Event #68: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em

"Relieved."

This single word described how Colin Robinson felt as he celebrates his maiden World Series of Poker bracelet. He defeated Carl Shaw heads up to win Event #68: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em, in a blaze of glory.

"The biggest feeling is definitely relief. I came into the day fifth in chips and started out very poorly… Crap if I get out of the final two tables without making the final table it'll be a little tragic. I'm gonna play my best and whatever happens happens. Today, I guess, was my day."

Robinson had been in this position before, having finished second in last year's WSOP Monster Stack. He was rewarded with $718,649 for his effort there and today he takes home $667,963 of the $4,959,525 prize pool.

He attributes his prior experience to helping him overcome the final table today, recalling a hand in the Monster Stack run where he should have ripped it with    instead of just raising by 3 times and calling off. "Sometimes plays that seem like they are more variance are actually less." Robinson added.

To get his first bracelet, Robinson had to fight through the 2,229 player field to win the event. The 23 players who returned on Day 3 had a combined 11 bracelets between them. Of those were such names as Nacho Barbero, and Mike Holtz, and Peter Park.

Robinson's poker journey started over 10 years ago as he learned to play poker near the end of high school with buddies. He reflected that they would mostly play sit and go formats. When he moved to California he started playing online and met other online players who would coach him and become close friends.

A long way to come to today where Robinson shared that "Once we got to four handed I felt very confident that I was gonna win. I was thinking some of [the other players] wanted to get some pay jumps. And I kind of just got the hands and was running good."

He finished by stating that he'd save his closing remarks "for the next one."

Event #68: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Results

Day 3 Action

Day 3 began with 23 players remaining out of the starting field. The start of the day found multiple players doubling up before Michael Liang and David Guay fell. Eliminations continued sporadically as Jin Hoon Lee, Rui Ferreira, and Jose Rodriguez were rapidly eliminated.

As play resumed with only two tables, the pair of Michael Newman and Holtz hit the rail. A flurry of bustouts containing Gianluca Cedolia, Ari Shin, and David Dongwoo Ko brought the play to short handed on both tables.

Shortly after, a string of busts containing Alisson Piekazewicz, Andre Akkari, and Barbero brought play down to an unofficial final table.

Ky Nguyen then ended on the wrong side of aces bringing the action down to the final nine. Robinson sat third in chips as Shaw led the field. It was a deadlock for hours before Ivan Stankov fell in a flip. Three hours passed as short stacks seemed to always double and the field maintained its numbers.

Gonzalo Almada was the next person to face elimination being left short stack from the prior hand. Robinson then won a massive pot when he eliminated Park with Big Slick, and sat atop the remaining players with over a third of the chips in play.

Robinson continued his show of dominance as he felted Akshat Bajaj after being dominated before the flop. With over half of the chips in play, Robinson soon busted Barry Shulman and Vitalijs Zavorotnijs in rapid succession.

Within fifteen minutes the tournament would conclude as John Reiter ran into Robinson's suited ace. Finally, Carl Shaw lost heads-up as Robinson found a four-card flush with his outkicked Queen to win the event.

That concludes PokerNews coverage of Event #68 $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em. Stay tuned for more updates from the 2024 WSOP.

Live Updates

Seated in the blinds, Colin Robinson and John Reiter got their stacks in the middle with the latter at risk for a little over ten million.

John Reiter:   
Colin Robinson:   

Once again, the runout favored the unstoppable Robinson as the board came down       to bring the field in no time down to the final two players.

Colin Robinson	66,765,000	12,765,000
Carl Shaw	11,250,000	-150,000
John Reiter	0	-10,600,000

Colin Robinson raised to 1,200,000 from the button and John Reiter put in the call.

The flop came     and both players were quick to check.

While the turn peeled the  , Reiter led out for 1,200,000. Robinson raised to 3,100,000 and was called by Reiter.

The river was the   and Reiter checked to Robinson. Robinson fired for 3,700,000 and was called by Reiter. He was shown the bad news as Robinson's    was good.

Colin Robinson	42,400,000	10,600,000
Vitalijs Zavorotnijs	11,500,000	0
Carl Shaw	11,400,000	0
John Reiter	10,600,000	-9,750,000

In a blind-on-blind battle, Colin Robinson shoved all in and Vitalijs Zavorotnijs called for 6,200,000.

Vitalijs Zavorotnijs:   
Colin Robinson:   

The board ran out       for Zavorotnijs to double.

Colin Robinson	31,000,000	-7,000,000
Vitalijs Zavorotnijs	12,900,000	6,200,000

Peter Park moved all in for 3,075,000 and Akshat Bajaj called from the button. Colin Robinson moved all in over the top and Bajaj made the fold. Both players revealed their hands.

Peter Park:   
Colin Robinson:   

Park commented that he "liked his hand" as he stood to win three to one if he hit. Unfortunately, the board disagreed as it ran out       for Robinson to take the pot.

Colin Robinson	27,500,000	11,400,000
John Reiter	14,700,000	1,000,000
Carl Shaw	12,500,000	2,600,000
Akshat Bajaj	9,300,000	2,400,000
Vitalijs Zavorotnijs	6,700,000	-3,000,000
Barry Shulman	5,200,000	300,000
Peter Park	0	-4,075,000

With just a few big blinds left, Gonzalo Almada raised himself committed from under the gun. Carl Shaw stuck the rest in from the big blind and Almada called.

Gonzalo Almada:   
Carl Shaw:   

The Argentinians on the rail begged for a "siete," a seven, but their cries remained unanswered during the       rundown. Almada received thunderous applause from his countrymen as he exited the stage.

Carl Shaw	9,900,000	850,000
Gonzalo Almada	0	-2,400,000

In the previous hand, Gonzalo Almada lost chips when Vitalijs Zavorotnijs three-bet his open. Almada gave it up to drop a bit in chips.

Then, Carl Shaw shoved for 4,125,000 in the small blind, and Almada, seated in the big blind, called it off.

Carl Shaw:   
Gonzalo Almada:   

The Argentinian rail cried for a hold, but the       rundown left Shaw a winner.

"Muy caliente!" a woman on the British rail erupted.

Vitalijs Zavorotnijs	9,700,000	1,700,000
Carl Shaw	9,050,000	4,125,000
Gonzalo Almada	2,400,000	-6,025,000

John Reiter raised to 800,000 on the button, Peter Park three-bet shoved from the small blind, and Carl Shaw folded the big blind. Reiter took a brief moment before calling all in for 8,875,000 total.

John Reiter:   
Peter Park:   

The board ran out      , and Park was left with just over three big blinds.

John Reiter	18,200,000	7,200,000
Peter Park	1,415,000	-8,785,000