Frank O'Dell Wins $2k Limit Omaha High-Low Championship

LAS VEGAS -- The winner of the $2,000 buy-in Limit Omaha High-Low championship was Frank O’Dell. He is a 35-year-old professional poker player originally from Denver, CO who now lives in Long
  Beach, CA. This was his second victory at the World Series of Poker.

O’Dell won the WSOP Omaha High-Low championship in 2003. He is one of only a few players to hold multiple WSOP titles in Omaha High-Low.

O’Dell has been playing tournament poker for about ten years and has amassed over $1.4 million in tournament winnings.

Inside the poker room, O’Dell routinely wears athletic jerseys from his favorite sports team, the Denver Broncos.

“I just want to relax,” O’Dell said afterward when asked what he plans to do with nearly a quarter-million dollars in prize money. “To me a win is more important than money or anything else. It’s a great experience.”

The tournament attracted 534 entries, one of the largest Omaha High-Low turnouts in WSOP history. O’Dell arrived third in chips at the final table, and vanquished his eight rivals at one of the fastest finales of this year’s World Series, clocking in at slightly over three hours. First place paid $240,057.

Marcel “The Flying Dutchman” Luske finished in fourth place. Luske, one of Europe’s most popular poker ambassadors came up short yet again in his quest to win his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet.

Marvin Ryan, from Flagstaff, AZ finished in 5th place. Ryan is a decorated Vietnam veteran. He said he plans to spend some of his prize money from this tournament on optometry school tuition for his daughter.

Ming Lee, from Natick, MA was the seventh-place finisher. Lee was one of the early pioneers among online poker players (no money was exchanged at the time) for having learned the game through the Internet in the early 1990s using a format called “IRC.”

Mitch Maples, from Sugar Land, TX came in ninth. Maples finished 606th in the 2006 championship event, out of 8,773 players.

John Juanda was the 10th-place finisher. This was his 37th time to cash at the WSOP, which ranks 16th on the all-time list.

Former WSOP gold bracelet winner Kathy Liebert took 37th place.

Last year’s WSOP event winner Todd Brunson finished in 43rd place.

Through the conclusion of 44 events at the 2007 WSOP, Michael Binger continues to lead all tournament players with six cashes. However, he has not cashed in the last week, which means the record of “most cashes in a year” is less likely to be challenged. The current record is eight cashes accomplished by two players last year – Humberto Brenes and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.

Through the conclusion of 44 events at the 2007 WSOP, five players have 5 cashes each – Fred Goldberg, Thor Hansen, Eric Lynch, Joe Sebok, and Gene Todd. Many players have four cashes.

Humberto Brenes and Thor Hansen share the lead for most final table appearances at this year’s WSOP, with three each.