Chris Klodnicki Wins 2023 WSOP Secret Bounty Event

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.

2023 WSOP Event #35 Final Table Results