Jon Kyte Narrowly Misses First Bracelet in $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Stud Hi-Lo

With a win at the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, Espen Jørstad, who has frequently many big events at Olympic Park Casino, brought the spotlight to Norway, leading the charge for Norwegian poker. However, Norway boasts many talented players, including rising star 2023 WSOP Circuit Tallinn PLO ring winner Jon Kyte. Recently, Kyte narrowly missed his first-ever WSOP bracelet to go along with his well-deserved ring after finishing as the runner-up to Italian Dario Sammartino in Event #61: $2,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 / Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 at the 2024 WSOP.

Sammartino pocketed $222,703 from the total prize pool of $1,128,075, generated by 507 entries, while Kyte took home a sizable $148,462 for his efforts. This marks Kyte’s third-best career result, following his runner-up finish to Padraig O’Neill in last year’s EPT Prague Main Event for €643,000 and his breakthrough win at the partypoker Nordic Poker Championships for €240,000.

Kyte is no stranger to World Series success. Last September, at the WSOP Circuit series at Olympic Park in Tallinn, Estonia. As mentioned, he claimed his first coveted WSOP Circuit ring in the €1,100 PLO / PLO 5 event, alongside many other deep runs over the years.

With 20 WSOP cashes, Kyte now has $313,367 in WSOP earnings, and his quest for a bracelet continues. There are still three weeks left in Las Vegas and plenty of events to play, providing ample opportunities for Kyte to join the elite group of eight fellow Norwegians who have already achieved this milestone.

Kyte has confirmed he will target more WSOP Circuit rings at the upcoming 2024 WSOP Circuit Tallinn on July 19-28 at Olympic Park Casino. The festival boasts 53 numbered events including a dozen gold rings highlighted by the €1 million guaranteed WSOP Circuit Tallinn €1,500 Main Event.

Event #61: $2,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 / Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 Final Table Results

Event #61: $2,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 / Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 Final Table Recap

Twenty-one players returned for the third day of Event #61: $2,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 / Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8, leaving plenty of action before the final table could form. After four hours of play, Jose Ferro was the final table bubble boy. Dario Sammartino entered with the biggest stack, while Jon Kyte, who had started the day among the chip leaders, found himself second to last in chips.

Paul Zappulla was the first to exit the final table after flopping top pair and a broadway gutshot, only to run into Jeff Madsen’s flopped king-high straight. Zappulla’s two outer on the river missed, resulting in his ninth-place finish. Scott Blackman, bringing only a few big bets to the final table, went all-in during the Stud Hi-Lo round. He got two customers in Joey Couden and Williams, who each made a hand, splitting the pot and sending Blackman to the rail.

Jon Kyte began racking pots, transforming from a short stack to a chip leader. Meanwhile, Sammartino faced some difficulties but managed to recover by scooping two crucial pots and eliminating two players. In one hand, Couden, starting with wired jacks, couldn’t hold against Sammartino’s pair of aces on sixth street, knocking him out in seventh place. Shortly after, Matt Vengrin, holding wired fives, was ahead of Sammartino’s low drawing hand until the Italian made runner-runner two pair, eliminating Vengrin in sixth place.

Federico Ottenio’s last bet went in preflop during the Omaha Hi-Lo round. Both Williams and Kyte joined from the blinds and battled on a monotone flop, which meant no good for Ottenio. Williams tabled the nut flush while Kyte showed a queen-high flush. Ottenio’s pair of kings was no match, resulting in his exit.

Kyte regained lost chips by eliminating Jeff Madsen in fourth place. Madsen was all-in for his tournament life in Stud Hi-Lo, and this time, Sammartino joined Kyte in the hand. Despite a strong start, Madsen’s pair of jacks fell short, and Kyte’s pair of queens did the job. Kyte held over half the chips in play, but Sammartino evened the field by scooping a pot in Omaha Hi-Lo against Williams. Williams, who went all-in with a straight and flush draw on the flop, was bested by Sammartino’s flopped top set, ending his run in third place.

The heads-up match between Sammartino and Kyte guaranteed that a new bracelet winner would be crowned that day. Kyte initially led, but Sammartino took control in a big Omaha Hi-Lo pot, where his flopped set of threes forced Kyte to reluctantly call bets on the flop, turn, and river just to learn the bad news.

Sammartino steadily increased his lead hand by hand, and in the final rounds of Stud Hi-Lo, Kyte was severely short-stacked with being all-in as a bring-in. Norwegian still managed to chop the pot twice but couldn’t do it a third time. Sammartino caught a straight on seventh street, and Kyte, missing his low draw, finished as the runner-up. Sammartino celebrated his first-ever WSOP bracelet in his 100th WSOP cash, marking a significant milestone in his stellar career.

World Series of Poker Circuit Tallinn Up Next (July 19-28, 2024)

Have you booked your trip to the WSOP Circuit Tallinn yet? If not, what are you waiting for as hotel rooms are beginning to sell out. This is your chance to enter poker immortality with a dozen WSOP Circuit ring events on tap from July 19-28, 2024.

Visit OlyBetEvents.com for more information about hotels, the schedule, a players guide, and more and see you in July at Olympic Park Casino.