2023 Updates from Various WSOP Events
This year’s events continue to shatter previous attendance records, with each day witnessing more enthusiasts than ever before. Day 29 saw three players ascending to the status of WSOP bracelet winners.
YOU COULD BE PLAYING POKER AT THE WSOP MAIN EVENT
Steven Genovese Claims First Victory at Salute to Warriors
Day 29 marked the first win for Steven Genovese, a retired firefighter, in Event #56: $500 Salute to Warriors. This victory brought him a World Series of Poker gold bracelet and a nice prize of $217,921. The event, which also managed to raise nearly $200,000 for charity, found an apt champion in a retired firefighter who spent his career in service to others.
Jason Daly’s Dominant Win at $3,000 Limit Hold’em
Following Steven Genovese’s triumph, Jason Daly carved out his victory in Event #58: $3,000 Limit Hold’em (6-handed). He performed tremendously, powering his way to the top and winning the event with a prize of $165,250. This win could be seen as a comeback for Daly, who finished third in the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event in 2022.
“Suki_The_Sav” Conquers Online Event #11: $888 No-Limit Hold’em Crazy 8’s
The climax of Day 29 was the victory of “Suki_The_Sav” in Online Event #11: $888 No-Limit Hold’em Crazy 8’s. The online champion surged past a field of 1,050 competitors, leaving prominent players like Andrew “GudLife” Moreno and Ryan “BitC0in” Riess behind. After a heads-up duel with Lithuania’s “Jautiena,” “Suki_The_Sav” claimed the $227,000 prize and a bracelet.
Negreanu’s Potential Breakthrough in $10K Stud Hi-Lo Championship
While the event’s final table is yet to be finalized, six-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu has improved his odds of making it by securing one of the top five stacks on Day 1. Negreanu, who is yet to reach a final table despite having nine cashes to his name, bagged up 264,000 chips at the end of the day.
Negreanu’s stack is impressive, but Bruno Fitoussi (355,000), Maximilian Schindler (310,500), and Dan Colpoys (285,000) gathered more through the first ten levels. Other noteworthy players like Connor Drinan (246,000), Eric Rodawig (230,000), Scott Seiver (218,500), and Dzmitry Urbanovich (216,500) will also be returning with top ten stacks.
The remaining 57 players from the starting field of 124 are all well known poker pros. Among them, Brian Hastings (148,500), Jeff Madsen (124,000), Calvin Anderson (119,500), Joao Vieira (112,000), Mike Matusow (54,000), David “ODB” Baker (52,500), and Todd Brunson (46,500) are ones to watch.
Plesuv Takes the Lead in Millionaire Maker
Only seven of the 10,430 initial participants remain in contention in Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker. Moldova’s Pavel Plesuv (70,300,000) holds the highest chip count going into the fifth day, creating a significant gap between him and the rest in this Texas Hold’em poker tournament.
Plesuv, with more than $6 million in live poker tournament earnings, is on track to add another million-dollar victory. However, players like Florian Ribouchon (46,000,000), Myles Mullaly (43,600,000), Andreas Kniep (34,800,000), Paul Gunness (24,100,000), Vitor De Souza Coutinho (20,800,000), and Anton Smirnov (19,800,000) are aiming to derail Plesuv’s path to the title.
Lau Dominates in $25K PLO High Roller
Ka Kwan Lau is on the brink of claiming the top prize in Event #57: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller. Thanks to his accumulated chip count of 28,2800,000 on Day 3, Lau is now within reach of the tournament’s bracelet and $2,294,756 top prize.
Regarded as one of the finest PLO players globally, Lau’s performance reaffirms this reputation. Beyond second-placed Sergio Martinez Gonzalez (17,475,000), Lau must contend with Mads Amot (12,850,000), Roger Teska (6,400,000), and Andjelko Andrejevic (3,425,000) in the final phase of the event.
Wisbrod Marches Towards Second Bracelet
Israel’s Barak Wisbrod leads the pack in Event #59: $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout with only 18 players remaining. With 6,400,000 chips at his disposal, Wisbrod is on the brink of becoming a two-time WSOP champion, an excellent follow-up to his third-place finish in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Secret Bounty event.
Despite his current lead, the competition is not far behind. Only a slim margin of 11 big blinds separates Wisbrod from the fifth-place player. Closest on his heels is Macedonia’s Ilija Savevski (5,435,000), followed by Kenny Smith (5,170,000), Robert Burlacu (5,140,000), and Frederic Normand (5,060,000), all eagerly eyeing the top spot.
Seidel Aims for Bracelet Number 10 in No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw
Erik Seidel is one of only 24 poker players remaining in Event #60: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw, and he is well positioned to join the ranks of those with double-digit WSOP bracelet wins. Seidel’s 680,000 stack places him in the top ten at the moment.
However, several top-tier grinders, including Ryan Moriarty (1,035,000), Nick Guagenti (990,000), Robert Campbell (805,000), Richard Ashby (800,000), and Adam Friedman (720,000) stand in his way. Other competitors to watch include Maria Ho (515,000), Chris Brewer (465,000), Jason Mercier (390,000), Brad Ruben (375,000), and Mike Watson (335,000).
Record Attendance in $1,000 Super Seniors Event
Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold’em has broken records with an impressive turnout of 3,122 participants over the age of 60. Kevin Durgin (392,000) leads the remaining 808 players into Day 2, closely followed by Greg White (384,000), Christian Guittier (366,500), and Geoffrey Gault (308,000). Four-time WSOP bracelet winner Farzad Bonyadi is also in the top ten.
Prociak in Top 10 for NLHE/PLO Mixed Event
Event #62: $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha attracted a field of 2,076 players, a significant increase from last year. After the end of Day 1, Justin Jones (756,000) emerged as the chip leader. Bracelet winner David Prociak also secured a spot in the top ten with 518,000 chips.
Exciting Day 30 of the 2023 WSOP Ahead
Day 30 of the 2023 WSOP promises a lot of excitement, with the culmination of several events, including the $1,500 Millionaire Maker, $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller, $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout, and the $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw.
Additionally, the field of the $1,000 Super Seniors event and the $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha will be reduced to a manageable number. Finally, three new events will commence: Event #64: $600 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack Championship, Event #65: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em (6-Handed), and Event #66: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better.