Xixiang Luo Doubles Up On Double Board WSOP Bracelets

There’s a history of players breaking out by winning back-to-back events at the World Series of Poker. You could win in the same format at different buy-in levels, like Chad Eveslage or Benny Glaser. Or the same exact event in consecutive years, like Dan Cates or Adam Friedman.

But what Xixiang Luo pulled off on Sunday is unique even among some of the best performances in WSOP history.

The Chinese player captured the first ever $1,500 pot-limit Omaha double board bomb bracelet ever awarded at the WSOP. He won $290,400 and his third career WSOP bracelet, and so much more. One year ago, Luo won the spiritual predecessor of this event, a $1,500 mixed no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha event. In 2024, the format included only one double board bomb pot hand per game change.

The second time around, Luo won an event that was all bomb pots and PLO, all the time. In this format, all players ante every hand, and two three-card flops are dealt out before any action happens. There are three betting rounds, on the flop, turn and river. The pot is split between the best hand on each board.

Omaha rules are in effect, meaning a player must use exactly two cards from their hand, and three cards from the board. A player can scoop using the same or different two-card combinations from their hand with each runout.

If that sounds like chaos incarnate, it is. And yet, in that environment, Luo prospered. Despite the new format and low buy-in level, Luo was one of six previous WSOP bracelet winners among the final 13.

Building Upon A Strong Foundation

Luo entered the final day with the narrowest of chip leads but steadily continued to build. He briefly ceded that position to Samuel Stranak, but big wins without a showdown kept Luo well ahead of the pace.

In the biggest pot of the tournament to that point, Luo and Brian Smith reached the river. The boards read J♠ 5♣ 3♦ 6♠ J♥ and 7♥ 6♣ 3♠ 4♣ 8♥, and Smith made a full pot-sized bet of 5 million. Luo called and tabled J♣ 8♠ 5♠ 4♠, a full-house, jacks-full-of-fives, on one board, and an eight-high straight on the other. Smith’s 8♦ 6♦ 6♥ 2♥, a full house, sixes-full-of-jacks on the top board and a set of sixes on the bottom, was second-best in both spots.

Luo had 20 million with three opponents combining for just over 15 million among them. But it wasn’t an easy closeout. Robert Klein went from the short stack to the new chip leader in short order during four-handed play.

The tournament swung again on one of the quirks of the format. Both Luo and Klein flopped a nine-high straight on an 8♦ 7♣ 5♥ flop, and that hand held up for both. But by nature of the split pot payout, Luo’s queen-high was good to scoop the other half of the pot.

That win put Luo back into the driver’s seat. He eliminated Stranak in third place, setting up a heads-up match with Klein with a 3-to-2 lead to start.

Weathering The Storm

The swings got big. Luo went up 2-to-1, only for Klein to even the score. Luo’s pressure eventually whittled Klein down, until one final showdown. With boards of Q♠ J♠ 7♠ and 7♥ 5♦ 3♥, Klein pushed all in. His all-in hand, A♥ K♠ 9♠ 6♣, started on level ground with Luo’s A♠ 10♦ 6♥ 2♠, with one notable exception, an inferior spade draw.

It was the deciding factor. On the top board,  Luo’s ace-high spade flush trumped Klein’s king-high flush. Klein’s ace-king high was still good on the bottom, but a 4♠ turn gave Luo an unbeatable wheel. Klein had exactly one out to chop, the 10♠, which would give him a king-high straight flush. But the 9♣ river on the top was not the miracle Klein was looking for.

Lining Up Another POY Run

Luo’s spoils of victory also include 960 Card Player Player of the Year points. He’s now in position to make himself a contender in a number of different POY races for the second consecutive year.

In 2024, Luo won two WSOP bracelets and finished fifth in one of the most fiercely competitive WSOP POY races in history. In addition to his double board bomb pot victory at the 2024 WSOP, Luo also won the $25,000 HORSE high roller for a career-best $725,796.

Final Table Results

Photo credit: WSOP / Austin Currington