'Adapt and make it happen': Kasey Mills unstoppable in PLO8 debut

Amidst a field of mixed-game veterans and four-card specialists, it was a newcomer to the game of pot-limit Omaha 8 or better, Kasey Mills, who claimed victory in the $400 PLO8 event on Wednesday at Horseshoe Council Bluffs.

The ring is the fourth of her career for the tremendously accomplished poker player and influencer, known online as ‘pokermommaa’, who is new to the mixed game streets and already in love with them — even more so now with her triumph in this event.

“It meant so much to me. I have played PLO8 online Sit n’ Gos to practice, but this is my first time ever playing a live event, and I took it down. I’ve been doing so many things to give myself the opportunity to win outside of playing and studying, which I’m also doing, and this was just like ‘you’re doing it, and you did it’.”

Was there beginner’s luck involved as well? Well, she did pick up aces in a few critical spots, but Mills is far too dedicated, passionate, and skilled a player for that to be the predominant factor. No way.

Kasey Mills won her fourth ring in the $400 PLO8 or Better event at WSOPC Council Bluffs.

Study and a pep talk

While she did acknowledge that being newer to the game of PLO8, Mills was presented with some challenging decisions. She relied on her natural abilities and studies to get her through those moments.

“There were some spots that I was unfamiliar with. I pick up pattern recognition really well, and I think the heads-up work that I did recently with Kevin Rabichow’s course, GTO Lab studies, Octopi Poker, all those things really helped me to just be able to see what was happening, even though I had four cards, now I was really able to adapt and make it happen, anyway.”

Above all, though, Mills credited a chat with her 12-year-old son Rhett with getting her focused on taking down the ring.

“My son and I had this amazing conversation this morning. I was feeling a little bit of FOMO that I wasn’t at the Triton event, this huge event, and my son just talked to me and said, ‘You need to be here now, you need to be present, win your event, do your best, stop focusing on other people. Him and I just have such a great connection to support each other, and I felt like everything was coming together.”

Mills faced plenty of challenges on her way to the ring, the $10,201 first prize and a $5,000 package to WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas. It was something she says she had her sights set on, knowing that her ring from January of this year didn’t qualify her. 

Mills had over two-thirds of the chips in play three-handed versus Ryan Remmes and third-place finisher Scott Buller before Remmes closed the gap to start heads-up play.

Mills also picked up a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package.

Overcoming adversity

Remmes then scored a huge double-up with a better two pair than Mills to scoop a pot that left her with a nearly 8-to-1 deficit to overcome. She didn’t give up, though, facing that adversity head-on to climb back into contention, win the ensuing key pots herself, and then ultimately win the tournament.

Poignantly, Mills said that the challenge presented to her today was about much more than poker.

“I think staying centered and grounded and focused and resetting is so important, and having done this, winning a few rings and realizing that you have to be able to stay focused and stay grounded, and not just punt it away because you got short, anything can happen. You know, just being able to overcome and prevail. We play a mind sport, and it's just such a huge part of the game, and it's such a huge part of my life. It’s just where I came from, how I grew up, my whole story is about persistence and overcoming obstacles, and nothing really has come easy to me in life. I’m a fighter, and that’s what it’s about.”

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