Braxton Dunaway emerged victorious in a massive field of 8,317 participants at the 2023 World Series of Poker $1,500 no-limit hold’em ‘Monster Stack’ event. On the final day, he secured five out of six knockouts, earning himself $1,162,681 in prize money and his first gold bracelet.
Before this significant triumph, the 40-year-old Texan’s highest live tournament win was a fifth-place finish in the 2019 WSOP Circuit Choctaw $1,700 main event, where he took home $68,390. With this latest achievement, Dunaway’s lifetime cashes now total nearly $1.5 million.
The event spanned six days, consisting of two starting flights and four action-packed days. The final day commenced with seven players, led by Nicholas Gerrity.
The first player to be eliminated was Joe Cada, a four-time bracelet winner and the 2009 WSOP main event champion. Despite holding A-K, Cada fell victim to Dunaway’s A-J when a jack appeared on the river, resulting in a seventh-place finish. Cada’s earnings from this event increased his lifetime winnings to nearly $14.4 million, with over $13.7 million accumulated from WSOP cashes.
In the subsequent elimination, Dunaway’s A-K triumphed over Joshua Adcock’s inferior A-Q. Despite initial dominance, Adcock failed to improve his hand, ultimately finishing in sixth place ($240,695).
Gerrity’s journey came to an end after a preflop confrontation with Jesse Rockowitz, who held pocket deuces. Neither player improved their hand, and Gerrity exited in fifth place, earning $313,297. Soon after, Loic Dobrigna’s A-2 clashed with Dunaway’s Q-Q, resulting in Dobrigna’s elimination in fourth place with a prize of $410,493.
Approximately two hours later, three-handed play concluded as Rockowitz called an all-in bet on the turn with second pair and a gutshot straight draw. Dunaway held an open-ended straight draw and an overcard. The river card, a queen, favored Dunaway, securing him the best hand. Rockowitz finished in third place, taking home $541,376 and boosting his lifetime earnings to nearly $2.3 million.
Heads-up play began with Dunaway holding a commanding 5:2 chip lead over Colin Robinson. Dunaway wasted no time converting his advantage into victory. In the final hand, Dunaway limped in with 9♣7♥ from the button, while Robinson raised from the big blind with A♦2♠. Dunaway called, and the flop revealed 7♥3♠2♦. Robinson check-called Dunaway’s bet. The turn brought 9♥, prompting another check from Robinson and a bet from Dunaway, who held top two pair. Robinson called, and the river card, K♠, completed the board. With Robinson checking once again, Dunaway placed a bet sufficient to put Robinson all-in. After contemplating his decision, Robinson made the call with his pair of deuces but was met with disappointment as Dunaway revealed his superior hand. Robinson finished as the runner-up, earning a career-best score of $718,649 for his commendable performance.
Chris Klodnicki experienced two crucial moments at the final table of the $10,000 no-limit hold’em ‘Secret Bounty’ event during the 2023 World Series of Poker. In both instances, he needed help on the river, and fortunately, an ace appeared, granting him the pair of critical pots. The last ace on the river played a decisive role in securing Klodnicki the championship title, a hefty $733,317 prize, and his second WSOP gold bracelet.
Reflecting on his victory during a post-win interview with PokerGO, the exclusive live streaming coverage provider of the WSOP, Klodnicki acknowledged the shallow and gamble-heavy nature of the event. Despite the limited poker skills exhibited, he expressed his satisfaction with the win. Initially at a significant disadvantage with a short stack and ranking last among the remaining eight players, Klodnicki persevered, running well when it mattered most. He expressed his contentment at being in that moment.
Following this latest triumph, Klodnicki’s lifetime tournament earnings have reached a remarkable $11.3 million. His first bracelet win occurred six years prior when he emerged victorious in a $1,500 no-limit hold’em event, claiming a prize of $428,423. Furthermore, Klodnicki has amassed an impressive sum of over $7.1 million in cashes throughout his career in WSOP bracelet events.
The event saw a total of 568 entries, with each $10,000 buy-in contributing $3,000 to a separate bounty prize pool. Several notable bounties were claimed, including Ali Shahni with a $250,000 bounty, Artur Martirosian (European Poker Tour Sochi main event champion) and Tyler Cornell (bracelet winner), who each secured $100,000 bounties.
At the beginning of the third and final day, only eight players remained, and Klodnicki held the lead, closely followed by five-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus.
Early on, Klodnicki lost the top spot after his pocket kings fell victim to pocket aces. Ausmus proceeded to eliminate Eric Yanovsky (8th place – $73,756) and Daniel Rezaei (7th place – $96,265) through two knockouts, subsequently overtaking the lead. Ausmus and bracelet winner Barak Wisbrod then engaged in a three-way all-in that ended the journey for bracelet winner Angel Guillen (6th place – $127,515).
During five-handed play, Klodnicki’s first critical ace materialized. All the chips went in preflop in a classic race situation, with Klodnicki’s A-K against Ausmus’ pocket queens. Despite the queens holding strong throughout the first four community cards, the arrival of an ace on the river (ASpade) enabled Klodnicki to double up, establishing a significant lead while Ausmus slipped down the ranks.
The next player to exit the tournament was Tracey Nguyen, whose A-Q was outmatched by Klodnicki’s pocket tens, resulting in her departure in fifth place ($171,389).
Shortly after, Ausmus met his fate when his K-2 suited clashed with Klodnicki’s pocket aces. Ausmus secured $233,690 for his fourth-place finish.
In an extraordinary display of skill, Jason Simon emerged victorious on June 12 at the Gladiators of Poker tournament, part of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Nevada. Facing an enormous field of competitors, Simon conquered the event and secured the coveted first-place prize, amounting to an impressive $499,852, as well as his inaugural gold bracelet. With a staggering turnout of 23,088 entries, this no-limit hold’em tournament boasted the second-largest attendance in the history of live poker tournaments, surpassed only by the WSOP Big 50 event of 2019, which had 28,731 entries.
Nicknamed “The Chiseler,” Simon’s performance aptly demonstrated his prowess among such a record-breaking assembly. This triumph marked the pinnacle of his career, propelling his tournament earnings close to $800,000. Notably, this victory constitutes his ninth win, augmenting his collection of accolades that includes a gold ring earned at a WSOP Circuit event in 2020 at Ameristar St. Charles near St. Louis.
Addressing reporters after his triumph, Simon expressed his elation, remarking, “It was awesome to have your friends here with you, cheering for you during all-ins; it definitely makes a difference.” He went on to emphasize the significance of preserving one’s tournament life, stating, “Your tournament life is incredibly valuable; you have to stay in the game at all costs.” Even when his chip stack dwindled to 14 million, Simon maintained his composure and rallied by securing a double up, ultimately reclaiming the lead. Reflecting on his future plans, he concluded, “I primarily engage in mixed games, reserving no-limit hold’em exclusively for tournaments, but perhaps I’ll participate in more tournaments following this experience.”
The tournament consisted of four starting flights, culminating in a prize pool totaling $5,679,648. Impressively, the top 3,173 players all secured a minimum prize of $480. As the competition progressed to Day 2, 827 players returned, but by the end of the night, only 14 contenders remained. Among the notable players who made deep runs on the penultimate day were Casey Carroll (29th), TK Miles (39th), Melanie Weisner (62nd), DJ Buckley (68th), and Daniel Negreanu (72nd).
The final 14 players required two hours of play to narrow down to the final table on the last day. At that point, Simon found himself in the middle of the chip-stack rankings. He swiftly gained momentum by eliminating Johnson Chatterley in seventh place, solidifying his position in the competition. Simon continued his ascent by ousting Kfir Nahum in fifth place, thereby securing the third-highest chip count among the remaining four players.
Determined to claim the title, Simon accelerated his progress by eliminating Wade Wallace in fourth place and Wesley Cannon in third place, ultimately entering the heads-up final with a significant chip advantage of nearly 4:1. The final showdown proved to be brief, as a single all-in hand determined the champion. Simon applied pressure by going all in, and Eric Trexler called with J♥10♥, putting his remaining chips at stake. Holding K♠8♣, Simon maintained the lead, and the board, revealed as 5♠4♣3♥6♦3♣, solidified his victory. Trexler, eliminated in second place, secured a substantial reward of $301,097, a testament to his endurance amidst a formidable field of over 23,000 opponents.
Here is a look at the payouts and rankings points awarded at the final table:
Isaac Haxton emerged as the triumphant champion in Event #16 of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the $25,000 High Roller tournament, securing his first WSOP gold bracelet and a remarkable first-place prize of $1,698,215. Haxton’s path to victory involved outlasting a formidable field of 301 participants, culminating in a heads-up showdown against Ryan O’Donnell.
The WSOP witnessed a record-breaking turnout for this high buy-in event, and Haxton expressed his deep appreciation for claiming the top spot. Reflecting on his accomplishment, he remarked, “I’ve often settled for second or third place in my biggest cashes, so it’s truly gratifying to finally emerge as the winner. A field of three hundred players in a $25k tournament—it’s undeniably one of my most significant achievements.”
The year 2023 has been a complete reversal of fortunes for Haxton, who has already secured an impressive tally of six victories, accumulating over $7,000,000 in earnings. While previous years saw the rise of players like Fedor Holz and Justin Bonomo as dominant forces, Haxton’s exceptional performance this year places him on track to potentially achieve one of the most remarkable years in the history of poker.
During the post-match interview, Haxton was accompanied by his close friend Justin Bonomo, who asked about his future aspirations and whether he aimed to surpass the record for the most live-tournament wins. Haxton chuckled and replied, “Not really. I don’t pay much attention to those things. I simply love playing poker and making money from it.”
Following his recent victory, Haxton’s lifetime winnings reached an impressive $37,509,332, positioning him at 14th place on the all-time money list, as reported by The Hendon Mob.
Day 3 of the tournament witnessed thirteen players returning to the tables for the final showdown. The action began with a classic flip, where Taylor von Kriegenbergh’s ace-king clashed against Haxton’s pocket queens, resulting in Haxton’s queens holding up and Von Kriegenbergh exiting the competition. Simultaneously, Kristen Foxen’s short stack quickly diminished, leaving the field with just eleven players.
In the subsequent level, Jorge Consiglieri and Aleksejs Ponakovs consecutively bowed out, forming the unofficial final table. Haxton entered the final nine players with a commanding chip lead and primarily coasted along as the shorter stacks battled for positioning. Multiple double-ups occurred before Michael Jozoff’s elimination.
Over the next hour, numerous small pots were contested, with Joao Vieira accumulating few, if any, chips along the way. Brian Rast’s failed bluff attempt also left him short-stacked, eventually leading to a confrontation in the blinds between Rast and Vieira. Rast emerged victorious with a straight, ending Vieira’s tournament run in eighth place.
After a one-hour dinner break, the final table relocated to the Thunderdome, where Brian Rast encountered further misfortune. The five-time bracelet winner pushed his remaining eleven big blinds from the small blind, only to encounter a stronger hand held by Lewis Spencer in the big blind. Rast couldn’t improve his hand, and Spencer soared to the top of the leaderboard.
Throughout the final day, the chip lead changed hands multiple times among the remaining six players, including Frank Funaro, who boasted the largest and most boisterous rail. However, Funaro’s spirited support wasn’t sufficient to propel him to his first WSOP bracelet as he ultimately finished in fifth place, falling victim to Spencer’s pocket aces.
Though Lewis Spencer initially enjoyed a favorable trajectory, his fortunes
Jeremy Eyer emerged as the latest champion of the 2023 World Series of Poker, triumphing over a field of 735 participants in the $5,000 no-limit hold’em eight-max freezeout event. Hailing from Mississippi, Eyer secured his first WSOP gold bracelet and a prize of $649,550 for his remarkable victory.
This remarkable win marked Eyer’s most lucrative tournament earnings to date, surpassing his previous achievement of $144,384 when he finished in third place at the $1,200 main event of the Million Dollar Heater series in his home state earlier this year.
Taking place from June 4th to 6th at the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas, this event attracted a substantial turnout, resulting in a prize pool of $3,381,000 that was distributed among the top 111 finishers.
On Day 3, the action commenced with 16 players remaining, with Eyer leading the pack. Brazil’s Felipe Ramos started in second chip position. As the final day progressed, notable players such as two-time bracelet winner Yuval Bronshtein (14th place – $26,667), Christina Gollins (11th place – $40,769), and bracelet winner Jesse Lonis (10th place – $40,769) were eliminated during the early stages.
The elimination of James Vecchio in ninth place ($51,769) set the stage for the official eight-handed final table, with Eyer still holding the chip lead, closely followed by Ramos. Shiva Dudani, the winner of the 2020 WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond main event, was soon eliminated, leaving only seven contenders remaining.
Ramos knocked out Ivan Galinec in seventh place when his pocket jacks held up against Galinec’s pocket fours, propelling Ramos into the chip lead. Galinec secured a career-best payday of $86,300 for his seventh-place finish.
A preflop showdown led to Jeffrey Halcomb’s elimination in sixth place when his A-Q failed to outperform the pocket nines of bracelet winner Jinho Hong. Halcomb received a prize of $114,102 for his performance.
Heading into five-handed action, Ronald Minnis was the short stack. He ultimately went all-in with A-2 suited, trailing Nozomu Shimizu’s A-10, but failed to improve and finished in fifth place ($153,032).
In a significant clash, Shimizu made a four-bet shove over Hong’s three-bet with 10-9 suited. Hong called with A-K, but Shimizu secured queens and tens to win the hand, leaving Hong with a depleted stack. Although Hong managed to hang on for a while, he eventually lost an all-in confrontation with Q-10 against Eyer’s pocket eights, ending his tournament journey in fourth place ($208,158). With this result, the Korean player’s recorded tournament earnings now stand at nearly $1.8 million.
During three-handed play, Shimizu faced a downward slide and eventually made his final stand by going all-in with A-10 from the big blind after Ramos had limped in from the small blind. Ramos made the call with A-Q and maintained his lead through a board that showed jack-high cards, eliminating Shimizu in third place ($287,106). Following this podium finish at the series, the Japanese player’s recorded earnings now exceed $620,000.
The heads-up battle began with Eyer holding a slight 3:2 chip advantage over Ramos. The duel proved to be a back-and-forth affair, lasting over four hours with multiple lead changes along the way. However, Eyer held the advantage when the decisive hand occurred. Ramos raised from the button with J♠J
$5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout Final Table Results
Tom Dwan is well-acquainted with participating in high-stakes games, often involving seven-figure pots. However, the details of these games were typically shared through second-hand accounts due to their secretive nature, such as the private games in Macau where the players preferred anonymity.
But on a Tuesday night, the renowned high-stakes player found himself immersed in a historic moment at the Hustler Casino Live game in Los Angeles. A staggering pot worth $3.1 million was set, breaking records.
The intense action commenced with blinds set at $500-$1,000, along with a $3,000 big blind ante and a $2,000 straddle. LSG Hank, one of the players, kicked things off by raising to $7,000, prompting Wesley Fei, a regular at Hustler Casino, to three-bet from the button, making it $30,000.
In a fortunate turn of events, Dwan found himself with pocket queens while occupying the straddle position. Responding to the action, he opted for a four-bet, raising the stakes to $100,000. Hank folded, allowing Fei to respond with a bold five-bet of $275,000.
Dwan, after contemplating for about a minute, made the decision to call, leading to a flop revealing the 3Diamond Suit, 8Spade Suit, and 8Diamond Suit. Dwan checked, and Fei followed up with a bet of $125,000. Dwan chose to call, and the turn unveiled the 5Heart Suit.
Once again, Dwan checked, and Fei seized the opportunity to bet $350,000. Dwan took approximately 90 seconds before deciding to make the call, leaving himself with roughly $790,000 behind.
The river presented the 6Club Suit, and Dwan checked for the final time. Without hesitation, Fei pushed all of his chips into the middle, posing a significant challenge for Dwan.
Dwan, seeking clarification, inquired about the all-in bet and confirmed it once more. He then rose from the table briefly to grab a drink. Meanwhile, Fei buried his head in his arms, unwilling to provide any hints regarding his hand. The situation became even more complex when fellow high-stakes professional Doug Polk had already seen Fei’s cards before the flop, leaving Dwan uncertain about the strength of Fei’s holdings.
Dwan entered a deep contemplation, ruminating for almost four minutes before ultimately finding the courage to call. As a result, the pot soared to a record-breaking $3,081,000. A stunned Fei revealed his cards, showing ADiamond Suit KHeart Suit, which amounted to nothing more than an ace-high hand. Dwan’s queens proved superior.
“Tom Dwan has just claimed the largest pot in televised poker history!” exclaimed commentator David Tuchman.
The previous record for the biggest televised poker pot belonged to Kane Kalas, who won a hand worth $2.18 million against Jason Koon during the 2018 Triton cash game series in Montenegro. Subsequently, in February of the present year, Patrik Antonius set the U.S. record of $1,978,000 against Eric Persson on PokerGO’s ‘No Gamble, No Future’ show.
Nikhil ‘Airball’ Arcot expressed admiration, telling Fei, “You have more heart than anyone here,” before checking on Fei’s well-being.
Fei may have been motivated to make the bluff following a day of social media criticism, where he was berated for playing conservatively despite entering the game with a $3 million buy-in.
Fortunately for Fei, he managed to win the second-largest pot of the night
Nick Schulman weathered a rollercoaster heads-up match to emerge victorious in the 2023 World Series of Poker $1,500 seven-card stud event. The victory saw the 38-year-old poker pro from New York earn $110,800 and the fourth WSOP gold bracelet of his career. He became just the 68th player to have won four or more titles at the WSOP.
“Four [bracelets] means a lot. It’s not lost on me that I’ve accomplished some things, and I’m still here. It means a lot,” the High Stakes Poker commentator told PokerNews reporters after coming out on top.
Schulman was wearing some retro, visor-like sunglasses and chomping on an unlit cigar for much of the final table. Schulman said the following of the style choice:
“I just decided to throw it back for the Stud. An homage…you know, let’s play fast and have some fun.”
After cashing out from this event, Schulman now has more than $15.6 million in lifetime tournament earnings, with his four bracelets and a World Poker Tour main event title as his headlining victories.
This latest title run saw him overcome a 360-entry field and stacked final table that included the likes of five-time bracelet winner Shaun Deeb (5th – $23,476) and four-time bracelet winner John Monnette ($32,828).
Schulman took a healthy lead into heads-up play, but was outdrawn on seventh street in a few big pots, which resulted in eventual runner-up Andrew Hasdal taking the lead. In one instance, Schulman’s trip threes were bested by two pair that became a full house for Hasdal on the end. Schulman managed to correctly bet-fold his trips to preserve a crucial big bet in that instance.
Schulman edged back in front, only to have Hasdal’s buried jacks improve to rolled down trips on seventh to overcome his split pair of kings. Schulman remained ahead after that pot, and managed to extend his advantage as the heads-up match wore on. It seemed that he was going to close out the win when Hasdal got his last chips in on fifth street with a pair of kings, while Schulman had already made a nine-high straight. Hasdal caught running cards to make a full house to keep his hopes alive, winning the sizable pot in shocking fashion.
Schulman remained in the lead after the hand, but only by a few big bets. He managed to bounce back from the hand, though, and was able to stretch out the lead yet again. In the final hand, all of the chips went in on fifth street with Schulman holding jacks up against a flush and straight draw with overcards for Hasdal. Schulman’s hand held up, improving to a full house to secure the pot and the title.
Hasdal was awarded $68,479 as the runner-up finisher, the largest tournament score on his resume.
Here is a look at the payouts and Card Player Player of the Year points awarded at the final table:
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 PlayerPOY 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:
