Julio Belluscio emerged victorious in a thrilling three-day battle at the 2023 World Series of Poker’s Event #73: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet. Facing off against Federico Quevedo in an intense heads-up showdown, Julio Belluscio claimed the title at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas venues. The event showcased a captivating mix of big bet variants, attracting a record-breaking field of 377 participants and generating an impressive prize pool of $836,600.
With his hard-fought triumph, Julio Belluscio not only secured his first-ever WSOP bracelet but also earned the prestigious top prize of $190,240. This remarkable victory significantly boosted his previous WSOP earnings total of $90,339, more than doubling his overall winnings from the prestigious series.
In the 2023 World Series of Poker, a $2,500 mixed big bet event took place featuring seven games with pot-limit or no-limit betting structures. The rotation of games included no-limit hold’em, no-limit deuce-to-seven single draw lowball, no-limit five-card draw high, pot-limit Omaha, pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better, pot-limit deuce-to-seven triple draw lowball, and Big O (five-card pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better).
For Julio Belluscio, this win marked his largest tournament payday to date, surpassing the $57,613 he earned in a €1,100 buy-in side event at the 2014 European Poker Tour Barcelona festival. With this triumph, his lifetime earnings have now reached nearly $622,000.
The final day of the event began with 24 players, with Jon Turner, a two-time Card Player Poker Tour main event winner, leading the pack, while Belluscio held a middle position. Unfortunately, Turner was eliminated in 11th place. Several notable players, including bracelet winners Bryce Yockey (22nd), Michael Noori (17th), Michael Savakinas (15th), and Steve Zolotow (9th), also fell short of reaching the final table.
When the final table was set, Belluscio secured the third-largest chip stack, with Benny Glaser, a five-time bracelet winner, in the lead. Anthony Zinno, a three-time World Poker Tour champion and four-time bracelet winner, was the first to be eliminated, finishing in 7th place with a prize of $19,857. Hye Park, who had previously placed sixth in the 2021 WSOP main event, replicated that result in this tournament, earning $27,130.
Erick Lindgren, a two-time bracelet winner, suffered a significant loss in a pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better hand against Federico Quevedo, leaving him with a very short stack. Lindgren ultimately finished in fifth place, taking home $37,901 after being eliminated in a hand of five-card draw high where his pair of fives did not improve against Glaser’s aces and nines.
Glaser eliminated Tomasz Gluszko in 4th place ($54,118), setting up the final three players. However, Glaser’s stack took a hit in a pot-limit triple draw deuce hand, and he eventually succumbed to Belluscio’s full house and superior low in Big O, securing a third-place finish with a prize of $78,939.
Heading into the heads-up play, Julio Belluscio held a significant chip lead and quickly capitalized on it to claim the title. Quevedo, with a short stack, went all-in preflop with A♣8♠6♠6♦4♥ in Big O. Belluscio held A♥K♣Q♥6♣4♣. The board revealed 7♦2♠2♣K♥J♦, granting Belluscio a scoop and leaving Quevedo as the runner-up with a prize of $117,577.
Event #73: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Final Table Results
Place | Name | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Julio Belluscio | Argentina | $190,240 |
2 | Federico Quevedo | Costa Rica | $117,517 |
3 | Benny Glaser | United Kingdom | $78,939 |
4 | Tomasz Gluszko | Poland | $54,118 |
5 | Erick Lindgren | United States | $37,901 |
6 | Hye Park | United States | $27,130 |
7 | Anthony Zinno | United States | $19,857 |