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Dash Dudley, hailing from East Lansing, has achieved the remarkable feat of winning three World Series of Poker bracelets. In addition, he holds the esteemed position of being ranked eighth on Michigan’s all-time tournament earnings list and fifth among the top earners in WSOP Omaha history.
In Las Vegas, Dudley concluded the 2022 WSOP with an impressive performance. Throughout the tournament, he achieved seven in-the-money finishes and secured a coveted bracelet by winning the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo Bounty event. Additionally, Dudley showcased his skills in the $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event, finishing as the runner-up.
In addition, he recorded a cash at the Wynn and another one on WSOP.com MI, increasing his summer earnings to over $1.2 million.
After Dudley arrived home, he met up with Playinmichigan to discuss his outcomes, delve into the world of Pot-Limit Omaha, and explore the online and live poker scenes in Michigan.
An Omaha specialist wins a WSOP Hold’em bracelet
In 2019, Dudley achieved the remarkable feat of winning two bracelets, both in the game of Pot-Limit Omaha. His first triumph came in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event, earning him an astounding $1.09 million. Demonstrating his exceptional skills, Dudley then ventured to WSOP Europe, where he seized his second bracelet within a span of four months by emerging victorious in the €550 PLO tournament.
Despite having ample NLH experience in the earlier years of his career, Dudley rarely engages in the game outside of the Main Event annually. However, he took to Twitter after his victory, claiming that winning bracelet number three in a game he “hardly played” was an unimaginable feat.
Dudley expressed surprise at winning a Hold’em bracelet this year, considering he hadn’t played the game in approximately seven or eight years. He found it remarkable and puzzling. Reflecting on his skills, he believed his Hold’em game was stronger a decade or so ago when he played more frequently. Now, his friends jokingly tease him, claiming he has returned to being a No-Limit tournament player.
In addition, Dudley’s decision to participate in the tournament was primarily motivated by its one-day duration and its commencement four hours prior to the 3 p.m. $10K PLO 8-or-better event. He reasoned that he could join the tournament regardless of the circumstances, as late registration would remain available until the beginning of Day 2.
“Spin 2 Win”
However, the record field of 2,569 contradicted this, as the field endured a complete day of 30 levels, leaving only 20 players remaining.
Dudley entered Day 2 with the fewest chips, holding only 725K, which was less than 1 million. This amount accounted for less than four big blinds as Level 31’s blinds stood at 100K/200K.
Dudley had trouble finding the right opportunity to go all-in with his short stack during the initial hands. However, when he found himself in the big blind, he received a hand consisting of a six and a deuce, both of different suits. After fulfilling his big-blind ante, he made a firm decision and managed to surpass pocket eights and ace-five suited, resulting in his stack more than tripling in size.
Even more unlikely, he managed to achieve this feat following a flop of jack-three-three, as he miraculously drew a five and a four consecutively, forming a straight and granting him some much-needed relief.
Dudley expressed, “That moment, staying alive on that initial all in, was essentially the most crucial point of the entire day. After that, I managed to persist and make my way through the last two tables, entering the final table with an average stack. Miraculously, I was able to come out on top.”
Dudley expressed that despite the turbo structure, he believed there was sufficient space for maneuvering. He confidently managed his stacks within the range of 10 to 20 big blinds and successfully survived, eventually progressing towards triumph.
Redemption from earlier in the summer for Dudley
Dudley had a high chance of securing a lucrative summer following his victory, as he had already achieved second place in the $50K PLO High Roller tournament. Prior to this, he participated in the $25K PLO event earlier in the season, but unfortunately, Ben Lamb eliminated him shortly before he could reach the prize-winning stage.
The High Roller event commenced with a starting stack of 300k chips, accompanied by a fast-paced structure that guarantees a thrilling gameplay.
On Day 1, towards the end of the day, Dudley found himself in a hand holding AKQJ-double suited. He decided to raise. The big blind chose to defend, and as the hand progressed, both players ended up going all-in on a flop that showed QT4 with two spades and a diamond.
Dudley exclaimed, “I had the incredible combination of a full wrap straight draw, nut spades flush draw, a queen blocker, and backdoor diamonds. It was one of the finest hands I’ve ever flopped!”
Stacks ended up in the middle, with his opponent holding the other two queens in the deck to form a top set. The turn card matched the board, granting his opponent a full house. Dudley believed he was out of the game, but to his surprise, he still had three big blinds left.
In the subsequent round, his stack tripled. Subsequently, he doubled his stack in the following round, ultimately spinning it back to 500K by the end of the evening.
Dudley shared, “Furthermore, I managed to secure the second position in the tournament [after two days]. It’s fascinating that in both tournaments this summer, I found myself with only three big blinds. However, I experienced remarkable comebacks in both instances. Undeniably, it was an incredibly surreal summer.”
Omaha can be played in Michigan year-round, too
Throughout the years, Dudley has primarily focused on playing cash games despite his notable success in PLO tournaments.
In his pursuit of thrilling poker experiences, he has journeyed through various parts of the country, including Florida, Los Angeles, Hammond (Chicago), and Cincinnati. Nevertheless, in recent times, Michigan has emerged as a prominent hub for Pot Limit Omaha (PLO), boasting a vibrant poker scene both in live games and online platforms.
He mentioned that Michigan is home to around 30 casinos, and with the recent addition of online poker, the gambling scene is quite impressive. Even for in-person games, there is a regular Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) game at MGM Grand Detroit with stakes ranging from $25 to $100.
According to Dudley, the number of cash game tables running each night is typically more than 24, and the weekends are especially crowded. No-Limit Hold’em remains the most favored game in the area. However, Pot-Limit Omaha also sees action with three different stakes, such as $1/$3/$5 and $5/$10.
Consequently, numerous players from Michigan choose to participate in these games within their local vicinity, eliminating the need to travel. Conversely, individuals hailing from areas such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh are making the journey to Detroit in order to partake in Omaha.
Good PLO games available at Michigan online poker sites
Furthermore, all of Michigan’s online poker sites (PokerStars, BetMGM, and WSOP.com) also host Omaha cash games.
Games with stakes ranging from $2/$5 are available to players almost 24/7. Moreover, during the busiest hours, there will be $5/$10 games and occasionally a couple of tables with stakes at $10/$25.
Currently, the PLO player pool remains evenly distributed across all three sites, as none of them have succeeded in attracting a majority of players.
According to Dudley:
The fact that they can maintain such a balanced presence across all the sites is a positive indication. It’s quite astonishing that there is a sufficient number of online players and a high demand, enabling them to distribute games across all the platforms. Additionally, players are actively participating in live cash games, unregulated sites, and other similar activities.
Good turnouts have been observed in PLO tournaments as well. Since its launch in March, WSOP has incorporated a PLO event in three out of the four monthly online circuit series that have taken place, and all of them have received impressive participation.
Dash Dudley on interstate poker
In the near future, Michigan is set to join forces with Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware in the interstate poker compact. This alliance brings forth the exciting prospect of bigger player pools in both cash games and tournaments.
Dudley expressed his contemplation on the matter, stating that he had considered both perspectives. He acknowledged the potential benefits of expanding to larger player pools and enhancing the excitement of major games. However, he also expressed concern about the competitiveness of Nevada’s player pools, particularly the presence of skilled players, and hoped that the Michigan community would not be greatly affected by them.
However, I believe this opportunity will greatly benefit Michigan players by allowing them to enhance their skills and compete against higher-level opponents. By incorporating players from New Jersey and Nevada, they will experience a blend of east coast and west coast influences, while also adapting to the unique style of play in these regions.
I believe that this will facilitate the integration process and give Michigan players an opportunity to witness aspects of the game that they typically wouldn’t be able to observe while in Michigan.
Photos provided by Dash Dudley
