Before heading to the Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas for the 2023 World Series of Poker Paradise, Samuel Mullur’s highest live tournament cash was a $20,000 prize for finishing 45th in the 2022 Mediterranean Poker Party main event. However, Mullur significantly surpassed this achievement by conquering a field of 533 entries in the $25,000 buy-in WSOP Paradise GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship. This triumph not only granted him his first bracelet but also awarded him a substantial $2,726,300 in prize money.
The event, which took place from December 5-8, far exceeded its $10,000,000 guarantee, ultimately distributing $13,325,000 among the top 80 finishers. Notably, renowned poker figures such as Daniel Negreanu, Aleksejs Ponakovs, Jason Koon, Erik Seidel, Daniel Dvoress, and Artur Martirosian made deep runs in the tournament.
Heading into the final day with eight players, Daniel Smiljkovic led the pack, while Mullur started as the short stack. Notably, Mullur’s journey to victory included a crucial double-up through Smiljkovic during six-handed action.
The event witnessed eliminations of notable players, including Matthew Stumpf, Adrian Mateos, Klemens Roiter, Arunas Sapitavicius, and 2020 WSOP main event champion Damian Salas. The heads-up battle between Mullur and Frank Brannan lasted over three hours, featuring dramatic swings. In the end, Mullur secured the win with a dominant chip lead, clinching victory with pocket kings against Brannan’s final push. Brannan finished as the runner-up, earning $1,684,500, marking his largest live tournament score to date with over $2.2 million in total recorded earnings.
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:
Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points | PGT Points |
1 | Samuel Mullur | $2,726,300 | 2,940 | 850 |
2 | Frank Brannan | $1,684,500 | 2,450 | 750 |
3 | Daniel Smiljkovic | $1,192,300 | 1,960 | 700 |
4 | Damian Salas | $856,800 | 1,470 | 514 |
5 | Arunas Sapitavicius | $625,400 | 1,225 | 375 |
6 | Klemens Roiter | $463,700 | 980 | 278 |
7 | Adrian Mateos | $349,400 | 735 | 210 |
8 | Matthew Stumpf | $267,500 | 490 | 161 |
9 | Renat Bohdanov | $208,300 | 245 | 125 |