Swiss player Alexandre Vuilleumier emerged as the first open bracelet event champion at the 2023 World Series of Poker. With a solid performance in the $25,000 buy-in six-max no-limit hold’em event #2, Vuilleumier outpaced a formidable field of 207 entries to earn his first WSOP title and a grand prize of $1,215,864. This accomplishment marks Vuilleumier’s debut seven-figure score, elevating his career earnings to over $2.1 million.
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A Streak of Triumphs in 2023
This victory follows Vuilleumier’s prior success in a $10,150 six-max event, where he topped an 87-entry field to secure $237,700. Vuilleumier has notched 1,740 Card Player: Player of the Year points with these two titles, tying him in 75th place with Giorgiy Skhulukhiya and David Yan in the 2023 Card Player POY standings.
The Intense Poker Skills
The three-day event was hosted at the Paris and Horseshoe properties on the Las Vegas Strip from May 30 through June 1. The top 32 finishers had their share in the prize pool worth $4,864,500. Some well-known faces, though unable to secure a spot at the final table but still finished in the money, included Justin Bonomo, Koray Aldemir, Espen Jorstad, Daniel Negreanu, Chris Brewer, Adrian Mateos, Bin Weng, Cary Katz, Andrew Lichtenberger, Elior Sion, the 2021 WSOP Main Event champion Koray Aldemir, and the 2022 WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad.
Noteworthy Final Tables in WSOP Events
At the final table, Joey Weissman was the first to fall. Weissman’s pocket kings were overpowered by Vuilleumier’s J-3 offsuit, who flopped trip threes and made a full house by the river. Weissman walked away with $188,219.
Next out, after an unsuccessful triple-barrel bluff against Chance Kornuth, was Ren Lin who was down to under 13 big blinds. Lin made a noteworthy fifth-place finish despite being left short-stacked, taking home $259,220. He still stands third in the overall standings, only 55 POY points behind second-ranked Bin Weng.
Thrilling Events Leading to the Championship
Despite having less than two big blinds, Sean Winter managed two straight double-ups, demonstrating a remarkable comeback. Winter’s impressive run ended in third place, with his hand falling short against Vuilleumier’s higher pair and kicker. Winter’s performance brought his lifetime tournament earnings close to $27.2 million, and he secured the lead in the high-stakes-centric PokerGO Tour points race.
Heads-up play commenced with Vuilleumier holding a sizable lead against Kornuth. This lead widened when Vuilleumier won a crucial pot with queens up against Kornuth’s third pair. Kornuth, left with just under 18 big blinds, finished in second place, missing out on his fourth career WSOP gold bracelet but walking away with a career-best earning of $751,463. His overall tournament circuit earnings now stand at more than $13.3 million.
An Overview of Final Table Payouts
Here is a summary of the final table’s payouts: Alexandre Vuilleumier ($1,215,864), Chance Kornuth ($751,463), Sean Winter ($518,106), Axel Hallay ($363,326), Ren Lin ($259,220), and Joey Weissman ($188,219)
A Recap of WSOP 2023 Day 3:
The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas is in full swing. Day 3 was a whirlwind of thrilling poker play, with six events unfolding simultaneously.
Highlighting the Champions
As covered above, Alexandre Vuilleumier of Switzerland triumphed in the $25,000 High Roller 6-Handed, claiming a hefty prize of $1,215,864 and his first WSOP bracelet.
The second bracelet, and first of the WSOP online series, went to Cody “1eggadaymke” Bell, who emerged victorious in the $333 No-Limit Hold ’em Triple Treys Summer Tip Off.
Dealer’s Choice: Down to the Final 11
The $1,500 Dealer’s Choice 6-handed began the day with 135 hopeful players, but only 11 remained standing after ten hours. Andrew “AJ” Kelsall leads the pack with a commanding stack of 1,950,000 chips. Following closely are formidable contenders including Nick Pupillo, Chad Eveslage, David Levi, and John Racener. Unfortunately, several big hitters, including Jeff Lisandro, Phil Hellmuth, and Daniel Negreanu, saw their dreams cut short.
A Closer Look at the Mystery Millions
Event #3, the $1,000 Mystery Millions, welcomed an impressive 2,957 players on Day 1b who joined the 2,023 players from Day 1a. After twenty-two levels, the field was reduced to 146, with Shaun Davis leading the pack with a chip count of 2,475,000. Tal Avivi and Joseph Dornish, with over two million chips each, are also strong, albeit early, contenders for the bracelet. The 146 remaining players join the 304 from day 1a with two more Day 1’s still to play.
Scott Wilson Takes the Lead in Tournament of Champions
Only 31 players remain in Event #4, the Tournament of Champions. Scott Wilson stands at the top of the leaderboard with 2,885,000 chips. Others, such as Dakota Britton and Vincent Moscati, also possess significant chip counts and pose a challenge to Wilson. Jason Somerville, the last remaining bracelet winner in the field, is hoping to secure his second championship title.
Fernando Habegger Shines in the NLHE/PLO Mix
Event #6 saw Fernando Habegger, or “Jnandez,” amass the largest stack, 1,625,000 among the 48 remaining players from the initial field of 547. Bracelet winners Michael Banducci, Michael Moncek, and Gregory Kolo are just a little behind, ready to give Habegger a run for his money.
Mike Leah in Close Pursuit in the Limit Hold ’em Event
Event #7, the $1,500 Fixed Limit Hold ’em, saw 527 players enter, but after 15 levels, only 169 remained to advance to Day 2. Dana Davidson leads with 208,500 chips, with Mike Leah hot on his heels, holding 200,000 chips. Leah is a formidable opponent, having previously won a bracelet in 2014.