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Jared Bleznick Wins Largest Buy-In PLO Tournament In History

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Super High Roller Bowl PLO

The record-setting pot-limit Omaha poker tournament, boasting the highest buy-in ever, concluded in the early hours of Thursday, October 19th. The event, the inaugural $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl: Pot-Limit Omaha, witnessed 38 participants, amassing an impressive prize pool of $3.8 million. After three days of intense four-card poker action within the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino, Jared Bleznick, a seasoned PLO player, emerged as the champion from a highly competitive final table. He secured the prestigious title, the SHRB ring, and the top prize of $1,292,000.

This monumental victory marked Bleznick’s largest tournament win to date, solidifying his place in the poker world. Before transitioning to his sports card business in the mid-2010s, Jared Bleznick had earned recognition as a leading online PLO specialist. His previous best payout came as the runner-up in the 2013 World Series of Poker $10,000 PLO championship event, where he pocketed $526,625. Notably, four out of his five most significant tournament wins have been in PLO tournaments.

With this recent triumph, Bleznick’s total tournament earnings have now surpassed $4.1 million. During the tournament’s final stages, he faced off against two of the game’s highest-earning tournament players, Stephen Chidwick (with $54.7 million in career earnings) and Isaac Haxton (with $45.5 million in career earnings). Their intense three-handed showdown stretched on for approximately six hours. Remarkably, both of these high-stakes poker stars had recently achieved podium finishes in the latest no-limit hold’em version of the SHRB, with Haxton winning $2,760,000 and Chidwick securing a third-place finish for $960,000.

The final day of the SHRB PLO tournament began with seven players vying for victory, with Haxton leading the pack. Poker Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu had been eliminated just shy of the money late on day 2, losing with a set-under-set hand against Bleznick.

Starting the final table as the second-highest chip holder among the remaining seven players, Jared Bleznick closed the gap with Haxton by eliminating Chino Rheem, the recent PGT Mixed Games II champion, who finished in seventh place with $152,000. This marked Rheem’s 14th final table appearance of the year, with 11 of them occurring since mid-September. He currently ranks 63rd in the 2023 Card Player Player of the Year standings presented by Global Poker and 29th in the PGT season-long rankings.

Isaac Kempton, wielding pocket aces on two occasions, swiftly dispatched Frank Crivello (6th place – $228,000) and Aaron Katz (5th place – $304,000), entering the four-handed play with a virtually tied chip count alongside Bleznick and Haxton.

The final four contenders engaged in an extended battle before the next elimination transpired. By this point, Kempton’s chip stack had dwindled. In a crucial hand, he found himself all-in, awaiting a potential call from Jared Bleznick, who decided to utilize his time bank cards to open packs of sports cards. Ultimately, Kempton doubled up when Bleznick folded. In his final hand, Kempton, with a short stack, went all-in preflop with double-suited jacks, facing Bleznick and Chidwick. Bleznick hit top pair and an open-ended straight draw on the flop, forcing Chidwick to fold. Kempton had picked up a flush draw, but Bleznick improved to two pair on the turn, securing Kempton’s fourth-place finish with $418,000.

Three-handed play commenced around 8:00 PM local time in Las Vegas, extending until just before 2:00 AM. At one point, Chidwick managed to claim the chip lead but found himself all-in and at risk a little over an hour later. He had aggressively committed most of his stack preflop from the button with A♥9♦8♠7♥ and called Bleznick’s re-pot from the big blind, who held A♣K♠K♣8♥. The flop displayed A♦Q♦10♦, leaving Chidwick with only a few big blinds. The J♠ on the turn granted Jared Bleznick a straight, leaving Chidwick with no outs as the 10♠ fell on the river.

The 34-year-old British poker pro earned $570,000 for his third-place finish. This marked his 24th final-table appearance of the year, having secured five titles and accumulated over $8.7 million in Player of the Year (POY) earnings. With 8,779 total POY points, he remained in second place in the 2023 standings, striving to claim his third career POY award. His first victory in this regard came in 2019, and he is the defending POY from the previous year. Chidwick also climbed to fourth place on the PGT leaderboard, which he had previously won in 2022.

Heading into the heads-up battle, Haxton held 6,775,000 chips, while Bleznick had 4,625,000. Haxton had an opportunity to clinch the win and secure his third SHRB ring, having previously won the SHRB V and the recent SHRB VIII. The pivotal hand began with Bleznick limping from the button with a 10-9-8-7 double-suited hand, and Haxton raised from the big blind with pocket aces that covered one of Bleznick’s suits. Bleznick re-raised, and Haxton went all-in, with Bleznick making the call. He hit two pair on the turn, doubling into the lead.

Not long afterward, Haxton raised with Q♠Q♣10♥6♥ from the button, and Bleznick called with 9♥5♠3♥2♠ from the big blind. The flop came 9♠7♣4♥, and Bleznick bet the pot. Haxton shoved for 2,280,000, and Jared Bleznick called. The 9♦ on the turn gave Bleznick trips and a substantial lead. Haxton needed a queen or an eight on the river to stay in the game, but the A♦ appeared instead, concluding his tournament in second place with a prize of $836,000.

Haxton’s remarkable year included 21 final-table finishes, seven titles, and an impressive earnings total of nearly $13.4 million in Player of the Year (POY) points, making him one of the top players on the circuit. He held 8,532 POY points, securing the third position in the POY standings. In the high-stakes-oriented Player of the Game Tour (PGT) race, he led with 2,548 points.

Haxton’s standout achievements in the year comprised his first WSOP bracelet in a $25,000 buy-in event and a recent SHRB victory, netting him more than $2.7 million just a few weeks prior to this event.

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Wynn Fall Classic Series Starts from Oct. 2-29 On The Las Vegas Strip

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The Wynn Fall Classic kicks off in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 2nd, offering a diverse lineup of over 20 poker tournaments that will run throughout most of the month. The grand finale of this tournament series is scheduled for October 29th.

A highlight of the series is the no-limit hold’em championship event, featuring a guaranteed prize pool of $1 million. This championship will take place from October 19th to 23rd, with three starting flights and a buy-in of $1,600. For a chance to participate, players can secure their seats through a $300 satellite buy-in, with three 10-seat guaranteed qualifiers set for October 19th and 20th.

Wynn Las Vegas has an array of poker options during the tournament series, including limit Omaha eight-or-better, pot-limit Omaha, H.O.R.S.E., dealer’s choice, and Big O, in addition to the popular no-limit hold’em.

Another notable event on the schedule is the $1 million guaranteed $1,600 mystery bounty event, commencing on October 12th. This event follows a thrilling format where players receive random prize payouts for eliminating opponents who finish in the money. It offers three starting flights and culminates on October 15th.

In addition to these events, there are two seniors events, one on October 4th with a $50,000 guaranteed prize and another on October 16th with a $100,000 guaranteed prize. Each event on the schedule boasts enticing guaranteed prize pools, including the $1,100 buy-in kick-off event, which promises a $500,000 prize pool.

Don’t miss the chance to be part of the action this October at one of the top casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. For a detailed schedule of events, you can refer to the list below. For more information, visit the Wynn Poker homepage.

Travis Young Wins MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship

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The 2023 Michigan State Poker Championship, part of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) at FireKeepers Casino, witnessed an astounding turnout. A total of 2,883 participants shattered the previous record of 2,479 set in May of the same year.

In this $1,110 buy-in MSPT event, the initial $1 million guarantee was not just met but exceeded by a significant margin. The final prize pool soared to $2,795,010, distributed among the top 297 finishers. Following three starting flights and an intense final day featuring a combined field, Travis Young, a resident of Wisconsin, emerged as the champion. He not only secured the title but also claimed the top prize of $297,997.

Speaking about his victory, Young expressed his astonishment, stating, “I’m pretty speechless, honestly. I basically just 10x’d my career earnings with just this one tournament so that’s pretty amazing. I really came into today with no expectations and ended up running really well and picking some good spots to make moves, which ended up paying off.”

Before this event, Young’s most significant live tournament achievement was a second-place finish in a $400 no-limit hold’em event at the 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatomi series, where he won $14,433.

The final day of play began with 341 contenders remaining at 10:00 AM local time in Battle Creek, MI. By the time the final table was determined later that night, Young had accumulated a substantial chip lead, nearly three times larger than the closest competitor.

Brad Sailor secured the first two eliminations, while the 2019 MSPT Blackhawk champion, Brian Hou, managed the next pair of knockouts. The final five players subsequently negotiated a deal based on Independent Chip Model (ICM) payouts, concluding the tournament with Young clinching the title and Hou finishing in the second position. Under the terms of the agreement, the top five participants all earned at least $153,928.

MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship Final Table Results

Place Player Prize
1 Travis Young $297,997*
2 Brian Hou $236,956*
3 Cobi Cobian $221,666*
4 Brad Sailor $175,281*
5 James Tedrow $153,928*

Playground Poker Club Records Another Seven-Figure Bad Beat Jackpot

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Poker enthusiasts on Twitter were abuzz this week as a colossal bad beat jackpot made its mark at the Playground Poker Club in Quebec, Canada. The showdown featured a straight flush pitted against another straight flush, resulting in a windfall exceeding CAD $1.3 million ($949,480 USD).

Playground Poker Club distributes the jackpot as follows: 40% goes to the unlucky hand’s loser, 20% to the winner, 20% is shared among the other players at the table, and the remaining 20% is divided among all other players in the room. The recipient of the “losing” hand walked away with approximately CAD $537,627 ($392,666), while the victor pocketed CAD $216,814 ($158,354 USD).

The property celebrated all involved, stating on Twitter, “Congratulations to the loser of the hand, the winner, everyone at the table, and all other signed-in NLHE players!”

The Hand in Question

For those not well-versed in poker, a bad beat jackpot rewards a cash game player with a strong hand who loses to another player with an even stronger one. A portion of each hand’s pot contributes to the bad beat pool, similar to a progressive slot machine, until it pays out.

In this particular hand, one player went all-in with 6Diamond Suit 5Diamond Suit on a board displaying 7Diamond Suit 9Diamond Suit 4Heart Suit 8Diamond Suit ASpade Suit. The unfortunate loser secured a straight flush, but their opponent held the JDiamond Suit 10Diamond Suit, forming an even more impressive straight flush.

This unlikely outcome led to a substantial windfall for the participants at the Playground, who celebrated the occasion with a shower of confetti.

Continued Jackpot Success at Playground

The Playground has been the setting for two substantial payouts in just the past few months. In August, the property awarded a CAD $2.6 million ($1.9 million USD) jackpot. This hand occurred in a $1-$2 no-limit hold’em cash game, where one player with pocket tens hit quads. However, another player completed a straight flush with 9Diamond Suit 6Diamond Suit on a board showing 8Diamond Suit 10Heart Suit 10Diamond Suit 7Diamond Suit 2Diamond Suit, besting their opponent’s hand.

The losing player walked away with slightly over CAD $1 million ($774,084 USD), while the winner collected CAD $518,037 ($387,042). This exceeded the cardroom’s prior record of just over $2 million, set in June. Following the recent jackpot payout, the pool was promptly replenished to $108,789, which was the amount previously in the backup jackpot.

Nick Schulman Takes Down PGT Mixed Games Triple Stud Title

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PGT Mixed Games

Nick Schulman clinched his third title of the year. This seasoned poker pro, boasting a World Poker Tour championship and four World Series of Poker bracelets, emerged victorious from a challenging field of 40 participants in the PGT Mixed Games II $10,200 triple stud tournament, which offered a prize pool of $144,000.

This triumph propelled Schulman’s career tournament earnings to an impressive $16.8 million. At the age of 39, this renowned poker player and frequent PokerGO commentator has accumulated 190 live tournament wins since his groundbreaking $2.1 million victory in the 2005 WPT World Poker Finals, securing a total of 13 titles along the way.

In the year 2023, Nick Schulman reached ten final tables, amassing an impressive 2,730 Card Player Player of the Year points. His achievements included securing his fourth WSOP title during the summer by winning a $1,500 stud event, netting $110,800. In September, he emerged victorious in a $25,000 no-limit hold’em event at the Poker Masters festival, adding another $374,000 to his winnings. With over $1.1 million in year-to-date Player of the Year earnings, Schulman has climbed to the 74th spot in this year’s Player of the Year race standings presented by Global Poker.

Furthermore, Schulman’s latest victory brought him within reach of the top 40 in the season-long PGT points race. The top 40 players in the final standings will secure a spot in the $1 million freeroll PGT Championship taking place in December. Following this win, he currently occupies the 42nd position, adding 144 points to his overall score. In the PGT Mixed Games II standings for the series, he is placed fourth with a total of 167 points.

The triple-stud event encompassed a mix of stud, stud eight-or-better, and razz poker variants. It spanned two days of intense competition before a champion emerged. The top six finishers shared the $400,000 prize pool, with notable players such as Ryan Miller, Damjan Radanov, Chino Rheem, and Adam Friedman making their exits inside the money on the first day.

The final day commenced with John Racener, a bracelet winner and the 2010 WSOP main event runner-up, holding 3,475,000 chips compared to Schulman’s 2,525,000. Racener initially extended his lead, but Nick Schulman managed a crucial double-up in a hand of stud, making a remarkable comeback. After narrowing the gap further during the stud round, Schulman took the lead with a substantial razz pot, securing an 8-7-5-3-A low.

The decisive hand of the tournament unfolded in a razz round. Racener pushed all his remaining chips into the pot with (A♣9♦4♥J♠5♣), while Schulman held (9♥6♥2♥J♣3♠).

Nick Schulman improved to a nine low with the 7♥ on sixth street, while Racener failed to improve with the K♣. The 9♣ on the final card didn’t alter the outcome for Schulman, while Racener ended up with a jack low that he had formed by fifth street. With that, Racener finished in second place, earning $96,000 for his performance, bringing his career tournament earnings to nearly $11.6 million.

Ari Engel Wins Record-Setting 16th WSOP Circuit Ring

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Ari Engel has achieved a remarkable feat, securing his position as the undisputed leader in all-time World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring victories. The esteemed Canadian poker professional had been sharing the top spot with Maurice Hawkins, both boasting 15 WSOPC titles. This tie was broken during the WSOPC Graton Casino event in Northern California in August when Ari Engel secured back-to-back wins. However, the Canadian poker pro’s record-setting 16th ring was clinched on Tuesday, October 10, when he emerged victorious in the $400 buy-in Omaha eight-or-better event at the WSOPC Horseshoe Hammond festival.

While basking in his accomplishment, Ari Engel acknowledged the mixed emotions of the moment, stating, “It’s certainly satisfying to emerge as the winner, but my thoughts are currently with Jerusalem, so it’s a bittersweet victory. I’ve been actively participating in these tournaments, and winning them is unquestionably more appealing than the alternative.”

In addition, he graciously acknowledged the achievements of other players near the top of the WSOPC rings leaderboard, emphasizing, “Maurice Hawkins, Josh Reichard, and Dan Lowery have considerably better ratios in terms of tournaments played to rings. I tend to play more frequently than they do. Their records are impressive, and they are highly skilled players.”

Here are the players with 10 or more WSOPC rings won:

WSOPC Rings Player(s)
16 Ari Engel
15 Maurice Hawkins
14 Joshua Reichard, Daniel Lowery
13 Valentin Vornicu
10 Jeffrey Trudeau Jr., Robert Hankins, Martin Ryan, David Larson

 

The Canadian poker pro hailing from Toronto, boasting two WSOP bracelets to his name, has had an extraordinary 2023, amassing an impressive five WSOP Circuit rings. Among these, two were secured through online events, while the other two were claimed in California, and a fifth in Indiana. Engel’s inaugural ring victory dates back to 2007 when he triumphed in a $300 buy-in event at WSOP Caesars Atlantic City, earning a substantial prize of $63,018.

Celebrating his 40th birthday last month, Ari Engel’s tournament earnings now exceed $8.7 million, with a noteworthy portion of over $1 million stemming from his remarkable 181 WSOPC cashes. His most recent triumph marks his sixth overall victory this year, earning him a substantial 96 Card Player Player of the Year points.

Ari Engel’s distinction extends further, with an astonishing 24 final-table finishes that qualify for Player of the Year recognition in 2023, the most by any player thus far. Accumulating a total of 2,648 points, he currently holds the 80th position in the comprehensive Player of the Year rankings, as presented by Global Poker.

Ivan Stokes Takes Down World Championship of Online Poker Main Event

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In the 2023 World Championship of Online Poker’s $10,300 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event, which carried a $6,000,000 guarantee, the target was successfully reached with 600 entries. This massive online tournament took place on PokerStars from October 1st to 4th.

The champion of this year’s WCOOP main event turned out to be poker professional Ivan Stokes, who hails from the UK and goes by the online moniker ‘ILS007.’ Stokes skillfully navigated his way through the substantial field and a challenging final table to secure the coveted title and a top prize of $1,047,257.

Stokes is not just an accomplished player but also a co-founder and head coach of the MTT (Multi-Table Tournament) division at Poker Detox, a training site. His bio on the company’s website boasts several prior COOP titles as part of his impressive poker resume.

The final day of this four-day tournament began with nine contenders remaining, each already guaranteed at least $94,330 for their remarkable journey so far.

In the early stages of the final table, some notable names met their fate, including Kayhan Mokri, the recent European Poker Tour Barcelona €100,000 high roller winner (9th place), high-stakes regular Mario Mosboeck (8th place), Kelvin Kerber, who finished third in the 2023 WSOP $10,000 super turbo bounty event (7th place), Jamil Wakil, who placed fifth in the 2023 Triton London $50,000 high roller (6th place), and Leonard Maue, the 2022 EPT Barcelona €25,000 high roller champion (5th place).

Sweden’s Niklas Astedt, known as ‘Lena900′ online, momentarily seized the chip lead during the four-handed play. However, his fortunes turned when his pocket kings were outdone by Ivan Stokes’ flopped set of deuces. Astedt settled for fourth place, earning $408,827. It’s worth noting that according to PokerStake, Astedt boasts nearly $46 million in recorded online tournament earnings, the highest in their database.

During three-handed play, Stokes continued to extend his lead over the remaining players. The next elimination occurred when Stokes’ A-9 prevailed in a preflop race against Juan Pastor’s pocket fours, leaving Stokes with a commanding 7.5:1 chip lead over Sweden’s ‘ShipitFTW911,’ the only player among the final nine whose real name remained undisclosed. Pastor secured $559,385 for his third-place finish.

The final hand of the event began with a button min-raise to 1,600,000 from ‘ShipitFTW911’ with 9♠9♥. Stokes responded with a three-bet to 4,400,000 from the big blind, holding K♦K♣, and was called. The flop came down 10♣7♥6♥. Stokes bet 2,970,000, which was again called. The turn revealed the 2♠, prompting another bet from Stokes, this time amounting to 4,930,200. ‘ShipitFTW911’ remained in the hand and saw the 2♥ on the river. Stokes went all-in, and ‘ShipitFTW911’ called off their last 12,921,085, only to receive the disappointing news. They secured $765,389 as the runner-up finisher.

Here is a look at the final table result:

Place Player Earnings
1 Ivan ‘ILS007’ Stokes $1,047,257
2 ShipitFTW911 $765,389
3 Juan ‘xPastorcitox’ Pastor $559,385
4 Niklas ‘Lena900’ Astedt $408,827
5 Leonard ‘Grozzorg’ Maue $298,792

Isaac Haxton Wins Second Career Super High Roller Bowl Title

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Super High Roller Bowl VIII

Isaac Haxton secured victory in the Super High Roller Bowl VIII, conquering a field of 20 contenders in the $300,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em competition, earning a substantial $2,760,000. He became only the third player to achieve multiple SHRB titles, previously triumphing in the same event in 2018, raking in nearly $3.7 million. These two wins in this high-stakes event constitute the most lucrative successes in his illustrious career.

“It’s an incredible feeling. The competition was exceptionally tough. Starting with half the chips certainly helped, and I continued to have a good run,” Haxton shared with PokerGO’s Natalie Bode after his victory. “I feel fantastic, and I’m thrilled to have won this tournament. It’s one of my favorites.”

Isaac Haxton’s total recorded tournament earnings now exceed $44.7 million, placing him tenth on the all-time poker money list. The 38-year-old poker pro Isaac Haxton is compiling an astonishing record in 2023. He has reached 20 final tables, amassing over $12.5 million in winnings from these finishes alone, surpassing all other players on the circuit, including the 2023 World Series of Poker main event champion, Daniel Weinman. During this remarkable run, Isaac Haxton has secured seven titles, constituting almost 44 percent of his lifetime total of 16. Among these victories was his first WSOP bracelet, earned as the champion of the $25,000 buy-in eight-max event.

His most recent triumph garnered him 360 Card Player Player of the Year points, elevating his total to 8,132. Consequently, he currently stands in third place in the 2023 POY race standings presented by Global Poker. Haxton also earned 550 PokerGO Tour points, bringing his total to 2,297, placing him just three points behind Weinman in the PGT season-long standings.

The tournament attracted a substantial field, creating a prize pool of $6,000,000 that was distributed among the top four finishers. It took two full days of intense competition at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas to narrow down the initial 20 entries to the final six.

This led to a tense money bubble situation, with two players departing empty-handed on Day 3. However, the bubble burst swiftly, with the first two eliminations occurring within an hour of the start of play.

In the first elimination, Bryn Kenney, the all-time money leader in poker, pushed his remaining chips into the pot preflop with 3Diamond Suit from the cutoff, only to be defeated by Stephen Chidwick’s AClub SuitKHeart Suit from the big blind. Kenney initially held the lead through the flop and turn, but a king on the river ended his tournament run in sixth place.

Chris Brewer, who, like Haxton, had a spectacular year in high roller events in 2023, amassing nearly $11.2 million in POY earnings with 22 final table appearances and five titles, could not extend his incredible streak in this event. His pocket aces were cracked by Andrew Lichtenberger’s K-10 suited. Brewer three-bet from the small blind with ADiamond SuitAHeart Suit after Lichtenberger raised with KSpade Suit10Spade Suit from the button. Lichtenberger four-bet jammed, and Brewer called off his stack. The board delivered a flush for Lichtenberger, ending Brewer’s tournament.

Interestingly, Brewer had experienced a similar fate on the bubble in a previous SHRB event in 2021, losing with A-Q to Justin Bonomo’s 10-4 suited, which was pushed from the button against the two short stacks in the blinds.

As four-handed play began, Jason Koon and Chidwick were virtually tied in chip counts, with Chidwick holding a slight advantage. Koon would ultimately be the first to exit. His final hand saw him raise from the cutoff with KSpade SuitKClub Suit, only to be outdrawn by Lichtenberger, who held JClub Suit10Spade Suit. The board favored Lichtenberger with a gutshot straight draw, and he eventually made a jack-high straight, resulting in Koon’s elimination in fourth place.

Koon’s career tournament earnings now exceed $51.4 million, ranking him fourth on the all-time poker money list. His efforts also earned him 180 POY points, placing him eighth on the POY leaderboard heading into the final quarter of the year.

Following Koon’s departure, Lichtenberger also thwarted Chidwick’s aspirations for his first SHRB title. In this pivotal hand, Lichtenberger raised from the button with QDiamond Suit8Club Suit, and Chidwick defended his big blind with QSpade Suit6Heart Suit. Both players achieved top pair on the QHeart Suit7Diamond Suit3Diamond Suit flop. After a pair of checks, Lichtenberger secured queens and eights when the 8Diamond Suit fell on the turn. Chidwick bet, Lichtenberger called, and the 5Spade Suit on the river prompted Chidwick to bet again. Lichtenberger moved all-in, and after careful consideration, Chidwick called off his stack with top pair. However, Lichtenberger showed him the bad news, and Chidwick had to settle for a third-place finish, earning $960,000.

Chidwick’s career earnings now surpass $54 million, ranking him third on the all-time earnings leaderboard. His performance in this event added 240 POY points to his total, placing him second in the standings with 8,259 points. He has won five titles this year, with 22 final-table finishes and nearly $8.1 million in POY earnings, solidifying his position as a prominent figure in the poker world.

It took less than 90 minutes to reduce the field from six players to two, setting the stage for an extended heads-up battle lasting over four hours, filled with significant swings in momentum. Lichtenberger initially held a considerable chip lead, but Isaac Haxton mounted a comeback, eventually establishing a lead of more than 5:1. However, Lichtenberger fought back, winning a substantial pot with pocket aces to regain the lead. Isaac Haxton quickly recovered, securing numerous small and medium pots to regain control.

With the pressure on, Lichtenberger made a heroic call for his tournament life with second pair on a perilous board. Isaac Haxton could only show an ace-high hand, resulting in a nearly even match once more.

The decisive hand of the heads-up battle occurred with blinds at 25,000-50,000 and a big blind ante of 50,000. Isaac Haxton raised to 175,000 on the button with ASpade Suit7Spade Suit from a stack of 2,840,000. Lichtenberger, starting the hand with 3,160,000, three-bet to 500,000 from the big blind, holding KDiamond SuitKClub Suit. Isaac Haxton called, and the flop revealed 3Spade Suit3Diamond Suit2Spade Suit. Lichtenberger’s 550,000 continuation bet was met with an all-in move from Haxton for 2,340,000. Lichtenberger quickly called with his overpair, setting up a high-stakes showdown for the majority of the chips in.

Wynn Fall Classic Series Runs Oct. 2-29 On The Las Vegas Strip

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The Wynn Fall Classic is set to kick off in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 2, offering a plethora of poker tournaments that will keep enthusiasts busy throughout most of the month until the series concludes on October 29.

Among the highlights is the no-limit hold’em championship event, boasting a guaranteed prize pool of $1 million. Scheduled for October 19-23, it features three starting flights and requires a buy-in of $1,600. Players can secure their seats through a $300 satellite buy-in, with three 10-seat guaranteed qualifiers taking place on October 19 and 20.

Wynn Las Vegas will provide a wide array of poker options during the tournament series, including limit Omaha eight-or-better, pot-limit Omaha, H.O.R.S.E., dealer’s choice, and Big O, in addition to the popular no-limit hold’em. Another notable event on the roster is the $1 million guaranteed $1,600 mystery bounty event, commencing on October 12. This event follows a sought-after format on the circuit, where players receive random prize payouts for every opponent they eliminate. The tournament spans three starting flights, culminating on October 15.

For seniors looking to participate, there are two dedicated events on October 4 ($50,000 guaranteed) and October 16 ($100,000 guaranteed). In fact, every event listed in the schedule offers appealing guarantees, including the $1,100 buy-in kick-off event, which boasts a hefty $500,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Join us this October and immerse yourself in the thrilling poker action at one of the top casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.

You can see the Wynn Fall Classic full schedule of events below. For more information, visit the Wynn Poker homepage.

Justin Bonomo Captures the Poker Masters $25,000 High Roller Title

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Poker Masters

Justin Bonomo appeared to be on the verge of securing the championship title in the final $25,000 buy-in high roller event of the 2023 Poker Masters, but fate took a surprising turn. Despite eliminating every opponent on his path to the heads-up showdown, Bonomo’s commanding 4:1 chip lead dwindled in the blink of an eye.

Justin Bonomo, the world’s second-highest-earning tournament poker player with a career cash tally exceeding $64 million, showcased a remarkable hero call that swiftly altered the course of the game.

The pivotal hand unfolded with Daniel Rezaei limping on the button, holding J of Spades and 8 of Diamonds, while Bonomo, in the big blind, raised with Ace of Clubs and 8 of Clubs. Rezaei called, and the flop revealed 9 of Spades, 7 of Diamonds, and 4 of Spades. Bonomo initiated a continuation bet of 300,000 into a pot totaling 480,000, with Rezaei calling, relying on his gutshot straight draw and one overcard. The turn brought the 7 of Clubs, pairing the board, prompting Bonomo to check. Rezaei wagered 325,000 into the burgeoning pot of 1,405,000, which Bonomo called, leaving him with slightly over one million chips while the pot ballooned to 1,730,000. The final card, a 5 of Diamonds, completed the board, and Bonomo checked again. Seizing the moment, Rezaei went all-in with nearly 2.8 million in chips, and after careful consideration, Bonomo called, staking his tournament life on an ace-high hand.

This colossal double-up propelled Justin Bonomo back into the lead, and from there, he sealed the victory, earning $333,000. His career earnings now stand at an impressive $64,439,800, leaving him just $844,456 behind the all-time money leader, Bryn Kenney.

Bonomo’s victory also awarded him 200 PokerGO Tour points, making it his second final-table appearance in the series, following his third-place finish in event no. 6, which earned him $114,000 and 114 PGT points. With this tournament win, he now occupies the seventh spot in the race for the Poker Masters Purple Jacket.

The event attracted 37 participants, creating a substantial $925,000 prize pool distributed among the top six finishers. The second and final day commenced with Bonomo leading the pack and six players remaining, as Isaac Haxton had been eliminated on day one, bursting the bubble.

Bonomo initiated the first elimination when he pushed all-in with a full house of fives and eights. Chino Rheem, a three-time World Poker Tour champion, answered the call with an A-2, holding a full house of deuces and fives. With three fives, an eight, and a deuce on the board, Rheem secured sixth place and a $46,250 prize. This marked his fourth final-table appearance of the series, having previously claimed victory in event no. 4 for $218,400 and securing fourth place in event no. 6, followed by another sixth-place finish in event no. 8. Rheem’s cumulative earnings for the series now amount to $434,640, accompanied by 386 PGT points, propelling him to second place in the series-long points race, trailing only two-time winner Vladas Tamasauskas as they head into the festival’s final event.

Next to exit was Orpen Kisacikoglu, the champion of event no. 6. He faced a substantial loss in his stack when his pocket aces clashed with Daniel Rezaei’s A-Q. Rezaei committed the majority of his chips preflop and subsequently called off the rest after hitting a Broadway gutshot on the flop. The river delivered his straight, doubling him into the third chip position. Kisacikoglu, left with slightly over eight big blinds, eventually went all-in with K-J suited, only to find himself in a challenging situation against Bonomo’s pocket kings. This time, the pocket pair held up, sending Kisacikoglu home in fifth place, with winnings of $74,000. He currently occupies the 10th spot in the series standings.

The subsequent two eliminations resulted from unfortunate preflop confrontations. First, Andrew Lichtenberger, a bracelet winner, went all-in with pocket jacks, pitted against Bonomo’s pocket queens. Lichtenberger failed to find any assistance from the board, concluding in fourth place and earning $101,750. This increased his total tournament earnings to over $16 million, securing him the fourth-place position in the race for the Purple Jacket, following his victory in event no. 5.

The second preflop confrontation unfolded in a battle of the blinds, with Bonomo raising from the small blind, armed with pocket kings, and Stephen Chidwick three-betting from the big blind, holding pocket queens. Chidwick promptly called when Bonomo initiated a four-bet shove. The ten-high board favored the larger pair, leading to Chidwick’s elimination in third place, accompanied by $148,000 in winnings. This significant victory raised Chidwick’s career earnings to $52.6 million, securing him the third position on the all-time money list. This marked his 20th final-table appearance of the year, with five titles and over $6.6 million in POY earnings. The two-time POY now occupies the sixth place in this year’s standings.

The heads-up showdown commenced with a flurry of action, as previously discussed. Rezaei secured a double-up in the initial hand, with pocket sixes besting Bonomo’s pocket fours. He repeated the feat with pocket sevens against Bonomo’s A-2, solidifying his chip advantage. After Bonomo’s heroic call, he managed to regain the chip lead, setting the stage for an intense battle lasting approximately another half-hour.

In the final hand, Bonomo cautiously limped on the button with A of Clubs and Q of Spades. Rezaei, in the big blind, checked, holding Q of Diamonds and 2 of Clubs. The flop unveiled K of Diamonds, 3 of Diamonds, and 2 of Diamonds. Rezaei checked with his pair and flush draw, and Bonomo opted for a check as well. The turn card, an A of Hearts, swung the lead back in Bonomo’s favor. Rezaei checked, and Bonomo bet 200,000 into the 240,000-pot. Rezaei called, and the river revealed Q of Clubs, granting both players two pairs. Rezaei checked with his queens and deuces, while Justin Bonomo went all-in with aces and queens. Rezaei called, only to be confronted with the grim reality of the hand. As the runner-up, he earned $222,000, marking the third-largest recorded payout of his career.

Final table Results:

Place Player Earnings POY Points PGT Points
1 Justin Bonomo $333,000 336 200
2 Daniel Rezaei $222,000 280 133
3 Stephen Chidwick $148,000 224 89
4 Andrew Lichtenberger $101,750 168 61
5 Orpen Kisacikoglu $74,000 140 44
6 Chino Rheem $46,250 112 28

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