Budde’s Big O Gold Ring at Choctaw Durant
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is on the road, for all poker fans to get involved. The WSOP is over and the WSOP Circuit has entered the ring. The pros are all going home with their bracelets and now it’s time for the local talent to prove what they are worth. And the best of the best are all worth a lot of cash in prizes and a WSOP Circuit gold ring.
The WSOP Circuit is currently in Durant, Oklahoma, in the Choctaw Casino and Resort, where poker players from all over come to compete. The latest of the big wins came from Mike Budde who swept up at the Big O event in Choctaw. Read on to find out how he got there.
Who is Mike Budde?
Mike is everyone’s buddy. The 71-year-old poker player has been a regular at the WSOP Circuit, having already scooped his two rings for the $250 seniors event in Mississippi in the 2014/15 circuit and then again in 2016/17. He took home $20,513 and $12,594, respectively. Over 17 series of the WSOP Circuit, he’s taken home a total of $96,551 in cash!
And he just happens to be the latest player to come away a winner at the WSOP Circuit Big O event. This time he was playing for big numbers as he took home $22,445 in this single event. Not to mention a third gold WSOP ring to add to his collection at home.
What’s the Big O?
Keep your mind out of the gutter. In the game of poker, The Big O is a poker variation popular in Oklahoma and Texas arenas. Also known as Congress, The Big O is a form of Omaha poker that sees each player receiving five cards instead of four. There is a hi-lo split wherein half of the pot is awarded to the high hand and the low hand.
Its name comes from a shortening of 5 Card Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better. Naturally.
There are a lot of Omaha games found on ggpoker.co.uk if you’re interested in trying it for yourself. And it’s a particular favorite of the man of the hour: Mike Budde, who is known in the Oklahoma and Texas arenas where the game is commonly found.
What’s the action?
At a table of 299 entries, Budde worked his way through them all to sit at the final table and take home his third gold ring. The 71-year-old Williamsburg native proved that this wasn’t his first rodeo at the WSOP Circuit 2022.
Going for a less common variant, he dominated the competition and made it to the final table against Texas local Shawn Rice, who was eventually booted from the competition with his $13,877 consolation prize.
Budde was asked about his preference for The Big O as a game, and his answer was interesting.
“Yeah, I’ve got some experience with Big O,” said Budde. “I play a lot of cash and tournaments. Well, it’s enjoyable to beat the players here because, generally speaking, these players are very knowledgeable. These are not easy guys to beat,” Budde concluded, comparing his Big O win against his senior event wins.
The senior events are far more exclusive, so Budde had a lot more competition to get through while he was playing at the Choctaw Casino and Resort. Buddy had overtaken Rice in terms of chips by the time the heads-up began between them, but Rice couldn’t quite overcome the deficit and was awarded second place, while Budde went on to collect his cash prize, his gold ring and his bid to sit at the WSOP Circuit Tournament of Champions.
