Lautaro Guerra made history at the World Series of Poker Paradise by winning the $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Super High Roller event. His incredible victory showed his exceptional skills and became one of the most important moments in high-stakes PLO tournaments.
The elite tournament aired live on PokerGO and broke records with 56 entries. This turnout created a huge prize pool that proved high-stakes PLO poker’s growing popularity among top players. Guerra’s win puts his name alongside poker legends and proves he belongs among today’s best PLO specialists.
PLO Specialist’s Journey to Victory
Lautaro Guerra’s incredible experience in the ever-changing world of poker shows a specialist who made his mark in Pot-Limit Omaha. This Spanish pro’s commitment to PLO reflects in his tournament record. He scored an impressive 35 out of 38 recorded wins from PLO events alone.
Guerra’s Rise in PLO Tournaments
Guerra’s meteoric rise in the PLO circuit demonstrates his focused approach that brought extraordinary results. His career earnings exceeded $4.90 million, with PLO tournaments bringing almost all his success. His achievement stands out because of his exceptional win rate. He won nine tournaments out of 38 cashes, which shows a remarkable 23.7% success rate.
Previous Major PLO Achievements
Guerra dominated the inaugural PGT PLO Series with three victories earlier this year and accumulated $967,150 in prize money. His achievements include:
- Winning Event #5: $10,000 PLO for $220,400
- Securing Event #7: $15,000 PLO Bounty for $228,000 plus $75,000 in bounties
- Claiming Event #8: $25,000 PLO Championship for $518,750
Preparation for WSOP Paradise
Guerra’s unique mental approach helped him prepare for the WSOP Paradise event. “During the whole tournament, I had that feeling like I was going to win it, even before coming here,” he shared with us. “I think this is the way to approach a tournament; you have to visualize yourself winning, and you achieve it”. This mindset became significant as he navigated through the largest field ever assembled for a PLO Super High Roller event.
Tournament Breaking Records
The WSOP Paradise event has broken multiple records in the ever-changing world of high-stakes Pot-Limit Omaha. Poker’s elite gathered in unprecedented numbers and the tournament made history in several amazing ways.
Largest PLO High Roller Field
The tournament drew 88 entries, which set a new record for six-figure PLO buy-in events. This amazing turnout shows how popular high-stakes PLO tournaments have become. The event stands as the fifth-ever six-figure PLO bracelet event and the first at WSOP Paradise.
Prize Pool Milestones
Player participation created an incredible prize pool of $8.8 million. The top 17 players earned payouts. Each player at the final table secured at least $1,577,660. This tournament ranks among the biggest PLO events in history. Guerra’s victory became the fifth-largest PLO tournament payout that ever spread.
Notable Player Participation
Some of poker’s finest talents showed up to compete. Day 2 saw several big names exit the tournament:
- Nick Schulman (13th place)
- Isaac Haxton (12th place)
- Jeremy Ausmus (9th place)
- Patrik Antonius (7th place)
- Jason Koon (5th place)
- Jared Bleznick (3rd place)
Day 2 started with 52 players battling for the title, which showed the fierce competition among the world’s best PLO specialists. The size of the field and these distinguished players’ participation have made this tournament a defining moment in PLO history.
Critical Tournament Moments
The intense final stages of this historic PLO event unfolded with massive implications at every turn. Players witnessed some of the most dramatic moments in recent WSOP history.
Key Hand Analysis
A defining moment emerged during heads-up play. Guerra faced a 36 million to 17 million chip deficit against Tollerene and executed a perfect trap. The turning point saw Guerra’s A♠A♥10♠2♥ dominate Tollerene’s Q♣Q♥8♥6♥, resulting in a massive 56-million chip pot that left Tollerene with just 2 million in chips.
Strategic Decision Points
Guerra’s remarkable mental game stood out throughout the tournament. “During the whole tournament, I had that feeling like I was going to win it, even before coming here,” he shared after his victory. This visualization strategy proved vital, especially when Day 2 stretched beyond 12 hours and officials called for an unplanned Day 3.
Final Table Dynamics
The final table brought intense action with dramatic eliminations:
- Sorel Mizzi (8th – $277,230) fell first when his holdings couldn’t overcome Guerra’s pocket aces
- Patrik Antonius (7th – $354,440) and Pascal LeFrancois (6th – $477,800) departed in a stunning double elimination
- Jason Koon (5th – $644,070) succumbed to a flopped nut flush
- Veselin Karakitukov (4th – $868,220) couldn’t survive against Tollerene’s superior hand
- Jared Bleznick (3rd – $1,170,360) rounded out the podium finishes
Guerra’s pocket sixes held against Tollerene’s 8♦7♣5♣4♥ on a Q♦3♥10♣3♠5♥ board. This final hand secured his first WSOP bracelet and the prestigious title.
Impact on PLO Tournament Scene
Pot-Limit Omaha has changed dramatically, and its popularity has reached new heights. The WSOP Paradise event shows this progress perfectly. It’s only the fifth time poker’s PLO royalty has competed in a six-figure buy-in event.
Rise of High Stakes PLO
PLO has moved beyond its label as “the game of the future” to become poker’s clear second-most-popular variant. The PokerGO Tour shows its steadfast dedication to the format. Their PLO festivals now attract similar numbers to major No-Limit Hold’em series. High-stakes games have taken off, with five prizes over $2 million awarded in PLO tournaments since 2023.
Growing Prize Pools
PLO’s meteoric rise becomes clear when you look at the numbers. A record-breaking 4,280 players joined a $1,000 Mystery Bounty PLO tournament in 2023. Recent tournaments have created massive prize pools with impressive wins:
- Jesse Lonis claimed $2,303,017 in the 2023 WSOP $50,000 PLO event
- Ka Kwan Lau won $2,294,756 in the 2023 WSOP $25,000 PLO event
- David Eldridge took home $2,246,728 in the 2024 running
Future of PLO Tournaments
PLO tournaments have exciting developments ahead. The PokerGO Tour plans to expand its PLO offerings with dedicated series and high-roller events throughout the year. New tournament formats like bounty events and progressive knockouts have altered the map of competition. PGT runs events with $1 million guaranteed prize pools, and both participation and prize money should keep growing.
High-stakes PLO now offers a vibrant ecosystem where skilled specialists thrive. Larger player pools, bigger prize money, and creative tournament structures point to this compelling poker variant’s bright future.
Conclusion
Lautaro Guerra’s win at the WSOP Paradise $100K PLO Super High Roller marks a defining moment in poker history. His remarkable victory shows the progress of high-stakes Pot-Limit Omaha. Guerra’s exceptional 23.7% tournament win rate and visualization-based approach demonstrate the perfect mix of skill and mental strength needed at poker’s highest levels.
The record-breaking event attracted 88 entries and created an $8.8 million prize pool, highlighting PLO’s growing influence. Elite players competed for substantial payouts, proving that PLO has evolved from its “game of the future” status to become the life-blood of high-stakes tournament poker.
Guerra’s achievement writes a new chapter in PLO’s incredible journey and sets fresh benchmarks for future high-stakes events. Prize pools keep growing, tournaments expand, and more players join the action. PLO’s future looks brighter than ever, with specialists like Guerra paving the way in this thrilling era of poker excellence.
