The poker world is converging on Las Vegas in anticipation of the 2023 World Series of Poker, set to begin soon. Just before the first bracelet event of the year commenced, Matthew Schulte emerged victorious in a significant tournament on the Las Vegas strip. Hailing from Ohio, Schulte triumphed over a field of 807 participants in the recent Mid-States Poker Tour Venetian main event, which required a $1,100 buy-in for a game of no-limit hold’em. His triumph earned him $118,874 in prize money and his first MSPT trophy.

Schulte expressed his thoughts to MSPT reporters after his victory, saying, “I had an incredibly fortunate streak at this final table, which is often the key to success.”

This victory marked Schulte’s second-highest earnings ever, following his 33rd-place finish in the 2021 WSOP main event, where he secured $198,550. In total, he has now amassed nearly $788,000 in tournament winnings throughout his career.

The tournament took place within The Venetian Las Vegas and featured three starting flights from May 27-29. After the initial rounds, 91 players advanced and returned on Memorial Day to battle it out until a champion emerged. Kenny Hallaert, a finalist in the 2016 WSOP main event, initially held the chip lead but was ultimately eliminated on the final table bubble, earning $12,028 for finishing in tenth place.

Entering the final nine players, Adam Walton held the chip lead, with Schulte positioned third in terms of chips. Walton widened the gap by eliminating two-time bracelet winner Michael Wang in seventh place ($23,480) before six-handed action commenced. Schulte managed to reduce the deficit by winning a preflop race with A-Q suited against William Latta’s pocket sevens (sixth place – $29,980).

Schulte and Walton then took turns eliminating two more players, with Walton sending Al-Farouk Mosoyore Obi home in fifth place ($38,685), while Schulte ousted David Jackson, also a two-time bracelet winner, in fourth place ($50,437). Schulte’s A-4 suited triumphed over Jackson’s A-10 suited, with all the chips going in preflop. Schulte flopped a four and held his advantage to narrow the field to three players.

Shortly after, Schulte doubled his stack through Walton, winning a flip with pocket nines against A-Q and seizing the lead. In the final hand, Walton went all-in with an open-ended straight draw against Schulte’s middle pair. The turn improved Schulte’s hand to trip sevens, and a blank on the river concluded Walton’s journey in third place ($66,443).

Schulte’s heads-up battle with Nick Pupillo was brief. The board showed 9♦ 6♣ 5♣ 9♥, with Schulte holding 9♣ 4♠ and Pupillo having 8♣ 7♣ for a flopped nine-high straight. Schulte check-raised, prompting Pupillo to shove all-in. Schulte made the call and found himself trailing, but the 5♥ on the river completed the board, giving him a full house and securing the victory. Pupillo received $88,426 as the runner-up finisher.

Bin Weng entered Memorial Day weekend with an opportunity to achieve something extraordinary. Having already reached the final tables of two separate main events in the World Poker Tour earlier in May as the chip leader, the Philadelphia-based poker player had a shot at playing for both titles and a combined prize pool of up to $1.5 million over consecutive days. The first leg of this remarkable poker journey culminated in triumph as Weng capitalized on his chip lead to claim victory in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, a $3,500 buy-in main event held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Outlasting a massive field of 2,290 entries, Weng emerged as the sole survivor, clinching his first-ever WPT title and a career-best payday of $1,128,250.

“(Winning a WPT title) was one of my main goals, when I started to play poker (full time) back in 2019,” Weng told WPT reporters after coming out on top. “It means a lot to me, definitely.”

Following about five hours of intense gameplay, Weng secured the victory, granting him approximately 19 hours of rest and preparation before his next challenge: the final table of the WPT Choctaw. This event offered a chance to vie for the title and an additional prize of $400,740.

In addition to the title and monetary rewards, Weng earned 1,620 Card Player Player of the Year (POY) points as the champion of the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. With this win, his third title and seventh final-table finish of 2023, Weng amassed over $2.5 million in POY earnings even before factoring in potential winnings from the WPT Choctaw main event. Currently, he holds the impressive rank of third place in this year’s POY standings, presented by Global Poker, further solidifying his prowess.

The first elimination of the final table occurred within four hands. Rafael Farah, holding pocket jacks, went all-in against Weng’s pocket threes. A fortuitous three on the flop reversed their fortunes, granting Weng a lead that he maintained throughout the turn and river. Farah earned $238,000 for his sixth-place finish.

Shortly after, Naing Thu’s run in the tournament concluded in fifth place. Thu chose to make a three-bet shove with A-4 against Weng’s small-blind open. Weng called with A-Q, leaving Thu in a precarious situation. As the community cards unfolded, Weng secured queens full of aces, further solidifying his dominance. Thu, primarily a cash game player from Florida, received $312,000 for his impressive performance in the event.

The subsequent pivotal moment materialized when David Mzareulov made an open shove with K♥8♥ from under-the-gun, having only 11 big blinds left. Weng, sitting in the small blind, opted to isolate with 7♦7♣. The remaining players folded, and the flop displayed 7♠6♥6♣, granting Weng an unbeatable hand with sevens full. With the J♥ on the turn, Mzareulov was officially eliminated, and the 10♠ on the river merely confirmed his fate. Mzareulov’s fourth-place finish rewarded him with $413,000, surpassing his previous highest cash of $205,000 earned as the runner-up in a Millionaire Mayhem Poker Series event at The Lodge Poker Club in 2021.

Mitch Garshofsky, holding fewer than 13 big blinds, made a button shove with 6♦5♦. Unsurprisingly, Weng called from the big blind

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

Jason Koon stands alone as the most accomplished Triton Poker player ever. Koon already held the record for the most titles on the high-stakes tour with six, having added to that total with a victory in the $20,000 seven-max event at the 2023 Triton Super High Roller Series North Cyprus festival on May 12. Just ten days later, Koon managed to extend his lead even further when he emerged victorious in the $100,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event at the series, earning a record-extending seventh title and the top prize of more than $2.4 million. He now has a three-title lead on second-ranked Mikita Badzakiakouski, who has four wins on the tour.

“This is a dream come true for me. When I first started playing these [Triton events], it was a dream to even be in them. I don’t know why I’ve gotten to run so good in these big spots, but I definitely don’t take it for granted. I feel blessed, and it’s something I’ll never forget,” Koon told Triton reporter Ali Nejad after coming out on top.

Koon has now cashed for nearly $21.8 million in Triton events, making him the second-highest earnings player on the tour as well. He trails only Bryn Kenney, who secured nearly $20.6 million of his $30.6 million in total earnings on the tour when he made a heads-up deal in the largest buy-in tournament ever held: the £1,050,000 Triton London Charity Invitational.

This latest win brought Koon’s overall lifetime tournament earnings to $46.9 million, enough to see him surpass David Peters to move into fifth place on poker’s all-time money list.

This tournament ran over the course of three days. With 101 entries, the prize pool swelled to $10,100,000. Only the top 15 finishers made the money, with players like two-time Triton winner Chris Brewer (15th – $175,00), two-time bracelet winner Fedor Holz (13th – $190,000), four-time bracelet winner Michael Addamo (12th – $190,000), current POY race leader Nacho Barbero (11th – $215,000), and two-time bracelet winner Aleksejs Ponakovs (10th) all making them money but falling short of the final table.

The final table was arguably one of the most accomplished in poker history. The nine contenders that took a seat had more than $266.8 million in combined prior tournament earnings between them, for an average of $29.6 million per player. Three of the nine players (Koon, Stephen Chidwick, and Dan Smith) were already among the top 10 on poker’s all-time money list, with two more top 20 players in Steve O’Dwyer and Sam Greenwood.

The first to hit the rail was recent $50,000 seven max event champion Viacheslav Buldygin. The Russian player lost a big chunk of his stack to a full house held by Greenwood. He then got all-in with A-9 and was up against two opponents, with Koon ultimately showing down K-Q for top pair to win the pot and eliminate Buldygin in ninth place ($263,000).

Chidwick was the next to fall. The two-time Card Player POY award winner got all-in with middle pair and an ace kicker trailing the top pair of O’Dwyer. Chidwick received no further help on the turn or river and was eliminated in eighth place ($358,500). He now has more than $48.5 million in lifetime earnings after this latest deep run, keeping him in fourth place on the career earnings leaderboard. With three titles and eight final-table finishes in 2023, he has climbed into 13th place in the POY standings as he looks to go back-to-back after winning in 2022.

Two-time European Poker Tour champion and World Poker Tour main event winner Michael Watson’s run ended in seventh place thanks to a preflop coin flip. His pocket sevens were unable to outrace the A-J suited of Henrik Hecklen, who spike a jack to win the pot and narrow the field to six. Watson earned $469,500 for his sixth final-table finish of the year, with three titles secured along the way. He moved to eighth in the POY standings as a result, while increasing his career earnings to nearly $20.7 million.

Koon overtook the chip lead during six-handed action, winning a race with A-K against the pocket sixes of O’Dwyer. He then picked up A-10 and raised from the button, prompting a critically short-stacked Sean Winter to call all-in for less than a big blind with 8-4. Neither player connected and Winter was knocked out in sixth place, earning $595,000. He now has more than $26.6 million in recorded tournament cashes to his name after this result.

The lead continued to grow for Koon, who next found pocket tens against the A-Q of Smith. The pair held up and Smith was sent packing in fifth place ($762,000). The bracelet winner now has more than $43.1 million in lifetime tournament cashes, placing him ninth on the all-time money list.

Just a couple hands after that, Koon again found himself involved in a big all-in. This time his A-Q suited was not flipping, though, as Henrik Hecklen had been dealt pocket queens. Koon found an ace on the flop to take a commanding lead, though, and he held from there to eliminate Hecklen in fourth place. The Danish pro earned $946,000 for his efforts, increasing his career haul to more than $11.4 million in the process.

O’Dwyer found a double-up through Koon early in three-handed play, but lost a showdown with the same pair and a worse kicker not long after that to fall back down to around 20 big blinds. O’Dwyer was soon involved in another massive pot against the eventual winner.

The hand in question began with O’Dwyer limping from the small blind with QHeart Suit. Koon checked his option with 6Heart Suit3Heart Suit and the pair saw a flop of 9Heart Suit4Club Suit2Diamond Suit. O’Dwyer check-called a stab from Koon and the turn brought the 5Club Suit. O’Dwyer check-called again, this time for a bet of around two-thirds pot. The 8Club Suit completed the board and O’Dwyer checked. Koon moved all-in, putting O’Dwyer to the test for his last seven or so big blinds. O’Dwyer thought it over for a while before making the call with his fourth pair, only to be shown the straight. He earned $1,171,000 as the third-place finisher. He now has $37.7 million in lifetime earnings after this podium finish.

With that, Koon took roughly a 4:1 chip lead into heads-up play against Greenwood. The two came to an agreement to redistribute the remaining prize money, leaving $84,000 and the title to play for while locking up $1,923,918 for Greenwood and $2,367,082 for Koon.

The heads-up battle ended up lasting just a single hand. Koon limped in from the button with QSpade Suit10Diamond Suit and Greenwood shoved for 21 big blinds with ADiamond SuitKClub Suit. Koon called and the board ran out QHeart SuitJClub Suit9Heart SuitJSpade Suit7Heart Suit to give Koon queens and jacks for the win. Greenwood increased his career earnings to more than $34.2 million thanks to his runner-up showing in this event. The Canadian has won two titles and made six final tables so far in 2023, and as a result is just one spot shy of the top 20 in the POY standings.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

In the final showdown of the World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Las Vegas $1,700 main event, Alex Foxen and Bin Weng went head-to-head. It was Weng who emerged victorious, claiming the title and the coveted gold ring. However, fate had another meeting in store for them just a few months later, on May 12, with a six-figure grand prize at stake. This time, Foxen came out on top, defeating Weng in a thrilling battle to win the $25,000 no-limit hold’em high roller event of the 2023 Lodge Championship Series. His triumph earned him a significant cash prize of $235,000, pushing his total career tournament earnings to nearly $29.3 million.

Both Alex Foxen and Weng have been standout performers on the tournament circuit throughout the year. Foxen’s victory marked his third title and 12th appearance at a final table in 2023. Meanwhile, Weng’s achievement in winning the $5,000 main event at Borgata in ‘The Return,’ followed by his triumph at the WSOPC main event, solidified his status as a top contender for Player of the Year (POY). Currently placed ninth in the standings, Weng boasts two titles and five final-table finishes, amassing nearly $1.4 million in POY earnings this year. His prospects for further success are bright, especially considering his presence at two delayed final tables of the World Poker Tour—WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown and WPT Choctaw—where he has the opportunity to win up to $1.5 million.

The high-stakes competition took place at The Lodge Poker Club in Round Rock, Texas, attracting 20 participants and generating a prize pool of $480,000. In the end, the top three finishers secured cash prizes. Daniel Rezaei fell victim to Foxen’s pocket jacks, with his K-Q suited unable to improve on the turn and river, eliminating him on the bubble. Lodge co-owner Doug Polk claimed the third-place spot after failing to connect with his outs on the river, falling to Weng’s pocket aces. Polk walked away with $100,000 for his commendable performance.

Entering the heads-up battle, Weng held a chip advantage of 562,000 to Alex Foxen’s 435,000. Although Weng initially extended his lead to more than 8:1, Foxen staged a remarkable comeback. With a crucial bluff and a fortunate pocket kings against Weng’s A-J, Foxen narrowed the gap to less than a 3:2 advantage for Weng. Foxen then seized the lead when his flush and straight draw prevailed over Weng’s bottom two pair. Securing a 2:1 advantage, he maintained his momentum until the final hand.

The final hand saw Foxen’s K♥ Q♦ triumph over Weng’s A♣ 5♠. With the board showing J♥ 9♥ 4♠ 9♣ Q♣, Foxen secured queens up on the river, solidifying his victory and clinching the title. Weng earned a commendable $145,000 as the runner-up.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded in this event:

Jason Koon has solidified his position as the leading title-holder in the high-stakes Triton Poker tour by securing his record-extending sixth victory. With this win, he now holds a two-win advantage over his closest competitor, Mikita Badziakouski, who is a four-time Triton champion.

Koon’s latest triumph took place at the 2023 Triton Super High Roller Series Cyprus festival, where he outplayed a field of 138 entries in the $20,000 buy-in seven-max no-limit hold’em event. The 37-year-old American professional poker player earned a prize of $663,000 for his achievement, bringing his total career earnings to just under $44 million. As a result, he currently ranks seventh on the all-time money list in the poker world, with less than $45,000 separating him from the sixth-ranked player, Erik Seidel.

Reflecting on his impressive performance during the Triton Poker event, Koon attributed his success to both favorable outcomes and his extensive experience. He mentioned having played against the same pool of competitors for many years, which allowed him to gather valuable insights and make informed decisions.

As the champion of the event, Koon received 792 Card Player Player of the Year points, adding to his remarkable year, which includes two titles and five final-table finishes. With a total of 1,835 points and earnings exceeding $2 million, Koon has climbed into the top 50 in the 2023 Player of the Year race standings presented by Global Poker.

The tournament took place at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Spa in North Cyprus and lasted two days, with 28 contenders advancing to day 2 and only 20 players making it into the money. Koon began day 2 in fourth position in chip count and gradually worked his way up to third place by the time the field was reduced to the official final table of seven.

During the final table action, several players were eliminated. Ian Bradley, who entered the table with the shortest stack, finished in seventh place after losing a coin flip with Q-J against Artur Martirosian’s pocket fives, earning $115,900. Martirosian himself was subsequently knocked out in sixth place when his pocket queens couldn’t hold up against Koon’s pocket kings, resulting in a double-paired board. Martirosian received $154,400 for his sixth-place finish, and his strong performance in the event propelled him to eighth place in the Player of the Year rankings, with one title and nearly $2.8 million in earnings so far in 2023.

Adrian Mateos, a four-time bracelet winner, ended up as the shortest stack following Martirosian’s elimination. Mateos was eliminated in fifth place after going all-in with Q-6 suited and splitting the pot with two opponents who had top pair and low kickers. He earned $197,300 for his deep run and currently sits in 11th place on the Player of the Year leaderboard, having accumulated nearly $3.4 million in earnings and achieving nine final-table finishes this year.

Eduard Barsegian’s journey in the tournament concluded when his flopped jack-high flush draw failed to beat Kanan Taherkhani’s ace high and gutshot broadway draw. Barsegian finished in fourth place, receiving $245,500.

In the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown’s $25,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em high roller event, Thomas Boivin emerged victorious after beating a challenging final table of 105 players, winning the title and the top prize of $711,300. Thomas Boivin, a Belgian poker pro, attained his largest live tournament payout to date, surpassing the $428,000 he earned as the champion of the 2018 European Poker Tour Prague €25,000 tournament, increasing his career earnings to over $5.5 million.

Thomas Boivin’s recent victory also elevated him to 74th place in the 2023 Card Player Player of the Year standings, having achieved three final-table finishes, one title, and over $800,000 in winnings to date.

Additionally, other players made significant gains on the POY leaderboard as a result of this event. Ren Lin, who finished in third place, received $319,000 and 560 POY points for his 12th final-table finish of the year. With Lin’s two titles and almost $2.5 million in cashes in 2023, he is currently in second place in the rankings, trailing only Nacho Barbero with a total of 4,869 points compared to Barbero’s 5,235.

The tournament had a strong turnout and surpassed its $1,000,000 guarantee, with the top 15 finishers sharing a prize pool of $2,593,500. Some well-known poker players, including Kristen Foxen, Alex Foxen, Joe McKeehen, Jonathan Jaffe, Bryn Kenney, Joseph Cheong, and Martin Zamani, made it to the final tables.

Frank Lagodich finished as the runner-up with a career-high payout of $505,200, earning his fifth POY-qualified score of 2023 and entering the top 100 in the POY race.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

Brian Luo emerged victorious in the $10,000 no-limit hold’em Deep Stack event held at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown in Hollywood, Florida. He won a grand prize of $291,338 and received the Seminole Hard Rock guitar pick trophy. This win marks his third tournament victory and increases his career earnings to almost $500,000. Luo has also secured 720 points in the Card Player Player of the Year race presented by Global Poker with four tournament cashes this year.

The final day of the event saw 35 players returning to compete, and eventually, a three-way chop determined the conclusion of the tournament. Danny Wong secured second place with $253,331, while Toby Joyce finished third with $234,681. Jeremy Ausmus finished in fourth place, earning $88,500 and 456 POY points, and currently ranks in 10th place in the 2023 POY standings. Sam Soverel claimed fifth place, winning $68,600 and 300 points, moving him up to the 16th place on the POY leaderboard. Joey Weissman finished in sixth place, earning $56,700 and 240 points, making it his fourth final table appearance in 2023, and securing a spot in the top 20 of the POY rankings with two titles won and more than $750,000 in POY earnings to date.

The tournament received 149 entries, creating a total prize pool of $1,415,500, and the top 19 players all received at least $21,200. Players who made the money before the final table included Otto Palacios (10th), John Racener (11th), Kyle Ngiyen (12th), Giorgiy Skhulukhiya (13th), Jim Collopy (14th), Jesse Lonis (15th), John Krpan (16th), Harrison Ashdown (17th), David Stamm (18th), and Filipp Khavin (19th).

Here is a look at the payouts awarded at the final table:

On April 27, David Peters, a 36-year-old professional poker player, once again emerged victorious in the $50,000 buy-in super high roller event at the 2023 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. This was his 41st recorded poker title, and he earned $328,527 for his win. Peters has lifetime tournament earnings of more than $45.6 million and is now fifth on the all-time money list, behind Justin Bonomo, Bryn Kenny, Daniel Negreanu, and Stephen Chidwick.

In 2023, David Peters has already reached six final tables and won his first title. He has accrued 1,240 points in the Card Player Player of the Year standings, putting him in 94th place in the overall rankings presented by Global Poker.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood attracted 18 entries for the super high roller event, creating a prize pool of $873,000 that was paid out among the top four finishers. The tournament was supposed to run over two days but ended in a single session.

The money bubble burst when Farid Jattin went all-in with Q-9 suited and Peters, who had raised on the button, called with pocket jacks. Jattin was eliminated in fifth place, and the remaining players all received at least $104,760.

Sam Soverel won $104,760 for fourth place, and Kevin Rabichow finished in third place with $157,140. Alex Foxen, a fellow bracelet winner, took home $282,573 for finishing as the runner-up.

Before the start of heads-up play, David Peters held 1,454,000 chips to Foxen’s 796,000. They reached a deal that split the remaining prize money between them, with Peters receiving $328,527 and Foxen earning $282,573. Peters was named the official winner as the chip leader at the time of the deal. Foxen earned 170 POY points for his 10th final-table finish of the year, bringing his total to 3,992 points and more than $1.3 million in POY earnings. Foxen’s lifetime earnings now total $28.9 million.

Here is the final table Result:

The Parkwest Bicycle Casino, located near Los Angeles, California, recently wrapped up its extensive Winnin’ O’ The Green festival, which included the World Series of Poker Circuit stop, with a $1.5 million guaranteed Mega Millions XXIV event. The tournament, which lasted for 13 days and featured over 30 starting flights and day 2 direct entry, was a highlight of the Mega Millions event series at the venue.

With a total of 4,817 entries, the Mega Millions event had a prize pool reaching $2,147,490. Of these entries, 2,560 were made at the $275 buy-in price point, and 2,078 were made at the $560 level, demonstrating the popularity of the Mega Millions event at the casino. An additional 179 entries were made for $3,350 on day 2, with players who qualified for day 2 multiple times during the starting flights paid nearly half a million dollars.

On the final day of the Mega Millions event, seven players remained, with West Hills, CA resident Esa Homayun holding the chip lead. Jason Wasser was the clear short stack, having survived the many starting flights of the Mega Millions event. Wasser outlasted Sean Wingruber, Manas Gandhi, and Michael Tabriz to make it to the final four, at which point the remaining players agreed to a deal that redistributed the remaining prize money based on their stacks.

Despite the deal, there was still nearly $80,000 in prize money that the final four played for in the Mega Millions event, in addition to the title. Homayun eliminated Steven Kim and Millard to take a significant chip lead into heads-up play with Wasser, who had also battled his way through the Mega Millions event. In the final hand, all the chips got in preflop, with Wasser holding KClub Suit4Club Suit to Homayun’s QDiamond Suit. Homayun made a king-high straight on the turn, leaving Wasser drawing dead. Wasser earned $174,360 as the runner-up finisher in the Mega Millions event.

Here is a look at the final table results: