Frederic Normand Wins WSOP $1,500 PLO8 Gold Bracelet for $235,377 in a Format He Had Never Played
Canadian player Frederic Normand won the WSOP $1,500 PLO8 event, earning $235,377 and his first gold bracelet. He had never played this split-pot format before, but his deep PLO background helped him defeat multiple bracelet winners.
From Zero to Champion: Normand's PLO8 Debut
On June 7, Canadian poker player Frédéric Normand won Event #21: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (PLO8) at the WSOP, taking home $235,377 and his first career gold bracelet. Even more surprising: he had never played this split-pot format before.
Normand entered Day 3 with a chip lead when 13 players remained. The final table was star-studded, with five players holding at least one gold bracelet, including seven-time champion Josh Arieh.
Key Eliminations
Normand personally ended Arieh's run. Holding A♥A♦9♦7♠ on a A♥K♦9♣ board, Arieh's KQ♦J♠9♠ failed to make a straight, and Normand's top pair-top kicker prevailed. He then eliminated two-time gold bracelet winner Dennis Weiss (5th, $56,738) and Ryan Hansen (4th, $78,430). Finally, he defeated Michael Rodriguez heads-up to lock up the title.
Rare Dual Club
With this victory, Normand joined the elite club of players who have won both a World Poker Tour (WPT) title and a WSOP gold bracelet – a feat accomplished by only about 30 people in history. He already held a WPT title and had deep experience in PLO, but had only one previous WSOP cash (from a Big O event).
Normand said, "I had never played PLO8, but I felt the strategy shares similarities with regular PLO." His debut victory adds a dark horse legend to the 2026 WSOP.
FAQ
- Normand is a WPT champion with deep PLO skills, but had only one WSOP cash record before from Big O event.