weisman with 2,700,000 and Clements with 2,400,000. Hellmuth, meanwhile, sat in the middle of the pack with 1,400,000 as a large crowd gathered around the feature stage in the hopes of watching history being made.

Esposito was the short stack and quickly got in his last chips with two aces. Weisman also had two aces and they were poised to chop the pot, but Weisman spiked a set of queens on the river. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry,” Weisman said to Esposito as he became the first casualty of the final table.

Weisman had climbed up past 4,000,000, while Clements fell down below 2,000,000 before hitting a full house against Hellmuth, becoming the target of one of Hellmuth’s trademark rants. Weisman increased his lead by making a flush against Todd Brunson, but Brunson then scooped Ryan Bambrick to leave the defending champion with just 300,000.

Bambrick picked up aces shortly after and doubled up off Weisman, improving to a flush on the river to secure the pot. Weisman and Hellmuth then went to the turn where Weisman bet. Hellmuth took a few minutes before raising all in, and Weisman snap-called with the nut flush. “Of course,” Hellmuth sighed as he flung two aces onto the table. The river was no help, and Hellmuth’s quest for bracelet No. 18 came to an end in seventh place.

Bambrick got in his last 115,000 against Obst, and Obst spiked a full house on the turn to win the pot as Bambrick’s title defense came up a few spots short. Clements took the chip lead by taking down three pots in a row, then made two pair against Weisman to move up past 6,000,000.

Nam Le, looking to join his brothers Allan and Tommy as WSOP bracelet winners, raised all in on the flop, but Brunson called him with trip threes. Le could only show two pair and was eliminated in fifth place. One hand later, Obst moved all in on the river and Clements called with a flush to win the pot, sending Obst to the rail in fourth.

Clements and Brunson then went to the turn where Brunson bet. Clements raised, and Brunson reraised. Clements called, then bet on the river. Brunson just called this time, and Clements showed queens full to take the big pot and leave Brunson on a short stack. Brunson doubled up twice off Weisman, but Clements then turned the nut flush against Brunson’s straight and Brunson was eliminated in third place.

Clements led 10,800,000 to Weisman’s 1,400,000 at the start of heads-up. He quickly won a pot with two pair to knock Weisman down to less than 1,000,000. The two players then went to the flop in a limped pot, where Clements bet and Weisman raised. Clements called to the turn, where he led out again. Weisman then moved all in, and Clements called. Weisman had trips and a low, but Clements showed a straight and better low to scoop the pot and secure the title.

Clements’ bracelet drought came to an end, but there was little time for celebration. He stopped to take a few photos, then passed up all media requests in order to take his seat in the other event. It’s what Clements has done for more than two decades. One event was finished. The next job in the other was just getting started.