Phillip Hui has joined the prestigious ranks of players with four or more bracelets won at the World Series of Poker. The poker pro Phillip Hui based out of Florida defeated a field of 835 entries in the 2024 WSOP $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, overcoming a sizable heads-up chip disadvantage to take home the gold and the top prize of $193,545.

Phillip Hui became just the 72nd player in poker history to have earned as many titles at the WSOP. Hui first triumphed at the WSOP in 2014, taking down the $3,000 Omaha eight-or-better event for $158,361. Five years later he emerged victorious in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, earning nearly $1.1 million while adding his name to the Chip Reese memorial trophy. His third bracelet came in a $1,5000 pot-limit Omaha event in 2022, with $311,782 added to his haul. He now has nearly $2.6 million in winnings in bracelet events, which accounts for the majority of his $4.2 million in overall scores.

While 126 players made the money in this event, only 23 advanced to day 3 with a shot at the title. Joining Hui in that group were four-time bracelet winner and defending champion Yuri Dzivielevski (19th), three-time bracelet winner ‘Miami’ John Cernuto (12th), and two-time bracelet winner Daniel Strelitz (7th).

Hui was quite short early in six-handed action, but managed to battle back and overtake the lead in time for heads-up play. Daniel Mayoh of the United Kingdom knocked out David Avina (3rd – $89,485) to enter heads-up with 9,900,000 to Hui’s 10,900,000. Hui pulled away out of the gate, only for Mayoh to go on a run that resulted in a lead as large as 10:1 at its height.

Hui managed a crucial double up in stud, making trip sevens to best tens up. This kickstarted a run that saw him pull even and then retake the lead. The final hand of the tournament came in a round of stud eight-or-better. The chips got in on third street, with final boards of:

Hui – (9Spade Suit9Club Suit)QHeart SuitJHeart Suit10Club SuitAHeart Suit(QDiamond Suit)
Mayoh – (QSpade Suit9Diamond Suit)ASpade Suit5Spade Suit10Spade Suit7Club Suit3Heart Suit

Mayoh picked up the nut flush draw on fifth, but was unable to improve any further. Hui’s queens and nines earned him the pot and the title, while Mayoh was awarded $129,052 as the runner-up.

Final table Results:

Two World Series of Poker bracelets were awarded, both going to players earning their second titles at the series. Shortly before Bryce Yockey won the $5,000 pot-limit Omaha event, Nick Guagenti secured victory in the $1,500 limit hold’em tournament, earning $121,074 and the prestigious bracelet.

Guagenti’s first bracelet win came in 2020, when he triumphed in a $2,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event during the WSOP Online, earning $305,433. The Westerville, Ohio native now boasts two bracelets and over $2.7 million in recorded tournament earnings.

Out of the 67 players who made the money in this event, only six advanced to the final day of play. Nick Guagenti led the field when play resumed. Bradley Carter was the first to be eliminated, falling victim to a flush-over-flush against two-time bracelet winner Juha Helppi.

Guagenti knocked out short stack Qinghai Pan in fifth place ($26,807), entering four-handed play with the lead, but was soon overtaken by Joseph Brodsky. Guagenti regained the top spot in time for the next elimination. Helppi folded on the turn in a hand against Guagenti and was left with a minimal stack. He was eliminated in the next hand, when his K-4 ran into George Chen’s K-J. Neither player improved, and Helppi was out in fourth place ($37,880), bringing his career tournament earnings to over $7.6 million.

Chen was next to go, getting the last of his short stack in on a double paired board with an overpair. Nick Guagenti had turned jacks full of fives with K-J suited, sending Chen to the rail in third place ($54,708).

Heads-up play began with Guagenti holding a 7:3 chip lead over Brodsky. After several hours of battle, Guagenti pulled away in time for the final hand. Brodsky called all-in from the big blind with 8♠4♠ and was dominated by Guagenti’s Q♥8♦. The board came A♥Q♠6♣7♦J♥, sealing the tournament for Guagenti. Brodsky’s runner-up finish earned him $80,717, increasing his career tournament earnings to $121,158.

Final Table Results

Daniel Willis triumphed over a field of 3,485 entries in event no. 3 at the 2024 World Series of Poker, the $500 kickoff no-limit hold’em freezeout. The businessman and former online poker pro from Swindon, England earned $175,578 and his first gold bracelet by emerging as the last player standing.

Daniel Willis is the Founder & CEO of Amplifyd, which is described on its website as, “a premier auction house for influential artists and music brands to sell their collections, unique collectibles, and experiences.”

Alongside the prize money and the gold bracelet, Willis secured 600 Card Player Player of the Year points for his victory.

This win marked Willis’ largest live tournament score to date, far surpassing the $10,756 he earned for a seventh-place finish in a $600 buy-in event at the 2019 Venetian DeepStack Extravaganza.

The strong turnout for this freezeout event generated a prize pool of $1,442,960, which was distributed among the top 523 finishers. Notable players who made deep runs included 2013 WSOP main event champion Ryan Riess (63rd), two-time bracelet winner Marco Johnson (47th), and six-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu (16th).

The final day started with eight players, with Willis in the lead. David Niedringhaus (8th – $22,022) was the first to be eliminated after his A-Q lost to Steven Borella’s K-J. John Marino was next, finishing seventh ($28,501) when his pocket sevens were bested by Shawn Smith’s pocket tens.

Daniel Sherer went out in sixth place ($37,194) after his K-Q couldn’t overcome Michael Wang’s pocket tens, which improved to a full house. Yoshinori Funayama finished fifth ($48,938) after his J-8 fell to Willis’ pocket kings.

Steven Borella was eliminated in fourth place ($64,920) when his K-2 lost to Willis’ pocket aces. Shortly after, Shawn Smith’s pocket deuces couldn’t hold against Wang’s A-10, sending Smith out in third place ($86,820).

Heads-up play began with Wang holding 45,000,000 chips to Willis’ 42,300,000. Wang initially extended his lead but lost a significant pot when his top pair, top kicker lost to Willis’ turned flush. This hand shifted the momentum, giving Willis a nearly 4:1 chip lead.

The final hand saw Daniel Willis raise to 2.5X from the button with J♥9♥. Wang called with A♦5♠ and the flop came A♣J♣10♥. Wang checked his top pair, and Willis checked behind with middle pair. The 7♣ turn prompted Wang to bet two-thirds of the pot, and Willis called. The river brought the J♠, giving Willis trips. Wang checked, and Willis moved all-in. After several minutes of contemplation, Wang called with his remaining 12 big blinds, only to see Willis’ trips, securing Willis the pot and the title.

Michael Wang earned $117,046 as the runner-up, bringing his career earnings to over $6.4 million, narrowly missing his third career bracelet.

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

David Dongwoo Ko emerged victorious at the 2024 World Poker Tour Montreal $3,500 CAD no-limit hold’em main event held at the Playground Poker Club in Quebec. The 23-year-old poker pro from Burnaby, British Columbia triumphed over a field of 882 entrants to claim his first WPT title and the top prize of $319,217 USD.

This victory marks Ko’s largest tournament win to date, surpassing the $50,800 he earned for winning a £450 World Series of Poker International Circuit event. Now a three-time WSOPC ring winner, Ko’s total recorded tournament earnings approach $400,000 following this significant win.

“I really wanted to prove to myself and to the world that I can compete in these higher level tournaments, and today I think I did,” Ko told WPT reporters. “Being a WPT Champion is something that will last forever, so that just by itself means a lot.”

Ko faced more than just his fellow competitors at the final table; he also had to endure a two-hour delay caused by a storm-induced power outage. Play eventually resumed at 11:00 PM local time.

The event featured three starting flights and three additional days of play. The top 111 finishers shared a $2,071,642 USD prize pool, with six-figure payouts for the top four finishers. Notable deep runs included Mike Leah (57th), Xuan Liu (54th), WPT commentator Tony Dunst (34th), and three-time WPT champion Eric Afriat (19th).

Ko began the final day as the chip leader with six players remaining. The first three eliminations happened in rapid succession during the early stages of six-handed play. Charles Kassin finished sixth ($65,326) after his pocket queens fell to Tommy Nguyen’s pocket kings. Shortly after, Tamer Alkamli’s pocket queens lost a preflop coin flip against Ko’s A-K, placing Alkamli in fifth ($85,878).

Rayan Chamas, known online as ‘Beriuzy’, was the next to exit, finishing fourth ($113,770) after his K-7 failed to improve against Ko’s A-9.

Three-handed play extended for several hours before the aforementioned power outage delayed the action. Once resumed, Ko maintained his lead, and it took over four hours for the next elimination. Nguyen, who finished third ($150,470), got all-in with Q-3 suited against Ko’s A-10, and Ko’s trip tens held.

Entering heads-up play with a roughly 3:2 chip lead over Dan Stavila, Ko eventually secured the title. The final hand saw Ko limping from the button with K♣3♣ and Stavila raising to 1,800,000 with Q♣6♣. Ko called, and the flop revealed 10♣8♣2♠, giving both players flush draws. The turn brought the 9♣, completing both flushes. After a series of bets and a check-raise all-in from Stavila, Ko snap-called, winning with a higher flush. Stavila finished as the runner-up, earning $205,520.

Belarusian poker player Artsiom Lasouski made a remarkable debut at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series, held at the Maestral Resort & Casino in Montenegro. Although the 25-year-old did not cash in the first two events, he staged a stunning comeback by winning event no. 3, the $40,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em mystery bounty tournament.

Artsiom Lasouski triumphed over a competitive field of 151 entries, securing the title and the top prize of $669,000 from the main prize pool. Half of the $6,040,000 prize pool was allocated for mystery bounties, which players would draw a day after the event concluded. Lasouski himself had 12 bounties to claim.

Expressing his excitement, Artsiom Lasouski said through a translator, “I am very excited about this moment. I can’t believe how great it is.”

This victory marked the largest live poker win for Lasouski, significantly surpassing his previous best of $63,000 for a final-table finish in a $2,200 buy-in event at the Mediterranean Poker Party festival just a week earlier. With this win, his total recorded earnings now approach $872,000.

At the final table, Artsiom Lasouski started in second chip position behind Nikita Kuznetsov. Early eliminations included prominent players such as Stephen Chidwick (8th – $82,000) and Danny Tang (7th – $114,000). Lasouski then knocked out Daniel Rezaei (6th – $156,000) with his A-2 suited against Rezaei’s J-10 on an ace-high board, becoming the chip leader.

Dylan Linde, a World Poker Tour champion, went all-in with A-2 suited against Lasouski’s K-J, which resulted in two pairs for Lasouski and narrowed the field to four players. Samuel Ju, with only a single big blind left, managed to win the main pot with A-J against A-Q suited for Lasouski and A-5 for Kuznetsov. However, Lasouski won a significant side pot, eliminating Kuznetsov in fourth place ($253,000).

Chris Moneymaker, the recent Triton Montenegro kickoff event champion, was next to go. His J-3 failed to improve against Ju’s K-10, resulting in his elimination in third place ($311,000). Moneymaker’s impressive performance across three events netted him over $1.26 million, boosting his career tournament earnings to more than $7.3 million.

The heads-up match saw Lasouski holding a substantial chip lead against Ju. Although Ju briefly gained the lead, Lasouski reclaimed it in time for the final hand. Holding Q♦ Q♥, Lasouski raised after Ju limped with 8♠ 6♥. The flop J♦ 6♣ 3♦ saw Lasouski bet, and Ju called with second pair. The turn 9♣ and the river 9♠ led to an all-in move by Lasouski, which Ju called, only to lose to Lasouski’s overpair. Ju finished as the runner-up with $452,000, while Lasouski secured the title.

Andy Ni, a 41-year-old Chinese player residing in Spain, has participated in just five Triton Super High Roller Series tournaments to date. Impressively, he has cashed in three out of five, securing one victory outright. His triumph occurred at the 2024 Triton Montenegro festival in the $25,000 eight-max no-limit hold’em event, earning him $785,000 as the champion.

A total of 135 entries were recorded in the event, forming a prize pool of $3,375,000 distributed among the top 23 players. Notable participants included Mikita Badziakouski, Seth Davies, Steve O’Dwyer, Quan Zhou, Nick Petrangelo, Henrick Hecklen, Patrik Antonius, and Ben Heath, who all made deep runs.

Ni dominated the chip lead as the final table of eight was set. He extended his lead by eliminating Alex Kulev in 8th place. Jose ‘Nacho’ Barbero followed suit, finishing in 7th place after running into Chris Brewer’s pocket aces. Both Kulev and Barbero climbed into the top 25 in the 2024 POY standings after their respective finishes.

Danny Tang bowed out in 6th place, losing a preflop showdown against Nicolas Chouity. Viacheslav Buldygin fell in 5th place to Brewer’s hand, while Aram Sargsyan finished 4th, pocketing $290,000.

Ni surged ahead after overcoming Brewer’s challenge, eventually sealing the win in a three-way showdown. He outlasted Chouity and Brewer with his superior hand, securing the title.

Brewer claimed 3rd place and $354,000, further solidifying his impressive year. Chouity, a seasoned player, took home $531,000 as the runner-up.

Event #2: $25K NLH 8-Handed Final Table Results

More than two decades after igniting the poker craze with his victory in the 2003 World Series of Poker main event, Chris Moneymaker reclaimed the spotlight by clinching the championship at the 2024 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro $25,000 GG Million$. Besting a field of 163 contenders, the 48-year-old seized both the coveted trophy and the top prize of $903,000.

This triumph marked the third largest payday in Moneymaker’s illustrious career, trailing only his $2,500,000 main event win and the $2,030,000 he earned for finishing fifth in the 2023 $250,000 Triton London Luxon Invitational. With this victory, the esteemed Poker Hall of Famer has amassed nearly $7 million in lifetime tournament earnings.

Confident in his play, Chris Moneymaker remarked to Triton reporters, “I wasn’t going to lose today. I could have put it in with any hand and I would have won. I ran pure.” Reflecting on key moments, he noted, “I hit a three-outer, a six outer. I thought to myself, ‘You know what, this is going to be 2003. I’m not going to lose any more hands today.’”

Chris Moneymaker’s recent achievements include a sixth-place finish in a $500 mystery bounty event at the Moneymaker Poker Tour Palm Beach stop and a notable sixth-place position in the ACR Poker Venom online event, where he earned $382,007.

The event drew a sizable crowd, creating a prize pool of $4,075,000 distributed among the top 27 finishers. Notable players who cashed include Aram Oganyan, Nick Petrangelo, Patrik Antonius, Phil Ivey, Hossein Ensan, Justin Saliba, and Byron Kaverman.

At the final table, Chris Moneymaker entered as the chip leader with Biao Ding in second position. Isaac Haxton exited in ninth place, followed by Morten Klein in eighth. Subsequent eliminations featured Lewis Spencer and four-time bracelet winner Adrian Mateos, with Brian Kim emerging as a formidable opponent.

Chris Moneymaker surged into the chip lead after doubling up against Kim, ultimately facing him heads-up. The final hand saw Moneymaker clinch victory with top pair, top kicker against Kim’s valiant effort. Kim secured the runner-up spot, adding $609,000 to his earnings.

With this triumph, Moneymaker reaffirmed his enduring prowess in the poker world, securing his status as one of the game’s legendary figures.

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

Earlier this week, Doug Polk’s endeavors to establish a poker room in the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch faced rejection. The city council voted against a proposal to permit poker clubs during their Tuesday night session.

Polk, a prominent figure in the poker world who acquired The Lodge poker club in Round Rock two years ago, aimed to extend his venture into other regions of Texas, commencing with Farmers Branch. The council meeting witnessed a turnout of both supporters and opponents of the initiative, each eager to express their viewpoints.

In an attempt to address any apprehensions regarding the potential impact of a poker club on the city, Polk personally addressed the council during the meeting.

“There are card players all over your city today, so I want to dispel the idea that this is somehow eroding the fabric of the community,” Polk told the council, according to PokerNews.

Clubs Bring Mixed Reactions

In recent years, poker clubs have become increasingly prevalent throughout Texas. Nevertheless, state regulations prohibit gambling activities where the house takes a rake. To circumvent this restriction, these establishments operate more akin to social clubs, where players pay dues resembling those of a country club.

The proliferation of such clubs, particularly in south Texas, has led to the regular hosting of cash games and tournaments. Despite their popularity, certain cities have opposed their presence within their boundaries. For instance, the city of Dallas has engaged in legal battles with business owners attempting to establish clubs within its jurisdiction.

Critics have even contended that these Texas clubs may not be legally compliant at all.

“A person commits the crime of ‘gambling promotion,’ if he intentionally or knowingly operates or participates in the earnings of a gambling place,” gaming legal expert and publisher of the Gambling and the Law blog noted in a post addressing the issue. “And ‘keeping a gambling place’ is a separate crime.”

Despite that, the clubs remain open in many parts of the state. Polk took the rejection in stride and has promised that he will keep searching for a city to open his next club.

“Want to thank everyone that came out tonight,” he noted on Twitter afterward. “Lots of people came and spoke, I appreciate supporting our concept. I also recognize lots of people who spoke against were trying to do what’s best for their town. Overall, they were respectful. Lots of great people in Farmers Branch.”

The 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo witnessed its largest turnout yet, with 1,208 entries pouring into the €5,300 no-limit hold’em main event, setting a record for this prestigious tournament. For the fourth time in its history, the field exceeded a thousand participants, maintaining the trend from the last three editions. This surge of players amassed a staggering prize pool of nearly $6.3 million. The ultimate victor emerging from this intense week of competition was Derk van Luijk.

Initially facing an exit in eighth place, the 43-year-old Dutch player defied the odds by clinching a crucial all-in with A-J against pocket aces, securing his survival deep into day 5. Eventually, he triumphed, claiming not only the coveted title but also the lion’s share of the prize pool, a hefty $1,080,000.

Still in disbelief, Van Luijk exclaimed to PokerStars reporters, “I still can’t realize it. I’m serious, it’s amazing.” This triumph significantly eclipsed his previous recorded earnings, notably the $101,053 garnered from a victory in a 2022 EPT Barcelona €2,200 side event, boosting his total recorded earnings to over $1.3 million.

His victory also earned him 1,920 Card Player Player of the Year points, marking his first POY-qualified score of the year. This achievement catapulted him to 38th place on the 2024 POY leaderboard, as presented by Global Poker.

The event saw notable figures such as Dan Smith (29th), Mustapha Kanit (26th), and the 2015 champion, Adrian Mateos (11th), making deep runs. The final day began with Boris Angelov leading the pack, while Van Luijk started in sixth chip position among the remaining seven contenders.

As the day progressed, Van Luijk’s dominance grew, culminating in a head-to-head showdown with Angelov. Despite several hours of intense battle, Van Luijk ultimately emerged victorious, claiming the title after a dramatic final hand where his ASpade SuitQHeart Suit prevailed over Angelov’s KSpade Suit7Club Suit. With Angelov’s elimination in second place, Van Luijk secured his place in poker history, adding another remarkable achievement to his burgeoning career.

EPT Monte Carlo Main Event final table: