Joseph Roh Triumphs in Inaugural $600 Ultra Stack Event
In the brand new Event #81: $600 Ultra Stack tournament, a total of 7,207 competitors faced off, culminating in a prize pool of $3,675,570. Despite the tournament’s novelty, seasoned player Joseph Roh, a 55-year-old with three previous cashes at the WSOP, outmaneuvered them all. The endgame was a heated duel between Roh and Denny Lee, with the chip lead swinging back and forth. Luck finally favored Roh over Lee. Lee took home $250,120 as runner-up while Roh bagged $401,250 and the champion’s bracelet.
Matthew Parry Takes Top Spot in $3k PLO 6-max Event
The Event #82: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (6-Handed) tournament was anything but quick, stretching over four days despite its traditionally swift nature. With 1,013 entries, the prize pool soared to $2,704,710. The third day concluded with Connor Drinan settling for sixth place ($75,517), leaving the final five players to battle it out on Day 4. The tournament reached its climax with Matthew Parry and Day 2 chip leader Dustin Goldklang facing off in a heads-up duel. Parry, aided by a 7:1 lead, emerged victorious, winning the $480,122 first prize, with Goldklang collecting $296,746 as runner-up.
Thai Ha Conquers $1,500 Short Deck Event
In Event #83: $1,500 Short Deck, 363 players competed for a share of the $484,605 prize pool. After three grueling days of competition, only Vietnamese pro Thai Ha remained standing. He claimed the top spot, winning $111,170. His journey to victory wasn’t easy, as he had to navigate a final table laden with experienced short deck players, including Ryan Laplante, Wai Kiat Lee, and David Prociak, the latter finishing in second place. Prociak’s quick mastery of short deck was particularly noteworthy, making him a formidable opponent.
Adam Friedman Eyes Sixth Bracelet in $1.5k Shootout Event
The second day of Event #85: $1,500 Shootout saw only 100 out of 987 original entrants advance. Today, just ten remain, each returning with stacks ranging from 2,415,000 to 2,465,000, a result of slight variances between stacks due to uneven tables and partially blinded stacks from Day 1. Notable players returning to the final table include five-time bracelet winner Faraz Jaka, Yuri Dzivielevski, and Adam Friedman. With a hunt for his sixth bracelet, Friedman will be the one to watch. Can he make it to six? Only time will tell.
Phil Hellmuth and Eli Elezra Bow Out in Hall of Fame Event
Hall of Famers Eli Elezra and Phil Hellmuth were the only players of their kind to make it to Day 2 of Event #86: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty. Elezra was eliminated early, while Hellmuth lasted until the final 19 players. As the final table approaches for Day 3 of the event, the nine remaining players can anticipate a minimum cash of $32,897, with the first-place prize set at $402,054. Diego Ventura holds the chip lead with 13,350,000.
Nick Pupillo Tops Omaha/Stud Hi-Lo Event’s Day Two
Day 2 of Event #87: $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better saw 247 players whittled down to 37. The top three stacks belong to Nick Pupillo, Yuval Bronshtein, and Jeffrey Trudeau. Other notable stacks include those of Ari Engel, Patrick Leonard, and Timothy Frazin. Past champions such as Todd Brunson and four-time bracelet winner Brad Ruben hold smaller stacks as the day concludes.
Benson Tang Takes Lead in The Closer’s First Day
Following 22 levels of play in Day 1a of Event #88: $1,500 The Closer, only 76 of the initial 1,141 entries remained. The prize pool stands at $1,523,235 with more expected in Day 1b. Benson Tang leads the pack with 2,185,000 in chips.
Pete Chen Tops Flip & Go Event
Event #89: $1,000 Flip & Go Presented by GGPoker presented an unusual format, forcing players to go all-in at the outset. The traditional tournament format resumed after these early flips, and the field rapidly narrowed down from 128 survivors to 18.
Tobias Schwecht Leads in $10k 6-max Championship
In Event #90: $10,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Championship, Austrian pro Tobias Schwecht claimed the chip lead with 546,000 in chips. He is closely followed by Frank Lagodich and Justin Liberto. With late registration still open, the current prize pool of $4,603,500 is set to increase.
Notable Performances in Side Events
As the Main Event players enjoyed a day off, side event action continued at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The day saw three new bracelet winners, including poker coach Faraz Jaka who won a $1,500 Shootout event. Diego Ventura also claimed a bracelet and a prize exceeding $400k in the Hall of Fame Bounty event, marking the first WSOP victory for his home country, Peru. Dong Meng emerged victorious in the unusual Event #89: $1,000 Flip & Go Presented by GGPoker. Lastly, Event #87: $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better was pushed to an unscheduled fourth day.
Three Finalists Remain in Event #87: Mixed Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better
After three days of play, the champion remains undetermined in Event #87: $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better at the 2023 World Series of Poker. The remaining three players will compete for the $221,733 prize and a WSOP gold bracelet. Leading the trio is Nghia “3 Putts” Le with 7,400,000 in chips. Following closely is Nick Pupillo, with 6,045,000 in chips. Bradley Smith, the short stack with 2,655,000 chips, is hoping to improve on his previous best WSOP finish.
Event #88: The Closer Sees 3,500 Entries, 258 Survive
Event #88: $1,500 The Closer ended Day 1b with 183 survivors from this flight, joining the 76 from Day 1a. Leading the pack is Jack Duong with 1,485,000 in chips. Both Chen Feng Wen and Mathew Moore ended the day with the highest stack at 1,750,000.
Phil Hellmuth Aims for 18th Bracelet in Event #90: $10,000 6-Handed NLHE Championship
Day 2 of Event #90: $10,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Championship concluded with Jamie O’Connor leading with 2,545,000 in chips. AJ Kelsall follows closely with 2,325,000. Poker legend Phil Hellmuth, looking for his 18th bracelet, holds 860,000. Other contenders include Stephen Chidwick, Justin Liberto, and Alexandre Reard.
Andre Akkari Leads Day 1 of Event #91: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E.
Day 1 of Event #91: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. concluded with Brazilian pro Andre Akkari in the lead, holding 232,300 in chips. The tournament saw 332 players enter, creating a prize pool of $886,440, with the first-place winner taking home $208,460 and a gold bracelet. Of the 332 entrants, 195 will return for the second day, with 50 earning a cash prize.