On Day 43 of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, five major events occurred, each offering a coveted bracelet to the winner. These events took place at the esteemed Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas venues. The day was highlighted by a tournament champion’s coronation, the Main Event’s progression, and an intense three-hour money bubble in one of the contests.
Shawn Daniels Emerges Champion in Event #77: $777 Lucky 7’s
The momentous day saw Shawn Daniels rise as a new WSOP bracelet winner. He was the last man standing in Event #77: $777 Lucky 7’s, outshining four other competitors who made it to the final day’s contest. The nail-biting finale concluded in less than four hours, with Daniels taking home a handsome $777,777 top prize alongside the much-coveted WSOP jewelry.
Joao Vieira Tops Leaderboard in $25K H.O.R.S.E Event with 15 Players Left
Day 3 of Event #80: $25,000 H.O.R.S.E, a challenging mixed-game event, saw Joao Vieira leading the pack with 2,595,000 chips. The day commenced with 56 players, along with 14 latecomers joining the fray. By the end of the eventful day, only 15 players remained in the game, each with a promising pile of chips before them.
A Three-Hour Money Bubble Punctuates the $25K H.O.R.S.E
The day’s dramatic climax came in the form of a three-hour money bubble, which started with 19 players, as only 17 would receive a portion of the prize pool. This tense period involved a series of grueling poker hands, expanding over three levels before the money bubble finally burst. The decisive moment came when Vieira outplayed Scott Bohlman during a Razz round, propelling the remaining players into the prize money.
Of the 15 players who made it through the day, eight, including Vieira, already had at least one WSOP bracelet under their belt, emphasizing the high stakes of the event. Notable among these are Josh Arieh (2,040,000), John Hennigan (1,588,000), Mike Matusow (705,000), and Brian Hastings (600,000), each a formidable player in the poker circuit.
WSOP Main Event Day 6 Approaches: Only 149 Players Left in the Fray
The $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship, also known as Event #76, saw its field of 441 starters whittled down to 149 after five more levels of intense 120-minute gameplay on Day 43. Leading the pack is Zachary Hall with a stack of 16,310,000 chips, taking a 50 big blind lead into Day 6. The remaining players are all looking forward to possibly securing the record-breaking $12.1 million prize in less than a week.
Among the noteworthy competitors are British professional Andrew Hulme, returning with a top-five stack of 11,065,000 chips, and Tony Dunst and bracelet winner Jonathan Therme, both ranking in the top ten. Other notable names include 2010 WSOP Main Event runner-up John Racener, Maurice Hawkins, Amit Makhija, Jan-Peter Jachtmann, Nikita Luther, and Nicholas “Dirty Diaper” Rigby.
Seth Davies Leads $2,500 NLHE Day 2 Chip Counts: 24 Players Remain
Seth Davies finds himself in a favorable position in Event #79: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em, leading the chip counts with 9,425,000 chips and looking poised to finally clinch a gold WSOP bracelet. Trailing Davies is Justin Kindred, holding 6,000,000 chips.
James Anderson and Rui Ferreira, who are among the top five, will be returning, along with India’s Kartik Ved and Galen Hall, who have more work cut out for them. All returning players have secured a minimum of $24,635, with the top seven finishers guaranteed a six-figure prize. The champion will walk away with a hefty sum of $682,436 and the coveted gold bracelet.
A Massive Turnout of 3,091 on Day 1a of the $600 NLHE Ultra Stack
Event #81: $600 Ultra Stack witnessed an impressive 3,091 entrants, which was reduced to a manageable 243 after 22 levels. Matthew Land emerged as the early chip leader with 2,160,000 chips, closely followed by Jiawei Mao and Christina Gollins.
Other players to watch include Shane Schleger and Alex Bolotin, both ranking in the top ten. Notable progress was also made by Benjamin Spragg, Ian Steinman, Sebastien Aube, Dalibor Dula, and Anatolii Zyrin.
Ian Matakis Rides High on Day 1 of the $3K PLO 6-Max
Ian Matakis, who won a bracelet earlier in the summer and is currently leading the Player of the Year race, wrapped up Day 1 of Event #82: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (6-Handed) in a commendable second position. He ended the day with 490,500 chips, narrowly trailing behind Tyler Gaston, the chip leader, with 552,500.
Bracelet winners
Lukas Zaskodny and Dylan Weisman performed admirably, securing top five stacks. Brazil’s Kelvin Kerber, Brandon Shack-Harris, and Shaun Deeb join them in the higher ranks. Joe Serock, Norbert Szecsi, Mike Gorodinsky, Sammy Farha, Rob Cowen, and Kevin Gerhart also made the cut. In total, only 238 out of 1,013 entrants made it through to Day 2.