The climactic moment of the inaugural World Series of Poker Paradise festival unfolded on Thursday, December 14th, marking the conclusion of the $5,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event. With a $15,000,000 guaranteed prize pool, the tournament saw a total of 3,010 entries, yet only one emerged victorious with both the championship bracelet and the top prize of $2,000,000: Stanislav Zegal, a German online qualifier.
Zegal, a poker professional from Berlin who has been playing since 2016, not only secured his first bracelet but also achieved his maiden live final-table finish. Reflecting on the victory, he shared his feelings with PokerNews live reporters, stating, “It was somewhat exhausting and needs to settle. You always make plans for when stuff like this happens, but then when it happens it’s so overwhelming.”
The event spanned four starting flights and three additional days of intense tournament action. Among the top 447 finishers were notable players such as Sam Greenwood, David Peters, Kevin Martin, Timothy Adams, Bryce Yockey, Vitor Dzivielevski, Adam Walton, and Mikita Badziakouski.
The final day began with seven players vying for the title, with Daniel Neilson leading and Zegal tied for second chip position with Gabriel Schroeder. The action unfolded with Matt Glantz eliminating Montgomery McQuade in 7th place. Gabriel Schroeder followed suit, finishing in 6th place, and Michael Sklenicka continued to climb the leaderboard, eliminating Rui Sousa in 5th place.
As the final table narrowed, Matt Glantz exited in 4th place, earning $685,000, bringing his total recorded earnings to over $8.3 million. Daniel Neilson’s journey ended in 3rd place, securing $900,000 and pushing his lifetime cashes to more than $3.5 million.
Heads-up play featured Zegal holding a commanding 94,100,000 to Sklenicka’s 32,500,000. The match saw a dramatic chop with aces and fours as the kickers, and shortly after, Zegal clinched the victory with a well-timed call, securing the pot and the title. Sklenicka, the runner-up, received $1,200,000, marking the largest score of his career and bringing his lifetime earnings to over $2.5 million.
2023 WSOP Paradise Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Stanislav Zegal | Germany | $2,000,000 | |
| 2nd | Michael Sklenicka | Czech Republic | $1,200,000 | |
| 3rd | Daniel Neilson | Australia | $900,000 | |
| 4th | Matt Glantz | United States | $685,000 | |
| 5th | Rui Sousa | Portugal | $510,000 |
