Hungarian Wins World Poker Tour Prime Liechtenstein Main Event

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The 2023 World Poker Tour Liechtenstein CHF 1,100 buy-in main event at Grand Casino Liechtenstein shattered records with a total of 1,644 entries, establishing a new WPT Prime record for field size in a regular-season event. This impressive turnout translated into a prize pool exceeding $1.8 million in U.S. dollars. Following six starting flights and two full days of action featuring players from all flights, David Kozma from Hungary emerged as the champion, claiming the top prize of $300,541.

For Kozma, this victory marked a significant milestone as it was his largest live tournament win to date, nearly tripling his previous top payout of $105,000, which he earned as a runner-up in a $1,700 buy-in event at the 2022 Winter Poker Open at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa. After this remarkable win in the European principality nestled between Austria and Switzerland, Kozma’s total recorded tournament earnings now exceed $453,000.

In addition to the cash prize, Kozma’s first-place finish also granted him a $10,400 seat at the season-ending WPT World Championship held at Wynn Las Vegas.

Kozma’s victory earned him 1,080 Card Player Player of the Year points, propelling him into the top 500 in the 2023 POY race standings sponsored by Global Poker.

The final day of the tournament began with 11 players vying for the title, with Kozma leading the pack. He maintained his dominance as the field consolidated onto a single table. Kozma’s first elimination at the final table occurred when his KHeart SuitJSpade Suit flush triumphed over the KDiamond SuitJClub Suit, sending Alessandro Pichierri to a fourth-place finish with $107,296 in winnings.

Kozma continued his impressive run, dispatching Lukas Pazma in third place with his K-10 suited, forming tens and fours to overcome Pazma’s J-9 in a preflop showdown. Pazma walked away with $143,360.

The heads-up showdown featured Marc Sen holding 26,600,000 in chips, while Kozma had 22,900,000. The final two competitors engaged in a brief battle, spanning just 22 hands before a champion was crowned. Kozma surged ahead at the right moment, setting the stage for the final hand. Sen began by limping on the button with ADiamond Suit6Heart Suit, and Kozma checked his option with 6Club Suit5Heart Suit. The flop unveiled 8Spade Suit6Diamond Suit2Heart Suit, prompting Kozma to place a single big blind bet. Sen responded with a raise to three big blinds, which Kozma called. The turn revealed the 5Spade Suit, leading Kozma to wager another three big blinds. Sen then went all-in for 15 big blinds, and Kozma called, revealing his two pair. The 5Diamond Suit on the river secured Kozma’s victory with fives full of sixes, earning him the pot and the championship title.

As the runner-up, Sen, a resident of nearby Switzerland, received a consolation prize of $193,200.

Here is the final table Results:

Place Player Earnings POY Points
1 David Kozma $300,541 1080
2 Marc Sen $193,200 900
3 Lukas Pazma $143,360 720
4 Alessandro Pichierri $107,296 540
5 Carlos Henningsen $80,976 450
6 Faton Berisha $61,824 360
7 Thomas Hofmann $47,600 270
8 Saliah Atac $36,960 180
9 Guodong Yang $29,008 90