Piccioli overcame a tough final table that also included former Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel and November Niner Jeremy Ausmus.
“I’m feeling very good obviously,” said Piccioli after winning.
“Once the tournament got short-handed it was pretty tough and I just happened to get lucky in a few spots.”
The final table was a rapid-fire affair with two players busting in the first five hands.
Despite the numerous big names at the final table it was upstart Jay Loo who stole the show early. Loo was very aggressive and busted Jeremy Ausmus in fifth place with ace-jack over ace-seven.
World Champ Duhamel Hits Rail in Fourth
Jonathan Duhamel was the next to fall as Loo flopped a set of queens against the French Canadian.
Duhamel picked up $71,870 for his efforts but was denied a shot at becoming world champion to add another WSOP bracelet after winning the Main Event in over a decade.
Loo’s luck ran out three-handed, however, as Piccioli busted him to enter heads-up against Piccioli.
It was a short heads-up match and in the final hand Karamalikis got it in good with pocket tens against Piccioli’s ace-eight.
Unfortunately for the pro-Karamalikis crowd that was gathered at the Crown, Piccioli managed to river a straight to deny the Australian the first bracelet ever awarded in his home country.
Piccioli came close to winning his first WSOP bracelet this summer when he came in seventh in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event.
“That was alright but the bracelet feels pretty great, that’s for sure,” he said.
Here are the complete final-table payouts:
1. Bryan Piccioli - $211,575 2. Jonathan Karamalikis - $130,743 3. Junzhong Loo - $96,305 4. Jonathan Duhamel - $71,870 5. Jeremy Ausmus - $54,337 6. Graeme Putt - $41,610 7. Iori Yogo - $32,268 8. Peter Kleudgen - $25,335 9. Ryan Otto - $20,138Visit www.pokerlistings.com