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David ‘ODB’ Baker was down to just two big bets at one point during the final day of the 2023 World Series of Poker $1,500 razz event, but managed to mount a big comeback to secure third career gold bracelet.
“In 2017, in this event I was up I think 30:1 on Jason Gola. That was the most disappointed I’ve [ever] been,” Baker told PokerNews live reporters after closing out the win. “That one really ate me up. It’s a lot of redemption to come back in the same event that he stole from me. Not to say he didn’t play great – he made a great comeback. But now I have a first, a second, a third, and a fifth in razz. I’ve been around a long time, and I know in these events, sometimes you just need to win that one pot. I never lost hope.”
The 50-year-old Katy, Texas native took home $152,991 alongside his latest bracelet, bringing his lifetime tournament earnings to nearly $7.1 million. Baker also has a World Poker Tour main event title to his name, having won the 2019 WPT L.A. Poker Classic for his only seven-figure tournament score.
Baker is on a roll in 2023. He has now made ten final tables, with this razz victory being his first title of the year. The 840 Card Player Player of the Year points he earned for topping a record-setting field of 556 entries was enough to see him move into 22nd place in the POY race standings, which are sponsored by Global Poker.
The third and final day of this event began with 15 players remaining and bracelet winner Justin Liberto atop the chip counts. Baker started out as the second shortest stack. Two-time bracelet winner Marco Johnson (13th) and longtime poker media member Mickey Doft (12th) were among those that fell on the march to the final table.
By the time the field was narrowed to eight contenders, Baker has climbed towards the top of the leaderboard. He knocked out European Poker Toru Dublin main event winner Dzmitry Urbanovich in eighth place ($14,805), but then doubled up a short stack to give up some of his gains.
Baker got back on track by eliminating five-time bracelet winner Jeffrey Lisandro in fifth place ($34,752), but then went on a downswing during four-handed play to find himself at the bottom of the chip counts.
Liberto eliminated Takashi Ogura (4th – $47,743) to expand his already robust chip lead heading into three-handed play. Baker won a key pot with a queen low against Chris Hundley to give himself some breathing room. He then made a nine low against Hundley’s jack low to send the Seattle, Washington resident packing in third place ($66,659).
Liberto started with the lead and was able to stretch it during the early going. Baker was down to just two big bets before winning a few crucial pots to claw his way off the mat and back into the fight. Baker soon had overtaken the lead, and then began to pull away.
In the final hand, Liberto was short enough to get all in before fourth street. The board ran out as follows:
Baker: (7-4)7-A-3-A(J)
Liberto: (Q-2)6-2-2-7(A)
Baker’s J-7-4-3-A edged out Liberto’s Q-7-6-2-A to win the pot and the title. Liberto took home $94,558 for his runner-up showing, increasing his lifetime earnings to $5.2 million in the process.
Here is a look at the payouts and rankings points awarded at the final table:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
| 1 | David Baker | $152,991 | 840 |
| 2 | Justin Liberto | $94,558 | 700 |
| 3 | Chris Hundley | $66,659 | 560 |
| 4 | Takashi Ogura | $47,743 | 420 |
| 5 | Jeffrey Lisandro | $34,752 | 350 |
| 6 | Everett Carlton | $25,714 | 280 |
| 7 | William Burke | $19,347 | 210 |
| 8 | Dzmitry Urbanovich | $14,805 | 140 |
Visit the Card Player 2023 World Series of Poker page for schedules, news, interviews, and the latest event results.
Winner photo credit: WSOP / Rachel Kay Miller.
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