Event #23: $1,500 SHOOTOUT No-Limit Hold'em

Daniel Sepiol clinched his first WSOP bracelet in style in Event #23: $1,500 Shootout No Limit Hold'em after defying the odds and battling back from a colossal chip disadvantage during heads-up play to take home the $305,849 first prize.

Sepiol overcame Robert Natividad heads-up which saw the Filipino player collect $203,889 for his runner-up finish — a career-best score.

A total of 1,534 players entered the tournament which generated a prize pool of $2,047,890.

2024 WSOP Event #23: $1,500 Shootout No Limit Hold'em Final Table Results

Winner's Reaction

PokerNews had the opportunity to talk with Sepiol after he captured the title.

"It feels amazing man, I've been chasing a bracelet for years now, it feels great," replied a jovial Sepiol when he was asked how he felt after winning his first bracelet.

Sepiol was asked what was going through his head when he was heads-up with around a seventeen-to-one chip disadvantage.

"It doesn't feel good, especially when you just bluffed off your entire stack but I kind of, like, played my stack that was in front of me and just tried to make the best decisions,"

"My first two [tables] both were smooth and I ran good. I had a big chip stack when we were short-handed and it was kind of cruise," said Sepiol in response to how his first two tables went in the Shootout Event.

Sepiol was then asked how he was going to celebrate.

"Too much poker to celebrate. I'll play the $25k tomorrow, that's about it," replied Sepiol, who couldn't stop smiling throughout the interview.

Final Day's Action

Both Day 1 and Day 2 of the tournament followed a traditional shootout style format with players needing to win their table to advance. Some big names such as Scott Seiver, Maria Ho, Espen Jorstad, Joe McKeehen, Erick Lindgren, Landon Tice, and Rainer Kempe all managed to win their first table but were eliminated on Day 2.

When the third and final day got underway, sixteen players were in contention after winning their table on Day 2. They included former bracelet winners such as Darius Samual, Scott Ball, Jeremy Ausmus, Daniel Strelitz, and Vitor Dzivielevski. The final sixteen players would no longer need to win their table to advance as Day 3 was played out in traditional tournament style.

Alexander Farahi, Dzivielevski, Matthew Rosen, Brad Albrinck, Elia Ahmadian, and Kyriakos Papadopoulos were all eliminated in the opening levels before Samual became the final table bubble boy after running his pocket kings into Natividad's pocket aces, with the eventual runner-up rivering quads which sealed Samual's fate.

Natividad picked up pocket aces again and eliminated Aaron Pinson in ninth, who collected $28,577. The elimination train continued for Natividad as he sent Ball to the rail in eighth for $36,385 after the two got their chips in the middle of the table in a coinflip situation.

Sean Ragozzini had been short-stacked for most of the final table and got his chips in the middle holding ace-five and was put at risk by Ausmus who held queen-eight. Ausmus improved on each street and ended the hand with a full house which eliminated Ragozzini in seventh for $46,948.

Richard Dixon had laddered up the payouts but couldn't get anything going and eventually found himself on the rail after getting rivered by Strelitz. Dixon had shoved with ace-seven and been called by the jack-eight of Strelitz. The runout looked good for Dixon until an eight on the river ended his run in sixth for a payday of $61,380.

It was Strelitz who fell next after he ran his pocket jacks into the pocket queens of the eventual champion Sepiol, which left the former bracelet winner out in fifth for a payday of $81,298. Moments later, only three players were remaining as Ausmus was eliminated at the hands of Sepiol and collected $109,071 for fourth.

James Davidson was the short stack entering three-handed play and did double up to give himself a foothold in the tournament but eventually was eliminated by Natividad after running ace-ten into the runner-up's ace-queen. A great run from Davidson that saw him bank $148,196 for third.

When heads-up play began, Natividad held an over two-to-one chip advantage but soon extended that after he picked off Sepiol's bluff with third pair. It was at this point that Sepiol found himself at a seventeen-to-one chip disadvantage and it seemed certain the title belonged to Natividad.

Natividad was one card away from clinching his first bracelet but a devastating river card kept Sepiol alive and swung the pendulum in the opposite direction.

The pair would exchange pots back and forth until Sepiol finally gained the chip lead after some intense heads-up action.

In the final hand of the night, Natividad five-bet shoved the flop with ace-nine as a bluff, and Sepiol called holding queen-ten for top pair. The board ran out clean for Sepiol which meant Natividad had to settle for second.

A stunning heads-up performance from Sepiol who defied the odds and came back from a huge chip deficit to land his first-ever bracelet.

Stay tuned to PokerNews throughout the 2024 WSOP for updates from all ninety-nine bracelet events.

Robert Natividad looked down at the    in the small blind and limped. Daniel Sepiol checked in the big blind with the   

The flop came     to give Sepiol top pair. Natividad bet 750,000. Sepiol took a few moments before raising to 2,300,000. Natividad made a three-bet to 3,900,000. Sepiol then made a rare flop four-bet by stating raise to the minimum amount, which was 5,500,000.

Natividad looked confused and went into the tank for a while, before he came over the top again with a five-bet jam which Sepiol called after a couple of seconds.

Robert Natividad:   
Daniel Sepiol:   

Natividad was in a rough spot and was close to elimination just like that as the turn came the  . The river was the   to confirm the bracelet for Sepiol after the epic heads up comeback was complete.

Daniel Sepiol	38,375,000	16,800,000
Robert Natividad	0	-16,800,000

Daniel Sepiol limped the small blind with the   , Robert Natividad checked with the   .

The flop came    . It went check-check to the turn which was the   to hit Sepiol. Natividad called the 800,000 bet from Sepiol.

The river was the  . Sepiol fired 2,200,000. Natividad took quite a while to think it out before he called to see the bad news as Sepiol took the chip lead for the first time heads up.

Daniel Sepiol	19,475,000	6,225,000
Robert Natividad	18,900,000	-6,100,000

From the big blind, Robert Natividad defended with the    against the    of Daniel Sepiol who has raised from the small blind.

The flop came    . Sepiol bet 350,000 and Natividad called. The turn was the  . It went check-check.

The river was the  . Sepiol went for some value with a 600,000 bet but instead got a fold.

Robert Natividad	34,825,000	-1,350,000
Daniel Sepiol	4,250,000	2,050,000

Daniel Sepiol limped in from the button and Robert Natividad checked his option.

They both saw a flop of     which was checked to the   turn. Natividad checked, Sepiol bet 900,000, and Natividad called.

An   completed the board which Natividad checked, and Sepiol bet 5,000,000. After some time thinking, Natividad made the call.

Sepiol tabled    for just queen-high, and Natividad tabled    for a pair of tens to scoop the pot.

Robert Natividad	35,500,000	5,200,000
Daniel Sepiol	3,000,000	-5,100,000

Robert Natividad limped from the small blind with    and Daniel Sepiol checked his option holding   .

They both saw a flop of     which Natividad bet 350,000 on, and Sepiol raised to 1,050,000. Natividad called.

A   came on the turn which was checked to the   river, and the two players checked it to showdown. Natividad took it down with his pair of eights.

Robert Natividad	20,300,000	3,500,000
Daniel Sepiol	11,600,000	-2,550,000

With the   , Robert Natividad raised from the button and James Davidson defended the big blind with the   .

The flop came     to pair Natividad. The turn was the   and it was checked again to the river which came the   to give Davidson the better pair. Action went check-check once again and Davidson was able to collect the pot.

Robert Natividad	16,800,000	-1,200,000
James Davidson	6,500,000	1,150,000