Few poker phenoms end up standing the test of time. Whether they lose the youthful exuberance they once had, or the cards simply start going against them, the game often passes them by as they age.
Dzmitry Urbanovich is a rare exception. From starting online while still a teenager, to winning millions before he was even old enough to play at the World Series of Poker, Urbanovich has proven to be a survivor, and it culminated today at the final table of Event #80: $10,000 8-Game Mixed Championship.
Event #80: $10,000 8-Game Mixed Championship Final Table results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dzmitry Urbanovich | Poland | $431,260 |
| 2 | Richard Bai | United States | $283,660 |
| 3 | Derek Hanauer | United States | $191,570 |
| 4 | Brian Rast | United States | $132,880 |
| 5 | Alex Foxen | United States | $94,730 |
| 6 | Matt Vengrin | United States | $69,460 |
Urbanovich, after a decade of trying, finally broke through and captured his first WSOP bracelet, defeating Richard Bai heads-up to take home the $431,260 top prize for conquering the 199-player field. His Polish rail erupted in celebration after the last card was dealt, spilling over the barrier around the final table and hoisting Urbanovich up in the air. Urbanovich, though, was much calmer and more collected.
“I just was happy to win, I guess. Nothing really. Just tried to play my best game,” he said. “I always wanted to win. I expected to win by this time way more. But it’s not easy.”
Urbanovich Rises From Prodigy to Champion
Urbanovich was first exposed to the game while growing up in Belarus, where he would watch poker’s best players competing for big money on television. “I was watching from a very young age, maybe like eight. Ivey, Antonius, whoever was playing there. It was once per week, late at night. I was watching a decent amount of time,” he said.
His playing experience began in 2009, when he was still just 13. He saw an advertisement for an online site that rewarded him $50 for signing up, but quickly lost it while playing freerolls and microstakes tournaments. He kept trying until, by the time he was of legal age and had moved to Poland for university, he became one of the top online players under the name “Colisea.”
The live results soon followed. He was an EPT champion with millions in live earnings before turning 21. He then came to the WSOP for the first time in 2016. Over the past decade, he’s compiled a WSOP record that included seven final tables and two runner-up finishes before today’s breakthrough result.
“More wise, more experienced,” he said when describing his poker journey from teenage phenom to bracelet winner.
Final Table action
Urbanovich was just one of 12 players who returned to the Paris Ballroom at the start of the day and began looking up at poker superstars Alex Foxen and Brian Rast atop the leaderboard. David Baker (12th), all-time leading money winner Bryn Kenney (9th), and Ryan Miller (8th) were among those to fall short of the final table.
By the time the seven-handed final table was set, Urbanovich had fallen down to sixth place on the leaderboard, while Foxen had ascended to the top of the counts with 3,350,000 as he sought his second bracelet of the summer. Urbanovich quickly got nearly all his chips in the middle in a hand of Seven Card Stud against Rast, and he showed down a full house to win the pot.
Foxen had stormed up close to 5,000,000, but he was caught bluffing by Bai in Stud as Bai assumed the chip lead. Maksim Pisarenko (7th) and Matt Vengrin (6th) were the first to depart the final table, while Foxen fell down to 2,000,000 after folding to a big river shove from Derek Hanauer in Pot-Limit Omaha.
Urbanovich was left with just 335,000 during five-handed play, far behind the rest of the table, but he found a double up off Foxen. He then made a straight with a low to scoop Foxen for another double, and Foxen’s run came to an end in fifth place when Urbanovich made an 8-7 against Foxen’s pat 9-5 in Triple Draw.
Final Three Each Try For Their First Bracelet
Rast was eliminated in fourth place by Rai, ensuring that one of the three remaining players would win their first bracelet. Hanauer, the Chicago native who had just one recorded WSOP result from back in 2013 before this event, took over the chip lead, but a massive pot against Urbanovich decisively swung the momentum of the final table. Hanauer reraised to 2,800,000 on the river in PLO and Urbanovich called. Hanauer instantly mucked his cards, and Urbanovich took the pot without a showdown as he took a commanding chip lead over the final three.
Urbanovich then scooped Bai in Stud-Hi Lo and controlled more than 75 percent of the chips in play. Bai and Hanauer jostled at the bottom of the counts to see who would challenge Urbanovich, and it was Hanauer who eventually fell in third place as Bai made a nine-low in Razz.
Urbanovich led Bai 9,195,000 to 2,745,000 at the start of heads-up. Bai narrowed the gap after drawing a seven in Triple Draw, but Urbanovich then called him down with a jack-six to beat Bai’s jack-ten regain his wide lead. Bai was sitting with just over 1,000,000 when he got in his last chips on a queen-high flop. Bai had a straight draw and flush draw, but Urbanovich was ahead with a pair and ace-high flush draw. The turn and river were no help to Bai, and Urbanovich’s long journey to WSOP glory finally came to an end.
Urbanovich is in his 30s now, no longer the young, precocious player he was when he first burst upon the scene. It was a long time coming, but for Urbanovich, it was well worth the wait.
