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GGPoker Announces WSOP Main Event Online Qualifying; $1M Bonus Added to ‘Road to Vegas’ Plans

Hundreds of online poker players will head off to Las Vegas this summer to play in the WSOP $10,000 Main Event, courtesy of GGPoker.

Hundreds of online poker players will head off to Las Vegas this summer to play in the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event, courtesy of GGPoker.

On Thursday the company announced details on the Road to Vegas 2023 qualifying promotion, which includes at least 600 seats won via satellite tournaments.

That total includes 500 seats guaranteed at GGPoker and another 100 through the ClubGG subscription poker platform. The company also announced a nice bonus for players heading to Vegas this summer. Some extra cash will be on the line.

“To sweeten the pot, if any player that qualifies for the 2023 Main Event at GGPoker becomes this year’s WSOP Main Event champion,” the company notes in a news release, “GGPoker will hand them an extra $1 million bonus on top of the winner’s purse.”

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WSOP Main Event qualifying at GGPoker

The WSOP $10,000 Main Event is the biggest tournament in live poker each year. This year’s event begins on July 3 with the action playing out at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos on the famous Las Vegas Strip.

Satellites for the event kick off at GG on March 19 with dozens of packages up for grabs each week.

“I can’t believe it’s time to start thinking about the WSOP Main Event again – the most exciting live tournament in the world, without a doubt,” GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu said.

“I’ll be there in July dreaming of Main Event glory, just like thousands and thousands of other players, whether professionals like me or amateurs playing their first big event – get onto GGPoker and ClubGG to win your way there too.”

Grabbing a tournament seat

Qualifying events are available for every bankroll level with qualifier buy-ins starting at just $1. Freeroll qualifiers are also a major part of the promotion. Each Main Event package includes:

  • $10,000 tournament entry
  • Accommodations at the Horseshoe Las Vegas Hotel and Casino for seven nights (July 1-8 including resort fees)
  • $1,000 in travel expenses (credited to each player’s GGPoker account)
  • $1 million bonus if a GG qualifier wins the Main Event
  • GGPoker-branded merchandise and gifts
  • Access to the GGPoker Platinum Lounge

“For many, competing in the WSOP Main Event is the ultimate poker dream,” GG managing director Sarne Lightman said. “As the exclusive WSOP international satellite provider, GGPoker is thrilled to be able to fulfill this dream for at least 600 of our players. We’ll also throw in an extra $1 million bonus should any GGPoker qualifier go on to win the Main Event!”

In the United States, WSOP.com will also have tournament seats up for grabs as well. For a complete WSOP preview and schedule, click here.

★★★ Ready to get in the action at GGPoker? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive PokerScout bonus offers. ★★★

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WSOP Details 2023 Series Including Main Event, $1M Mystery Bounty, Weekend Warrior Events

Hundreds of online poker players will head off to Las Vegas this summer to play in the WSOP $10,000 Main Event, courtesy of GGPoker.

The World Series of Poker has announced that the 54th annual event will take place from May 30 – July 18 at the Paris casino and the soon-to-be rebranded Horseshoe (formerly Bally’s) in Las Vegas.

On Monday, the company released some of the major events early so players can start planning trips now to Sin City. 

“Poker players and fans can now officially mark their calendars and maybe even book their loved ones or themselves a trip to the WSOP as a holiday gift,” WSOP Senior Vice President and executive director Ty Stewart said in a news release.

“We’re glad to be back at Paris Las Vegas and the future Horseshoe Las Vegas for another exciting chapter in the tournament’s history as these two resorts raised the bar in hosting last year’s event.”

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Details on the 2023 Main Event

The $10,000 Main Event features four starting days to pick from and will take place during the July 3-17. Players can pick among four starting days from July 3-6.

Day 2 flights will be played on July 7-8. Players will also be able to buy in directly on Day 2. 

The popular Mini Main also starts on July 2 and includes a $1,000 price point. This event has generally been popular as a warm-up to the Main Event.

Small buy-in, big-field bracelet events

Besides the Main Event, the WSOP has also announced dates for some of the smaller buy-in events. These generally attract large fields of recreational players and include some of the classics such as:

  • $1,000 Seniors Championship – June 21
  • $1,500 Millionaire Maker – June 23
  • $400 Colossus – June 30

For just a small investment, players will be able to jump in a new small buy-in tournament this summer. These events are usually wrapped around a weekend to cater to recreational players.

The series adds one new event in this category, the $300 Gladiators of Poker. The tournament features a guaranteed prize pool of $3 million and begins June 7. 

“I like the way the schedule is being put together so far,” says Joe Shinn, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “There seems to be a good event available regardless of what week you are out there.”

Mystery Bounty delivering $1 million paydays

A full WSOP schedule hasn’t dropped yet, but some highlights are available such as the $1,000 Mystery Bounty. After last year’s success for the tournament, the WSOP is bringing it back.

This year the event features a $ 1 million bounty again along with $1 million guaranteed to first place. Last year Matt Glantz took down the top bounty during and scooped a cool million. 

Planning ahead

In years past, some players complained the WSOP schedule took too long to be released. This caused issues with recreational players trying to schedule time off and coordinate booking rooms and flights. 

“The historic debut of the WSOP on the Las Vegas Strip delivered in a big way, and we’re excited to announce our summer 2023 dates in time for the holidays,” Stewart said.

Reduced room rates are now available at all Caesars Entertainment properties for those planning to attend. Guests who book early can secure special rates by using the advanced booking code “WSOP23.”

There has already been positive feedback in regard to the early series announcements.

Here’s a look at WSOP events released so far.

World Series of Poker 2023 highlights

DateEventGuarantee
May 31$1,000 Mystery Bounty$1 million to winner, bounties from $10,000 to $1 million
June 7$300 Gladiators of Poker$3 million
June 16$1,500 Monster Stack
June 21$1,000 Serniors Championship
June 23$1,500 Miloi09onaire Maker$1 million
June 29$1,000 Ladies Championship
June 30$400 Colossus
July 2$1,000 Mini Main Event
July 3$10,000 Main Event
July 7$777 Lucky 7s$777,777
July 11$600 Ultra Stack
July 14$,500 The Closer

Online bracelets

In 2022, more online bracelets were given out than ever before. Even though WSOP.com hasn’t announced the online schedule yet, players can expect a considerable number of bracelet events again.

The current legal states with WSOP.com platforms include Nevada/New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Players have to be physically present in the state to play online, but do not have to be a resident.

Stay tuned with PokerScout to find out more about all the future online events. 

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Recapping the 2022 WSOP

The 2022 WSOP saw players from over 100 countries participate with a record-breaking 197,626 entries. The post-pandemic tournament created some of the biggest player fields in WSOP history. 

Norway’s Espen Jorstad won the Main Event, taking home $10 million in prize money. The success of last year’s event has set the stage for an even bigger WSOP in 2023.

Poker players and fans around the world are already looking forward to another  summer of gold bracelet hunting.

“It looks like they took some of the suggestions made by the poker community and tweaked things to make improvements for everyone so far,” Nerdthusiast Poker Podcast host Brian Keane says. 

★★★ Ready to get in the action at WSOP.com? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive Pokerscout bonus offers. ★★★

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Qualifiers Score Big Finishes at WSOP for 888Poker; Site Launches ‘Ask a Pro’ Video Series

888poker recently sent 34 players to the WSOP Main Event in conjunction with the site’s 20th anniversary and a few found some nice finishes.

888poker recently sent 34 players to the World Series of Poker Main Event in conjunction with the site’s 20th anniversary. The site offered a complete $13,000 travel package and a few made the most of the trip, finding a deep run in poker’s biggest event.

888 tracked each player’s progress via social media, vlog posts, and on the company’s online platform. The site gave the promotion the tagline, “20 stories for 20 years.”

“For some players, it was their first-ever trip to Vegas and the WSOP.” the company noted of the promotion. “For others, it was their third or fourth trip even. What they all had in common was their desire to make the most of this opportunity from 888poker.”

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Scoring big at WSOP courtesy 888poker

One of those players making the trip to Las Vegas has played at 888 since the online poker site launched in 2002. Danny Lavoie (pictured in lead image, courtesy 888poker) hails from Canada and 888 rewarded him for his two decades of play.

Lavoie actually advanced to Day 5 of the tournament, finishing 296th place for $40,900. This was his first major live tournament cash.

“When I got the call from 88poker, I expected a surprise but not that big,” he said after site ambassador Kara Scott told him about the trip to Vegas. “It’s a dream come true to come to Vegas and play the Main Event.” 

https://twitter.com/888poker/status/1546558852115574784?s=20&t=VOEKWe_2SguRrALjdQtOsQ

Another player in the 888 crew scored an even better finish. Brazil has been a hotbed for poker over the last few years and Thiago Pirani represented his country and 888 in the Main Event.

He also scored the highest finish among all the qualifiers. Pirani turned a $22 satellite entry into a huge WSOP run, ultimately making Day 5 and finishing 157th for $62,500. That finish also earned the Brazilian the 888 last-longest honor.

More 888 players run deep

Some other qualifiers and ambassadors also cashed in the Main Event. A few of those included:

  • Nick Eastwood – $15,000
  • Alexandre “Cavalito” Mantovani – $46,800
  • Padraig O’Neill – $46,800

 

New poker video series launches

Beyond the Main Event promotion, 888 also recently launched a new “Ask a Poker Pro” series. The YouTube video series asks players some questions that might help other players at the tables.

The first episode features 888 ambassadors commenting on a particular subject. The pros offer some insight on: “How do you stay calm after taking a bad beat?”

Ian Simpson, a recent addition to the 888 ambassador team, said players should be aware of their hands and be willing to fold when they feel a player may have sucked out.

“You have to be willing to fold the bad beat,” he says. “Whenever you enter a tournament, the most likely result is that you’re going to bust before the money. It doesn’t matter how good you are, that is the most likely result.”

Fellow ambassador Samantha Abernathy notes that the more hands a player sees, the more bad beats come their way. Experienced players begin to get more accustomed to seeing these hands and adjust.

“I think when you play more volume, you get more used to it,” she says. “You have to understand that this is part of the game.”

Here’s a look at the entire first episode of “Ask a Poker Pro.”

★★★ Ready to get in the action at 888poker? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive PokerScout bonus offers. ★★★

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Norwegian Espen Jorstad Goes from Final Table Chip Leader to WSOP Main Event Champion

Norway’s Espen Jorstad walked away as the WSOP Main Event winner on Saturday, earning the championship bracelet and $10 million.

A non-American came away as the World Series of Poker Main Event champion for the fourth year in a row on Saturday at Bally’s casino in Las Vegas. After topping a field of 8,663, Norway’s Espen Jorstad walked away as the latest winner in the biggest event in poker, earning the championship bracelet and $10 million.

The event saw nine days of play including three starting flights. The tournament produced an $80.8 million prize pool, the second-largest in series history.

“I think it’s going to mean more in a few days when it sinks in,” he told PokerGO after the victory. “Right now it just feels absurd. I was just so focused on this match, I came in today to just play poker. I tried not to think too much about what was at stake here – I was just trying to play the best poker.”

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WSOP Main Event final table action

Reaching the pinnacle of the poker world certainly isn’t easy. Play carries on for days and brings plenty of mental and physical exhaustion. The event reached the final 10 players on Friday and then the final three battled it out to a winner on Saturday.

Jorstad defied some recent trends where Main Event chip leaders can’t turn that stack into a title. He returned tied as the leader on Friday and then also held the lead on Saturday.

Some savvy play and steering clear of any major mistakes helped Jorstad on his way to the title. Australia’s Adrian Attenborough, 28, and Argentina’s Michael Duek, 23, also returned to action on Saturday. Jorstad held twice the chips of Attenborough and four times as many as Duek.

Duek was the first player to fall, calling a river all-in shove from Attenborough. Duek held K♥8♦ on a board of Q♦10♣5♥K♠3♠. However, Attenborough tabled  A♣J♣ for the Broadway straight. 

Taking the title

When heads-up play began, Jorstad had about 50 million more chips than his opponent. The first hand brought plenty of controversy as Attenborough took about 18 minutes before making a decision. The hand saw a huge river bet and the Australian agonized over the hand.

Attenborough eventually sent his hand into the muck, but would bounce back. He eventually took the chip lead himself. That wouldn’t last and Jorstad recaptured the chip lead.

The final hand left Attenborough with another huge decision and this time he couldn’t get away from his cards. On a flop of 4♥2♥2♣, Attenborough checked the action with two pair, holding J♣4♠. Jorstad bet 4 million into the pot, only to see the Australian raise to 14 million. 

Jorstad, with Q♦2♠, then three-bet to 32 million and Attenborough called. The 8♠ fell on the turn and Attenborough checked. Seeing a bet of 62 million, he made the call again.

The Q♣ on the river gave Jorstad a full house and he put Attenborough all in. Once again Attenborough faced a tough decision, but wasn’t able to get away from his two pair. He eventually called and faced the sad facts in front of him.

Jorstad’s rail cheered his victory and he represents the game as poker’s world champion over the next year.

“It feels very good,” he noted immediately after the win on the PokerGO stream. “It’s still sinking in.”

Poker’s world champion

Jorstad described his opponent as a tough competitor who wasn’t easy to tackle. He’d hoped one of the other players at the final table might match up with him instead.

“My opponent, Attenborough, was the one guy I didn’t want to meet heads up,” he said on PokerGO. “He’s the one who’s been giving me the most trouble for the whole tournament. But (today) I kept making good hands (at the final table), fortunately. The cards just fell in my favor today.”

The win makes it bracelet No. 2 for the Norwegian poker pro this summer. In June, he teamed up with PartyPoker ambassador Patrick Leonard for the $1,000 Tag Team event. Both men scored their first bracelet in that win.

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Jorstad also found a second-place finish in a $320 online bracelet event at WSOP.com. He now also has the biggest prize in poker. Along with the cash, Jorstad also took home some impressive hardware.

The Main Event bracelet is composed of 500 grams of 10-karat white and yellow gold. The redesigned jewelry piece also includes 55.5 karats or 2,767 precious stones including rubies and black and white diamonds.

The Main Event may be complete but the WSOP doesn’t conclude until Wednesday, with several tournaments still underway. Here are the top payouts from the Main Event.

WSOP Main Event top 10 payouts

  1. Espen Jorstad (Norway) – $10,000,000
  2. Adrian Attenborough (Australia) – $6,000,000
  3. Michael Duek (Argentina) – $4,000,000
  4. John Eames (United Kingdom) – $3,000,000
  5. Matija Dobric (Croatia) – $2,250,000
  6. Jeffrey Farnes (United States) – $1,750,000
  7. Aaron Duczak (Canada) – $1,350,000
  8. Philippe Souki (United Kingdom) – $1,075,000
  9. Matthew Su (United States) – $850,675
  10. Asher Conniff (United States) – $675,000

★★★ Ready to get in the action at WSOP.com? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive PokerScout bonus offers. ★★★

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WSOP Update: Main Event Reaches Final Table; Players From South Korea, Canada, UK Come Up Big

The WSOP Online action continued over the last week at GGPoker with Taiwan's Pete Chen grabbing his second bracelet.

After an action-packed week at the World Series of Poker, several players found championship bracelets and the $10,000 Main Event reached the final 10 players in Thursday’s early morning hours.

The final 10 players are now battling for a top prize of $10 million, which will be streamed on PokerGO. In other action, players from Canada, South Korea, and the United Kingdom all found wins as well. Here’s a look at some of the recent tournaments from Las Vegas.

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Main Event down to final table

Espen Jørstad

The Main Event has now reached the “unofficial” final table with 10 players returning for Day 8 on Friday. Players have an off day and scheduled media interviews on Thursday.

Just 35 players returned on Wednesday and were scheduled to reach the final nine. After a long day that stretched into Thursday morning, however, tournament officials stopped play with 10 players remaining.

Matthew Su

Leading the final table are Norway’s Espen Jorstad and Massachusetts’ Matthew Su. Both players have 83.2 million chips and are seeking their first bracelet. Here’s a look at the players’ chip stacks as well as the payouts for the winners.

WSOP Main Event final 10 players

  1. Espen Jorstad, Norway – 83.2 million
  2. Matthew Su, United States – 83.2 million
  3. Matija Dobric, Croatia – 68.7 million
  4. Aaron Duczak, Canada – 56 million
  5. John Eames, United Kingdom – 55 million
  6. Adrian Attenborough, Australia – 50.8 million
  7. Michael Duek, United States – 49.8 million
  8. Jeffrey Farnes, United States – 35.4 million
  9. Asher Conniff, United States – 29.4 million
  10. Philippe Souki, United Kingdom – 13.5 million

Main Event payouts

  • 1st – $10 million
  • 2nd – $6 million
  • 3rd – $4 million
  • 4th – $3 million
  • 5th – $2.25 million
  • 6th – $1.75 million
  • 7th – $1.35 million
  • 8th – $1.075 million
  • 9th – $850,675 million
  • 10th – $675,000
Jerry Li shows off his new bracelet. (photo courtesy WSOP)

Event 74: $1,500 Bounty Pot Limit Omaha Eight-Handed

Canada’s Pei “Jerry” Li came out on top in this event for his first bracelet and $190,219. Florida’s Nolan King finished runner-up for $117,545 and the later stages of heads-up play saw an interesting scenario.

As pots shipped back and forth in a long battle, the two players agreed to skip two levels later in the action.

“He’s a very aggressive player, but so am I, so it made it a fun time heads up,” Li said afterward.

That seemed to go his way as he eventually closed out the event. This tournament attracted 1,390 entries, producing a prize pool of $1.9 million. Finland’s Eemil Tuominen took fourth for $63,231 and Belgium’s Eric Lescot finished sixth for $35,561.

Event #76: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty

Jinho Hong after his win. (photo courtesy WSOP)

Members of the Poker Hall of Fame all received a freeroll into this event. Each of those also had a bounty on their head corresponding with the year in which he or she was inducted.

The event also was held in conjunction with the announcement of the latest addition to the Poker Hall of Fame. Layne Flack was named as the latest addition and will be inducted posthumously following his death last year.

In the action at the tables, South Korea’s Jinho Hong took home his first bracelet and $276,067 top prize. It’s been a nice few weeks for Hong, who also won the $3,500 NLHE Championship at the Wynn Poker Classic in late June for $696,011.

“The win at the Wynn Summer Classic was a bigger cash, but the bracelet is a lot more meaningful to me and hopefully in the future, a lot more Koreans keep on trying to get the bracelet and hopefully our country grows (in regards to poker),” he said afterward.

 The tournament produced a $1.5 million prize pool from 865 entries. Thailand’s Punnat Punsri finished runner-up for $170,615 with Germany’s Jakob Miegel taking third for $120,756.

Pavel Spirins, of Latvia, scored third for $63,225 and PartyPoker ambassador Yuri Dzivielevski continued a nice series run. The Brazilian finished sixth for $46,791 and also has a second, fourth, and fifth this summer.

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Online Event 8: $7,777 Lucky 7s High Roller

England’s Harry “timexCNT” Lodge found the winner’s circle in this larger buy-in online poker event. He has produced several deep runs at the WSOP, but has always come up short of a bracelet.

That changed in this online event and he also took home $396,366. The event drew 161 entries for a $1.5 million prize pool.

 

A look at other winners

A few other players have also found some nice scores recently. In Online Event 9: $1,000 NLHE Online Bracelet Championship, Dragos “luxifer03” Trofimov, of Moldova, finished second for $147,585.

Event 73: $1,500 Razz saw Brazil’s Sergio Braga finish fifth for $25,198.

Upcoming tournaments

The Main Event final table takes the spotlight in the coming days, but several other tournaments are set in the coming days before the end of the series on July 20. Here’s a look at the final events on the schedule:

  • $3,000 HORSE (Event 84) – July 15
  • $1,500 The Closer (Event #85) – July 15-16, two starting flights 
  • $10,000 Six-Handed NLHE Championship (Event 86) – July 16
  • $5,000 Eight-Handed NLHE(Event 87) – July 16
  • Online Event 11: $777 Lucky 7ss Second Chance – July 17
  • $1,000 Super Turbo NLHE (Event 88) – July 17
  • Online Event 12: $5,300 High Roller Freezeout Encore – July 17
  • Online Event #13: $500 NLHE Summer Saver – July 18
  • Tournament of Champions $1 million freeroll – July 18

★★★ Ready to get in the action at WSOP.com? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive PokerScout bonus offers. ★★★

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WSOP Roundup: PartyPoker Members Scores Big Including a Bracelet for Patrick Leonard

With the Main Event now underway at the World Series of Poker, rounders from around the world are playing for the dream of winning the biggest event in poker.

As the action continues, several international players have scored some nice finishes in recent days. That included Team PartyPoker’s Patrick Leonard (pictured in lead image with tag team partner Espen Jørstad) grabbing his first bracelet.

Another PartyPoker ambassador,  Yuri Dzivielevski, came just short of a bracelet as well. 888poker’s Vivian Saliba also found a nice finish in recent days. Here’s a look at some of the recent action from Las Vegas.

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Event 51: $400 Colossus

Paul Hizer, 2022 Colossus winner.

A huge field turned out for this tournament again with 13,565 entries, building a $4.5 million prize pool. Paul Hizer, of London, England, took the bracelet for his first live poker tournament victory and the $414,490 top prize.

“Played many tournaments, had lots of deep runs,” he said afterward. “But I’ve never actually won a tournament outright. I don’t know if many people know that about me. I’m sure my close friends do.

“Maybe today was just written in the stars and I was meant to go all the way. I felt really confident, I felt like I had a really good game plan, and I’m just really thankful that it worked out.”

Hizer trailed Sam Laskowitz when heads-up play began, but he was able to complete the comeback. Laskowitz added a $256,170 payday for runner-up. France’s Jordan Pelon finished third for $193,240.

Event 55: $1,000 Tag Team

The tag team event has become a popular WSOP tournament each year with plenty of excitement. That continued this year and the United Kingdom’s Patrick Leonard and Norway’s Espen Jørstad came out on top. 

The pair earned a total of $74,042 each for their efforts. A member of Team PartyPoker, Leonard won his first WSOP bracelet and now has $2.8 million in live tournament winnings. Jørstad also scored his first bracelet as well.

Leonard said the two players split their time at the table well, providing some much-needed rest for later in the event.

“A lot of people had played solo for the last few days,” he said. “Some had played four days by themselves, whereas we’ve probably played about 50/50. We were fresh and taking hours in, hours out, and when I was out I was studying and I knew what to do coming in, so that was our biggest advantage.”

Jamie Kerstetter and Corey Paggeot found the silver medal for $45,756 each in an event that saw 913 entries for a $406,285 prize pool. Japan’s Yutaro Tsugaru and Taichi Ichikawa finished third for $65,059 each. Argentina’s Franco Spitale and Martin Pochat finished fourth for $46,904.

Event 57: $600 Deepstack Championship

This lower price point event also produced a nice field of 4,913 entries for a prize pool of $2.5 million. Hungary’s Tamas Lendvai won his first bracelet for $299,464.

Getting there wasn’t easy as he entered the final table on the shortest stack but turned things around in a big way. Germany’s Frank Reichel scored second place for $185,027.

Event 60: $10,000 Short Deck

Japan’s Shota Nakanishi found the top position in this slimmed-down deck action for $277,212. Short Deck has become more popular in recent years and all 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s are removed from the deck, making for plenty of action.

The tournament attracted 110 entries for a $1 million prize pool. Ben Lamb took runner-up for $171,331 with Brian Rast coming in third for $121,718.

Online Event 6: $500 NLHE Turbo Deepstack

The online action saw Bulgaria’s Martin “115FTW” Stoyanov secure his first bracelet for $132,783 at WSOP.com. Arkadiy “WBGTour” Tsinis finished runner-up for $81,870 in an event with 1,746 entries and a $785,700 prize pool.

Eli Elezra shows off WSOP bracelet No. 5 (photos courtesy WSOP)

Event 63: $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Championship

This popular event brings out some of poker’s biggest names with a poker legend coming out on top.

Eli Elezra earned his fifth bracelet for ​$611,362. The win was emotional for Elezra afterhis father passed away just over two weeks earlier.

“I wanted to win for him,” he said. “And I did it.”

The tournament brought in 284 entries for a $2.6 million prize pool.  Chino Rheem finished runner-up for $377,855. The UK’s Robert Cowen continued his nice run in the series, finishing third for $271,219. He also had a win in the $50,000 Pot Limit Omaha High Roller earlier in the series for $1.4 million.

Event 67: $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty

This quick-play tournament action saw Argentina’s Nacho Barbero rise to the top. He secured $587,520 and his first bracelet for the win. The tournament brought in a field of 419 entries for a $3.9 million prize pool.

“It feels amazing,” Barbero said. “I’m so happy. Literally, my dream in poker was to win one. It’s amazing. I’ve been coming since 2007, I think, or 2005. So many close ones and never could close it out. And, finally.”

Brazilian Fabiano Kovalski finished runner-up for $363,116 and Estonia’s Ilya Nikiforov took third for $254,791. Rob Hollink, of the Netherlands, finished fourth for $181,667.

A look at other big WSOP finishes

Plenty of other players have won big in recent days as well. In Event 54: $500 Salute to Warriors, Austria’s Patrick Pilkom finished third for $75,486. 

The nice run for Team PartyPoker continued in Event 56: $50,000 Poker Players Championship. The tournament featured some big names among the top five including Party ambassador Yuri Dzivielevski.

The Brazilian poker pro finished runner-up for $895,614.  Unfortunately for Dzivielevski, a  big bluff against eventual winner Dan Cates backfired in the heads-up match.

Japan’s Naoya Kihara took third for $639,257 and the United Kingdom’s Benny Glaser finished fourth for $464,420. Germany’s Johannes Becker found a fifth-place finish for $343,531.

 In Event 62: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty, the Czech Republic’s Jan Bednar took fourth for $103,325. Canada’s Harpreet Padda finished fifth for $77,945.

In Event 64: $600 Pot Limit Omaha Deepstack, France’s Guillaume Soumier found a fourth-place finish for $69,501. 888poker ambassador Vivian Saliba, of Brazil, finished fifth for $52,795.

Event 65: $3,000 Freezeout NLHE saw Hong Kong’s Jeffrey Lo take third for $266,559. Event 66: $1,000 Mini Main Event saw several international players find nice finishes including:

  • 2nd – Cosmin Joldis (Romania) $367,233
  • 3rd – Kartik Ved (India), $275,593
  • 5th – Kei Nitta (Japan), $158,515

In Event 68: $1,000 Million Dollar Bounty, Austria’s Wojciech Barzantny finished fourth for $268,550 and Canadian Michael Smith finished fifth for $206,250.

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Upcoming tournaments

Those who busted out of the Main Event still have plenty of action to check out in the coming days. Here’s a look at tournaments running throughout the weekend.

  • $1,111 One More for One Drop (Event 71) – July 7, 8, 9 (three starting flights)
  • $1,500 Mixed: PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Omaha Hi Lo; Big O (Event 72) – July 8
  • $1,500 Razz (Event 73) – July 9
  • $1,500 Bounty Pot Limit Omaha (Event 74) – July 10
  • $777 Lucky 7s NLHE (Event 75) – July 10, 11, 12 (three starting flights)
  • $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty (Event 76) – Jul 10
  • Online Event 8: $7,777 Lucky 7s High Roller – July 10
  • Online Event 9: $1,000 NLHE Online Bracelet Championship – July 10

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WSOP Roundup: European Players Score Online Bracelets; Aldemir, Sammartino Find Early Success

The first week of the World Series of Poker has seen some big names rise to the top and players from outside the US scoring nice finishes.

The World Series of Poker is now underway at Bally’s/Paris in Las Vegas with action running through July 21. The annual festival brings in players from around the world and with international travel restrictions lifted, organizers are expecting the largest series in history.

The first week has seen some big names rise to the top and some players from outside the US scoring nice finishes. That has included the first two online poker bracelet events seeing players from Germany and Hungary find the winner’s circle.

Here’s a quick look at some international players finding some deep runs in Las Vegas.

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Winning big in WSOP.com online events

The online bracelet schedule began on Sunday with two opening events both won by European players. Hungary’s Norbert “Balkan500” Szecsi scored the title in Online Event 1: $5,300 High Roller Freezeout.

That event brought in 218 entries for a $1.1 million prize pool and Szecsi took $288,850 for the win. This became his third WSOP bracelet after winning an event in 2013 and WSOP Europe tournament in 2018. He now has more than $3.8 million in live tournament winnings.

Getting to the title didn’t come easy. He faced World Poker Tour commentator and two-time bracelet winner Tony Dunst in heads-up play. Greg Merson, winner of the 2012 Main Event, finished third for $96,465 with Phil Galfond getting sixth for $52,320.

In Online Event 2: BIG $500, Germany’s Manig “Ohio77” Loeser took the top spot for $127,153. The tournament brought in 1,213 entries for a $799,200 prize pool.

This was Loeser’s second bracelet after winning the $600 Monster Stack in 2021 for $104,313. He now has more than $11.4 million in live tournament winnings. It looks to have been a nice celebration after the win.

Livingston takes gold in Seven Stud

Alex Livingston, of Canada, continues coming through on big stages. In 2019, he finished third in the Main Event and now has captured his first bracelet after several close calls.

This event produced a field of 329 for a $439,215 prize pool with Livingston grabbing $103,282 of that. The huge run in the Main Event inspired Livingston to begin playing tournaments more in recent years. That certainly paid off with Monday’s victory.

“I used to be mostly just a cash game player,” he told WSOP.com. “Since the Main Event, it got me more inspired to play a few more tournaments, especially going harder during the world series. So this win doesn’t really change my plans for this WSOP as I was going to play a full schedule anyway.”

Another Canadian also made a deep run in this event. Thomas Taylor finished third for $44,112.

Sammartino, Aldemir shine in early events

Players with some recent success in the Main Event have shown some skills in the series’ first week. Austra’s Koray Aldemir won the 2021 championship for $8 million and has a nice start this year as well.

In Event 2: $100,000 High Roller Bounty, he finished fifth for $249,693. He followed that up with a sixth-place finish in Event 8: $25,000 High Roller Eight-Handed for another $241,791.

Dario Sammartino finished runner-up in the 2019 Main Event for $6 million and continues standing out this year. The Italian poker pro took third in the High Roller Bounty for $498,686. He followed that up with another third in Event 6: $25,000 Heads Up Championship for $193,537.

Sammartino has $11.1 million in live tournament winnings but is still seeking that first bracelet. He has yet another opportunity in Event 12: $50,000 High Roller Eight-Handed. With 22 players returning Tuesday, Sammartino sits fourth in chips in that one as well.

Other players finding nice finishes

Several other players are also finding some nice scores so far. One of the more impressive runs came from Canada’s Jaswinder Lally in Event 4: $1,500 Dealers Choice Six-Handed. He finished runner-up for $78,048 after winning the same event in 2021 for $97,915.

Japan’s Naoya Kihara also took third in that event for $52,282. He’s also among the chip leaders in Event 10: $10,000 Dealers Choice Six-Handed Championship with only 15 players left.

In Event 3:  $2,500 Freezeout NLHE, Spain’s Sergio Aido took fifth for $72,233. Brazil’s Murilo Figueredo found a fourth-place finish in Event 7:  $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better for $80,671.

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A look ahead

Plenty of big events stand out on the schedule this week. Event 15: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship kicks off on Tuesday and should bring in some big names.

A $1,000 freezeout event on Thursday should offer a nice prize pool for bargain price point players. That continues into the weekend with the $1,500 Monster Stack beginning on Friday.

GGPoker’s $1,000 Flip & Go NLHE continues to be a fun event for players and begins on Saturday. The online action continues again on Sunday with a $400 Ultra Deepstack. Here’s a look at the remaining WSOP schedule for events beginning Tuesday and beyond.

2022 World Series of Poker

DateTimeEventTournamentBuy-inStarting chipsRe-entry
June 7, 202211am146-Handed No Limit Hold’em (3 day event)$1,50025,0001
June 7, 20223pm15Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship (4 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 8, 202211am16No-Limit Holdem (4 day event)$3,00040,0001
June 8, 20223pm17Mixed Triple Draw Lowball  (Limit) (A-5, 2-7, Badugi) (3 day event)$2,50035,0001
June 9, 202211am18Freezeout No-Limit Holdem (2 day event)$1,00020,0000
June 9, 20221pm19High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed) (4 day Event)$25,000150,0002
June 9, 20223pm20Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw (3 day event)$1,50025,0001
June 10, 202210am21AMONSTER STACK No Limit Hold'em Flight A (players who are eliminated in flight A may re-enter into flight B) (5 day event)$1,50050,000Bust A Play B
June 10, 20223pm22Seven Card Stud Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 11, 202210am21BMONSTER STACK No Limit Hold'em Flight B$1,50050,0000
June 11, 20223pm236-Handed Limit Hold’em (3 day event)$3,00040,0000
June 12, 202211am24FLIP & GO No Limit Hold’em Presented by GG Poker - Flight A (2 day event)$1,00020,000unlimited
June 12, 20221pm25No Limit Hold’em Deepstack (2 day event)$80040,0001
June 12, 20223pm26Limit Hold'em Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 13, 202211am27Shootout No Limit Hold'em (2,000 player max) (3 day event)$1,50025,0000
June 13, 20221pm28High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha (3 day event)$50,000300,0002
June 13, 20223pm29No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
June 14, 202211am30Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed (3 day event)$1,00020,0002
June 14, 20223pm31Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 15, 202211am32H.O.R.S.E. (Limit Hold'em; Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Razz; Seven Card Stud; Seven Card Hi-Lo 8 or Better) (3 day event)$1,50025,0000
June 15, 20223pm336-Handed No Limit Hold’em (2 day event)$3,00040,0001
June 16, 202211am34Freezeout No-Limit Holdem (3 day event)$1,50025,0000
June 16, 20221pm35Mixed Big Bet Event - NLHE, PLO, 2-7 NL, NL 5 Card Draw, Big O, PLO Hi-Lo, 2-7 Pot-Limit Triple Draw (3 day event)$2,50035,0002
June 16, 20223pm36Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better (3 day event)$1,50025,0000
June 17, 202210am37AMILLIONAIRE MAKER No Limit Hold’em Flight A - $1,000,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place (5 day event) $1,50025,0001/flight
June 17, 20223pm38No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0001
June 18, 202210am37BMILLIONAIRE MAKER No Limit Hold'em Flight B$1,50025,0001/flight
June 18, 20221pm396-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha (4 day event)$3,00040,0002
June 18, 20223pm40Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 19, 202211am41Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold'em (freezeout) (every player is a $300 bounty) (1 day event)$1,00020,0000
June 19, 20223pm42High Roller No Limit Hold’em (3 day event)$100,000600,0001
June 20, 202211am43Freezeout No-Limit Holdem (2 day event)$50025,0000
June 20, 20223pm44H.O.R.S.E. Championship (Limit Hold'em; Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Hi-Lo 8 or Better) (4 day event) $10,00060,0000
June 21, 202211am45Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed) (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
June 21, 20223pm466-Handed No Limit Hold’em (4 day event)$5,00050,0001
June 22, 202210am47ASeniors No Limit Hold’em Championship (Must be 50 years of age or older) Flight A (5 day event)$1,00020,0001 / flight
June 22, 20223pm48Eight Game Mix 6-Handed (3 day event)$1,50025,0001
June 23, 202210am47BSeniors No Limit Hold’em Championship Flight B$1,00020,0001 / flight
June 23, 20221pm49No-Limit Holdem (3 day event)$2,00030,0001
June 23, 20223pm50Super High Roller No Limit Hold'em (3 day event)$250,0001,500,0001
June 24, 202210am51ACOLOSSUS No Limit Hold’em Flight A (Payouts each flight) (4 day event)$40040,0001 / flight
June 24, 20223pm52Nine Game Mix 6-Handed (3 day event)$2,50035,0001
June 25, 202210am51BCOLOSSUS No Limit Hold’em Flight B (Payouts each flight)$40040,0001 / flight
June 25, 20223pm53Mixed No Limit Hold'em; Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed) (2 day event)$5,00050,0002
June 26, 202211am54Salute to Warriors - No Limit Hold’em Proceeds to be donated to the USO and other Veteran Organizations (3 day event)$50050,0001
June 26, 20221pm55TAG TEAM No Limit Hold'em (2 person team, each team must register together) (3 day event) $1,000/Team20,0000
June 26, 20223pm56Poker Players Championship 6-Handed (5 day event)$50,000300,0000
June 27, 202211am57Deepstack Championship No Limit Hold'em (4 day event)$60030,0001
June 27, 20223pm58Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (8-Handed) (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
June 28, 202210am59Super Seniors No Limit Hold’em (Must be 60 years of age or older) (4 day event)$1,00020,0001
June 28, 20223pm60Short Deck No Limit Hold'em (3 day event)$10,00060,0001
June 29, 202211am61Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship (4 day event) (Event Entry is $10K; Ladies Discounted Price is $1K)$10,000 men/$1,000 ladies20,0001
June 29, 20221pm62Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold'em (freezeout) (every player is a $500 bounty) (1 day event)$1,50025,0000
June 29, 20223pm63Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship (8-Handed) (4 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 30, 202211am64Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack (8-Handed) (2 day event)$60030,0002
June 30, 20223pm65Freezeout No Limit Hold'em (3 day event)$3,00040,0000
July 1, 202211am66Mini Main Event No Limit Hold’em (freezeout) (3 day event)$1,00060,0000
July 1, 20223pm67Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold'em (freezeout) (every player is a $3,000 bounty) (2 day event)$10,00060,0000
July 2, 2022Main Event Satellite Days July 2 - 7
July 2, 202212pm68AMillion Dollar Bounty No Limit Hold'em - Payouts begin on Day one - Bounties begin on Day 2 - Top bounty guranteed $1,000,000$1,00040,0001/flight
July 2, 20223pm69Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship (4 day event)$10,00060,0000
July 3, 202211am70AMAIN EVENT No Limit Hold'em World Championship - Day 1A$10,00060,0000
July 3, 202212pm68BMillion Dollar Bounty No Limit Hold'em - Flight B$1,00040,0001/flight
July 4, 202211am70BMAIN EVENT No Limit Hold'em World Championship - Day 1B$10,00060,0000
July 4, 202212pm68CMillion Dollar Bounty No Limit Hold'em - Flight C$1,00040,0001/flight
July 4, 20227pm68DMillion Dollar Bounty No Limit Hold'em - Flight D - Turbo 15 minute levels$1,00040,0001/flight
July 5, 202211am70CMAIN EVENT No Limit Hold'em World Championship - Day 1C$10,00060,0000
July 6, 202211am70DMAIN EVENT No Limit Hold'em World Championship - Day 1D$10,00060,0000
July 7, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 2AB (combine all surviving players 1A + 1B)
July 7, 202212pm71AOne More for One Drop No Limit Hold'em Flight A (5 day event)$1,000 + $11140,000unlimited
July 7, 20223pm72Mixed: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Omaha Hi Lo 8 or Better; "Big O" (5 Card PLO Hi-Lo 8) (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
July 8, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 2CD (For all surviving 1C + 1D players)
July 8, 202212pm71BOne More for One Drop No Limit Hold'em Flight B$1,000 + $11140,000unlimited
July 8, 20223pm73Razz (3 day event)$1,50025,0000
July 9, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 3 (combine all fields into one for first time)
July 9, 202212pm71COne More for One Drop No Limit Hold'em Flight C$1,000 + $11140,000unlimited
July 9, 20223pm74BOUNTY Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed (every player is a $500 bounty) (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
July 10, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 4
July 10, 202212pm75ALucky 7's No Limit Hold'em 7-Handed Flight A $777,777 Guaranteed 1st place - (5 day event) (Payouts every flight) $77740,000unlimited
July 10, 20223pm76Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No Limit Hold'em (freezeout) (every Hall of Famer is a bounty) (2 day event)$1,97930,000unlimited
July 11, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 5
July 11, 202212pm75BLucky 7's No Limit Hold'em 7-Handed Flight B$77740,000unlimited
July 11, 20221pm77Mixed No Limit Hold'em; Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed) (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
July 11, 20223pm78No Limit Hold’em (3 day event)$2,50035,0001
July 12, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 6
July 12, 202212pm75CLucky 7's No Limit Hold'em 7-Handed Flight C$77740,000unlimited
July 12, 20223pm79Razz Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
July 13, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Plays down to 9 players
July 13, 202212pm80Mixed No Limit Hold'em; Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack (8-Handed) (2 day event)$60030,0002
July 13, 20223pm81Freezeout No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed (3 day event)$5,00050,0000
July 14, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day Off
July 14, 202212pm828-Handed No Limit Hold’em Deepstack (2 day event)$80040,0001
July 14, 20221pm83HIGH ROLLER No Limit Hold’em (3 day event)$50,000300,0001
July 14, 20223pm84H.O.R.S.E. (Limit Hold'em; Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Razz; Seven Card Stud; Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better) (3 day event)$3,00040,0000
July 15, 2022TBDMAIN EVENT - Final Table
July 15, 202212pm85AThe Closer - No Limit Hold’em Flight A (payouts each flight) (3 day event)$1,50050,0001 / flight
July 15, 20223pm866-Handed No Limit Hold'em Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
July 16, 2022TBDMAIN EVENT - Final Table
July 16, 202212pm85BThe Closer - No Limit Hold’em Flight B (payouts each flight)$1,50050,0001 / flight
July 16, 20223pm878-Handed No Limit Hold'em (2 day event)$5,00050,0001
July 17, 202211am88Super Turbo No Limit Hold'em (1 day event)$1,00020,0001
July 18, 202211am89Tournanent of Champions Day 1$0
July 19, 202211amTournanent of Champions Day 2$0
July 20, 2022TBDTournanent of Champions Day 3$0

* Lead image courtesy PokerGO

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WSOP Releases Complete Schedule; Guide for Players Traveling to Vegas from Outside US

GGPoker is launching the WSOP Online in Ontario, Canada, and also partnering with Dusk Till Dawn for the UK Poker Championships.

After much of the World Series of Poker played out online in 2020 and the series moved to fall in 2021, the annual festival returns to the summer this year.

Organizers released the series’ official schedule on Wednesday and players will find 88 events running May 31 to July 20. The festival also features 14 online bracelet events at WSOP.com.

This is the first time the series will be held on the Las Vegas Strip. The action shifts this year to the Paris and Bally’s casinos. Fitting the series’ history, Caesars is renovating and rebranding the property as Horseshoe Las Vegas.

The annual poker festival was founded in 1970 by Benny Binion at his Horseshoe Casino in downtown Vegas. The Strip now becomes home to the series.

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Main Event returns to July, no masks required or vaccine mandates

The $10,000 Main Event remains the biggest tournament in poker and runs this year from July 3-16. Along with releasing the schedule, WSOP officials also announced there will not be a vaccine or mask requirement.

“This year is particularly historic for the WSOP with its move to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip and debut in the best facilities we’ve ever had,” said WSOP executive director Ty Stewart, who is running his 17th WSOP.

“We’re ready to welcome players from all over the world to our housewarming party at Bally’s, soon-to-be Horseshoe, and Paris. The schedule is jam-packed with first-class events and we expect this to be the biggest and most anticipated WSOP yet.”

WSOP hits the Strip

The series heading to Strip offers players some changes and a unique environment. All convention space at Bally’s and Paris will be used for the tournament series.

Organizers note that this will be the largest tournament area in event history. That includes over 200,000 square feet housing a total of 600 tables.

The WSOP features a wide variety of poker variants and that continues this year. The series continues catering to a wide range of players as well with buy-ins from $400 to $250,000.

Players heading to Vegas will find the main cage in Paris with the CBS Sports/PokerGO TV set in the Bally’s Event Center. Navigating between the two spaces should be easy as the buildings are connected and share a parking garage.

Inside the series

The WSOP action kicks off with an aptly named event. The $500 “Housewarming,” which comes with a $5 million guarantee and is a followup to the $500 “Reunion.”

That helped welcome players back to the series in 2021 and brought in 12,973 entries. Here’s a look at some other highlights from the series.

  • Weekend events (June 11 – July 16) – Flagship No Limit Hold’em tournaments return each Friday and Saturday. Look for massive-field tournaments like the Millionaire Maker, Monster Stack, Colossus, and The Closer.
  • Million Dollar Mystery Bounty (July 2-4) – This new $1,000 event features a mystery bounty for up to $1 million. The tournament was originally planned for 2020, but that series was canceled due to COVID.
  • Tournament of Champions (July 18-20) – This $1 million freeroll is the first Tournament of Champions in series history. The event is open to all 88 bracelet winners and 2022 WSOP Circuit ring winners.
  • Mid-stakes events (June and July) –Look for more No Limit Hold‘em events at the mid-range price point with buy-ins at the $2,000 to $5,000 level.
  • Flip and Go Presented by GGPoker (June 12) – This $1,000 event takes GGPoker’s online tournament and moves it to the live felt. Flip and Go proved popular in 2021 and is back this year. To start, everyone gets three cards, selects two, and is then all in preflop on the first hand. The player who wins the table is then already in the money. The action then plays out as a normal NLHE tournament. 
  • Lucky Sevens (July 10-12) – Players battle for guaranteed first-place money of $777,777 for a $777 buy-in.
  • Poker Hall of Fame Bounty (July 10) – This Poker Hall of Fame comes with a buy-in that’s the same as the hall’s founding, $1,979. All Hall of Fame members earn a freeroll and each carries a bounty for the year he or she was inducted.

High roller action continues

Those with bigger bankrolls have plenty of events to look forward to as well. Several high rollers are on the menu and a couple  stand out. 

A new $100,000 High Roller Bounty begins May 31 and players earn $25,000 for each bounty they collect.

The Heads Up Championship begins June 2 and has become very popular with pros. The annual event now sees the buy-in move from $10,000 to $25,000. Here’s a look at the complete WSOP schedule. 

 WSOP 2022 schedule

DateTimeEventTournamentBuy-inStarting chipsRe-entry
June 7, 202211am146-Handed No Limit Hold’em (3 day event)$1,50025,0001
June 7, 20223pm15Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship (4 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 8, 202211am16No-Limit Holdem (4 day event)$3,00040,0001
June 8, 20223pm17Mixed Triple Draw Lowball  (Limit) (A-5, 2-7, Badugi) (3 day event)$2,50035,0001
June 9, 202211am18Freezeout No-Limit Holdem (2 day event)$1,00020,0000
June 9, 20221pm19High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed) (4 day Event)$25,000150,0002
June 9, 20223pm20Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw (3 day event)$1,50025,0001
June 10, 202210am21AMONSTER STACK No Limit Hold'em Flight A (players who are eliminated in flight A may re-enter into flight B) (5 day event)$1,50050,000Bust A Play B
June 10, 20223pm22Seven Card Stud Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 11, 202210am21BMONSTER STACK No Limit Hold'em Flight B$1,50050,0000
June 11, 20223pm236-Handed Limit Hold’em (3 day event)$3,00040,0000
June 12, 202211am24FLIP & GO No Limit Hold’em Presented by GG Poker - Flight A (2 day event)$1,00020,000unlimited
June 12, 20221pm25No Limit Hold’em Deepstack (2 day event)$80040,0001
June 12, 20223pm26Limit Hold'em Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 13, 202211am27Shootout No Limit Hold'em (2,000 player max) (3 day event)$1,50025,0000
June 13, 20221pm28High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha (3 day event)$50,000300,0002
June 13, 20223pm29No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
June 14, 202211am30Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed (3 day event)$1,00020,0002
June 14, 20223pm31Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 15, 202211am32H.O.R.S.E. (Limit Hold'em; Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Razz; Seven Card Stud; Seven Card Hi-Lo 8 or Better) (3 day event)$1,50025,0000
June 15, 20223pm336-Handed No Limit Hold’em (2 day event)$3,00040,0001
June 16, 202211am34Freezeout No-Limit Holdem (3 day event)$1,50025,0000
June 16, 20221pm35Mixed Big Bet Event - NLHE, PLO, 2-7 NL, NL 5 Card Draw, Big O, PLO Hi-Lo, 2-7 Pot-Limit Triple Draw (3 day event)$2,50035,0002
June 16, 20223pm36Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better (3 day event)$1,50025,0000
June 17, 202210am37AMILLIONAIRE MAKER No Limit Hold’em Flight A - $1,000,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place (5 day event) $1,50025,0001/flight
June 17, 20223pm38No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0001
June 18, 202210am37BMILLIONAIRE MAKER No Limit Hold'em Flight B$1,50025,0001/flight
June 18, 20221pm396-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha (4 day event)$3,00040,0002
June 18, 20223pm40Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 19, 202211am41Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold'em (freezeout) (every player is a $300 bounty) (1 day event)$1,00020,0000
June 19, 20223pm42High Roller No Limit Hold’em (3 day event)$100,000600,0001
June 20, 202211am43Freezeout No-Limit Holdem (2 day event)$50025,0000
June 20, 20223pm44H.O.R.S.E. Championship (Limit Hold'em; Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Hi-Lo 8 or Better) (4 day event) $10,00060,0000
June 21, 202211am45Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed) (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
June 21, 20223pm466-Handed No Limit Hold’em (4 day event)$5,00050,0001
June 22, 202210am47ASeniors No Limit Hold’em Championship (Must be 50 years of age or older) Flight A (5 day event)$1,00020,0001 / flight
June 22, 20223pm48Eight Game Mix 6-Handed (3 day event)$1,50025,0001
June 23, 202210am47BSeniors No Limit Hold’em Championship Flight B$1,00020,0001 / flight
June 23, 20221pm49No-Limit Holdem (3 day event)$2,00030,0001
June 23, 20223pm50Super High Roller No Limit Hold'em (3 day event)$250,0001,500,0001
June 24, 202210am51ACOLOSSUS No Limit Hold’em Flight A (Payouts each flight) (4 day event)$40040,0001 / flight
June 24, 20223pm52Nine Game Mix 6-Handed (3 day event)$2,50035,0001
June 25, 202210am51BCOLOSSUS No Limit Hold’em Flight B (Payouts each flight)$40040,0001 / flight
June 25, 20223pm53Mixed No Limit Hold'em; Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed) (2 day event)$5,00050,0002
June 26, 202211am54Salute to Warriors - No Limit Hold’em Proceeds to be donated to the USO and other Veteran Organizations (3 day event)$50050,0001
June 26, 20221pm55TAG TEAM No Limit Hold'em (2 person team, each team must register together) (3 day event) $1,000/Team20,0000
June 26, 20223pm56Poker Players Championship 6-Handed (5 day event)$50,000300,0000
June 27, 202211am57Deepstack Championship No Limit Hold'em (4 day event)$60030,0001
June 27, 20223pm58Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (8-Handed) (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
June 28, 202210am59Super Seniors No Limit Hold’em (Must be 60 years of age or older) (4 day event)$1,00020,0001
June 28, 20223pm60Short Deck No Limit Hold'em (3 day event)$10,00060,0001
June 29, 202211am61Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship (4 day event) (Event Entry is $10K; Ladies Discounted Price is $1K)$10,000 men/$1,000 ladies20,0001
June 29, 20221pm62Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold'em (freezeout) (every player is a $500 bounty) (1 day event)$1,50025,0000
June 29, 20223pm63Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship (8-Handed) (4 day event)$10,00060,0000
June 30, 202211am64Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack (8-Handed) (2 day event)$60030,0002
June 30, 20223pm65Freezeout No Limit Hold'em (3 day event)$3,00040,0000
July 1, 202211am66Mini Main Event No Limit Hold’em (freezeout) (3 day event)$1,00060,0000
July 1, 20223pm67Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold'em (freezeout) (every player is a $3,000 bounty) (2 day event)$10,00060,0000
July 2, 2022Main Event Satellite Days July 2 - 7
July 2, 202212pm68AMillion Dollar Bounty No Limit Hold'em - Payouts begin on Day one - Bounties begin on Day 2 - Top bounty guranteed $1,000,000$1,00040,0001/flight
July 2, 20223pm69Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship (4 day event)$10,00060,0000
July 3, 202211am70AMAIN EVENT No Limit Hold'em World Championship - Day 1A$10,00060,0000
July 3, 202212pm68BMillion Dollar Bounty No Limit Hold'em - Flight B$1,00040,0001/flight
July 4, 202211am70BMAIN EVENT No Limit Hold'em World Championship - Day 1B$10,00060,0000
July 4, 202212pm68CMillion Dollar Bounty No Limit Hold'em - Flight C$1,00040,0001/flight
July 4, 20227pm68DMillion Dollar Bounty No Limit Hold'em - Flight D - Turbo 15 minute levels$1,00040,0001/flight
July 5, 202211am70CMAIN EVENT No Limit Hold'em World Championship - Day 1C$10,00060,0000
July 6, 202211am70DMAIN EVENT No Limit Hold'em World Championship - Day 1D$10,00060,0000
July 7, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 2AB (combine all surviving players 1A + 1B)
July 7, 202212pm71AOne More for One Drop No Limit Hold'em Flight A (5 day event)$1,000 + $11140,000unlimited
July 7, 20223pm72Mixed: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Omaha Hi Lo 8 or Better; "Big O" (5 Card PLO Hi-Lo 8) (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
July 8, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 2CD (For all surviving 1C + 1D players)
July 8, 202212pm71BOne More for One Drop No Limit Hold'em Flight B$1,000 + $11140,000unlimited
July 8, 20223pm73Razz (3 day event)$1,50025,0000
July 9, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 3 (combine all fields into one for first time)
July 9, 202212pm71COne More for One Drop No Limit Hold'em Flight C$1,000 + $11140,000unlimited
July 9, 20223pm74BOUNTY Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed (every player is a $500 bounty) (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
July 10, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 4
July 10, 202212pm75ALucky 7's No Limit Hold'em 7-Handed Flight A $777,777 Guaranteed 1st place - (5 day event) (Payouts every flight) $77740,000unlimited
July 10, 20223pm76Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No Limit Hold'em (freezeout) (every Hall of Famer is a bounty) (2 day event)$1,97930,000unlimited
July 11, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 5
July 11, 202212pm75BLucky 7's No Limit Hold'em 7-Handed Flight B$77740,000unlimited
July 11, 20221pm77Mixed No Limit Hold'em; Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed) (3 day event)$1,50025,0002
July 11, 20223pm78No Limit Hold’em (3 day event)$2,50035,0001
July 12, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day 6
July 12, 202212pm75CLucky 7's No Limit Hold'em 7-Handed Flight C$77740,000unlimited
July 12, 20223pm79Razz Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
July 13, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Plays down to 9 players
July 13, 202212pm80Mixed No Limit Hold'em; Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack (8-Handed) (2 day event)$60030,0002
July 13, 20223pm81Freezeout No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed (3 day event)$5,00050,0000
July 14, 202211amMAIN EVENT - Day Off
July 14, 202212pm828-Handed No Limit Hold’em Deepstack (2 day event)$80040,0001
July 14, 20221pm83HIGH ROLLER No Limit Hold’em (3 day event)$50,000300,0001
July 14, 20223pm84H.O.R.S.E. (Limit Hold'em; Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Razz; Seven Card Stud; Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better) (3 day event)$3,00040,0000
July 15, 2022TBDMAIN EVENT - Final Table
July 15, 202212pm85AThe Closer - No Limit Hold’em Flight A (payouts each flight) (3 day event)$1,50050,0001 / flight
July 15, 20223pm866-Handed No Limit Hold'em Championship (3 day event)$10,00060,0000
July 16, 2022TBDMAIN EVENT - Final Table
July 16, 202212pm85BThe Closer - No Limit Hold’em Flight B (payouts each flight)$1,50050,0001 / flight
July 16, 20223pm878-Handed No Limit Hold'em (2 day event)$5,00050,0001
July 17, 202211am88Super Turbo No Limit Hold'em (1 day event)$1,00020,0001
July 18, 202211am89Tournanent of Champions Day 1$0
July 19, 202211amTournanent of Champions Day 2$0
July 20, 2022TBDTournanent of Champions Day 3$0
 

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Online bracelet events back at WSOP.com

Players heading to Las Vegas can also play online poker at WSOP.com. That includes battling for some bracelets.

These tournaments are available to players on the WSOP network in Nevada and New Jersey, with a few events also planned for players in Pennsylvania.

At least one online event is scheduled every Sunday. Three “Double Up Bracelet Days” on June 5, July 10 and 17 offer players two events.

Two online bracelet events are also scheduled for Tuesdays and one on a Saturday.  Some of the online portion highlights include:

  • BIG $500
  • Lucky Sevens $7,777 high roller
  • two freezeout events
  • $1,000 NLHE Online Championship

Satellites for WSOP gold bracelet events are already underway at WSOP.com. These will also run continuously through the festival.

GGPoker also runs exclusive satellite events for the WSOP for players outside the US. Here’s a look at the complete online bracelet schedule.

2022 WSOP.com Online Bracelet Schedule

Online eventDateTournamentBuy-inStates
1June 5High Roller Freezeout$5,300NV, NJ
2June 5Big $500$500NV, NJ, PA
3June 12Ultra Deepstack$400NV, NJ, PA
4June 19Pot Limit Omaha$1,000NV, NJ
5June 19Pot Limit Omaha$500PA
6June 26Online Deepstack Championship$600NV, NJ, PA
7June 28Turbo Deepstack$500NV, NJ
8July 3NLHE Deepstack$500NV, NJ, PA
9July 10Lucky 7s High Roller$7,777NV, NJ
10July 10Online Bracelet Championship$1,000NV, NJ, PA
11July 12High Roller$3,200NV, NJ
12July 16Lucky 7s Second Chance$777NV, NJ, PA
13July 17High Roller Freezeout Encore$5,300NV, NJ
14July 17Summer Saver$500NV, NJ, PA
 

Daily Deepstacks

Along with plenty of bracelet-hunting action, the WSOP also runs Daily Deepstacks events throughout the series. These non-bracelet events come with smaller buy-ins, but achieve some nice prize pools.

These events run at 2 , 5, and 9 p.m. on most days in the Paris Ballroom. This area also hosts daily satellites and cash games.

Things to remember for players from outside the US playing the WSOP

As COVID-19 restrictions ease in many countries, more players should be heading to this summer’s WSOP. Players from outside the US have a few considerations to take into account.

  • COVID-19 vaccination and mask status – As noted above, these aren’t required in 2022. WSOP officials are following local, state, and federal guidelines that are in effect at the time of the event. There is no vaccination or mask requirement, but that could theoretically change depending on the circumstances.
  • ID requirements – All players must show a government-issued picture ID with current address as well. A secondary form of ID, such as a bill or statement confirming address, is also required. Players from outside the US must provide a valid passport and another form of ID with address shown. This could be a signed lease agreement, utility bill, or mobile phone bill.
  • Taxes – Foreign players from countries with a tax treaty with the US are subject to up to a 30% tax withholding.
  • Wiring funds for a ​​WSOP tournament account – Players can wire funds for WSOP events ahead of time. This money is then placed on account. An account can be set up at the WSOP Main Cage in the Champagne Ballroom. Players can then register online using BravoPokerLive.com.
  • Online event deposits – Players can create an account and deposit from anywhere. (Use this link for exclusive bonus offers). Those wishing to create an account in person will find a booth near Payouts and Player Services in the Champagne Ballroom.

WSOP Europe 2022

Along with the release of the WSOP schedule, Caesars also announced some other information that may be of interest to players outside the US. The WSOP Europe is set for Oct. 12 to Nov. 3 at King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic.

Players will find 15 gold bracelet events, with the €10,000 Main Event as the signature event. Players with bigger bankrolls will find a €50,000 High Roller.

The World Series of Poker returns to live action this fall, running Sept. 30 to Nov. 23 at the Rio in Las Vegas.

Other important WSOP information

Online registration

Series organizers are asking players to make use of the online/mobile registration process. This helps reduce lines and congestion during the series.

The WSOP uses BravoPokerLive.com for online and mobile registration and payment. Those looking to use this process first need to visit the Champagne Ballroom in the Le Centre Des Conventions at Paris to to validate their identification.

Once that is complete, players can register and pay on Bravo and use self-service kiosks to print seat cards. They can then go directly to their tables. Registration for events begins in May.

In-person registration

The main registration area is in the Champagne Ballroom with other stations also at the main registration and VIP cages.

These areas open May 31 at 9 am and run 24 hours a day through July 17. A valid photo ID and Caesars Rewards cards are required.

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Caesars Rewards

The booth is located in the Champagne Ballroom by the main and VIP registration cages. Kiosks are also available for players to reprint cards.

Methods of payment

The WSOP accepts the following forms of payment:

  • cash
  • credit/debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express)
  • ACH payments
  • wire transfers
  • cashier’s checks made out to the player or Paris
  • Paris or Bally’s gaming chips
  • Paris tournament buy-In chips
  • tournament buy-In credit

ACH and credit/debit card transactions include additional fees. Players also need a valid ID.

Payouts

Winning players can collect at the WSOP Main Cage in the Champagne Ballroom. Players can request cash, wire transfer, casino chips, check, or tournament account deposit.

The WSOP can also send funds to a Bravo Tournament Buy-In Account account.

TV coverage

CBS Sports will once again air a second season of World Series coverage. PokerGo will stream action daily with 18 bracelet events and at least 15 hours of Main Event coverage.

* Photos courtesy PokerGO, WSOP

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Germany’s Koray Aldemir Scores WSOP Main Event Title; Series Shifts to Vegas Strip in 2022

The World Series of Poker Main Event came to a close on Wednesday night with German poker pro Koray Aldemir coming out on top.

The World Series of Poker Main Event came to a close on Wednesday night with German poker pro Koray Aldemir coming out on top. He takes home $8 million and the gold bracelet after topping a field of 6,650 players.

“It felt great. It’s the biggest final table in the world, so it’s a dream come true,” he said after winning the title. “Probably every poker player thinks about this moment when they watch this, believing ‘maybe I could be there one day.’”

Aldemir made his dream a reality after securing the championship after nine days of long hours at the tables. After the WSOP was held mostly online in 2020 at WSOP.com and GGPoker, this year’s series continued bringing back live poker in a big way.

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Jack Oliver hits rail in 3rd

Getting to the title wasn’t easy. Despite bringing in a chip stack twice of his two opponents, Aldemir faced two tough players in the United Kingdom’s Jack Oliver and New Jersey’s George Holmes.

When play began, here’s how the chip stacks looked:

  • Aldemir – 264,600,000
  • Oliver – 77,300,000
  • Holmes – 57,400,000
Jack Oliver finished third in the WSOP Main Event. (photos courtesy PokerGO)

Oliver was the first player eliminated. After losing a few early pots and falling behind Holmes, he pushed the last of his 36 million chips in with A♣8♦ from the small blind. After some thought, George Holmes called from the bg blind with Q♠J♠.

A Jack landed on the turn, giving Holmes a pair and the pot when Oliver didn’t improve. The Englishman scored $3 million for third place and a great run through the Main Event.

Heads-up battle for the title

That elimination left Aldemir and Holmes battling for the title. The Oliver elimination pushed Holmes’ stack to 137.4 million. He still faced an uphill climb however, with Aldemir holding 262 million.

The matchup featured two completely different types of poker players. Aldemir is a poker pro and high roller regular with more than $13 million in live tournament winnings.

A recreational player, Holmes plays in a weekly home game with friends and has a regular job. Coming into the event, he had only one career tournament cash from the 2019 Main Event for $50,855.

Both had friends and family cheering them on throughout the matchup. Holmes’ wife was also on the rail. Seeing him on PokerGO was her first time seeing him play poker.

George Holmes battling heads-up with Koray Aldemir for the title.

The matchup featured plenty of back and forth play. Holmes went on a nice run early to cut deeply into Aldemir’s lead. He wasn’t afraid of making some big moves and an occasional bluff.

Closing out the battle

Later in the match, Holmes even took the chip lead. Aldemir never seemed to lose control or get shaken however. A seasoned pro, he waited for his own run of cards and was eventually rewarded.

In the final hand, Aldemir held a slight chip lead. Holmes put in a raise to 6 million with K♣Q♠ with Aldemir calling 10♦7♦.

He was in good shape when the flop came 10♥7♠2♥. Aldemir checked and Holmes again bet 6 million. Aldemir then showed some strength with a raise to 19 million.

Holmes called and both players saw a K♠ on the turn. Aldemir then put in a hefty bet of 36.5 million. Holmes thought just a bit and called with his pair of Kings. This brought the pot to more than 100 million.

The 9​​​♠ came on the river and Aldemir checked. Holmes’ all-in shove may have been unexpected and his 133 million went into the pot.

Despite holding two pairs, Aldemir faced a tough decision. Losing the hand meant he’d only have about 10 million chips left.  After some deep thought, he called and it was all over.

Holmes took home $4.3 million for second place and played well throughout the final table.

“Unbelievable, I still can’t put it into words,” Holmes said afterward. “It’s been a grueling week and a half. This guy was amazing, tough all night. Good game, well played.”

2021 WSOP Main Event results

  1. Koray Aldemir – $8,000,000
  2. George Holmes – $4,300,000
  3. Jack Oliver – $3,000,000
  4. Joshua Remitio – $2,300,000
  5. Ozgur Secilmis – $1,800,000
  6. Hye Park – $1,400,000
  7. Alejandro Lococo – $1,225,000
  8. Jareth East – $1,100,000

WSOP heading to Vegas Strip next year

The WSOP also made some other news this week. During Tuesday’s coverage on PokerGO, the WSOP announced that the festival would once again be played in the summer next year.

The WSOP will once again return to the summer, but is shifting to the Vegas Strip for the first time in its 53-year history. The series moves to the Bally’s and Paris properties on Las Vegas’s famed gaming and entertainment mecca.

Plans call for the series to run from May 31 to July 19 following a 17-year run at the Rio. Players won’t have to wait too long with only about six months until cards are back in the air.

Vince Vaughan takes the stage at the WSOp Main Event.

Vince Vaughan announced as new WSOP ambassador, master of ceremonies

Along with the new location announcement, WSOP officials also welcomed actor, comedian and card player Vince Vaughn on board this week. He’ll serve as a series ambassador and master of ceremonies for the 2022 series..

“As we approach the final table, we look back on yet another successful Main Event that exceeded expectations,” WSOP Vice President Ty Stewart said in a news release. “We are absolutely thrilled with this year’s turnout, both domestically and internationally. As we close out this chapter at the Rio, we are excited to have the iconic Vince Vaughn usher in a new era of WSOP at Bally’s and Paris next summer.”

On Tuesday, the star of “Wedding Crashers” and “Swingers” hit the stage to voice the official “shuffle up and deal.” He also joined the PokerGO broadcast team during the final table action.

Vaughn has been a regular card player for much of his life and plans on playing in the WSOP next summer.

“I have such a strong connection to Las Vegas and am honored to be selected as the master of ceremonies for what is set to be the most anticipated WSOP tournament ever,” Vaughn said. “Poker has long been one of my favorite sports, so to be a part of something as historic as the WSOP finally moving to the Strip is an absolute dream. Vegas Baby, Vegas!”

The full 2022 WSOP schedule is expected to be released in January.

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More WSOP tournaments continue

The Main Event may be over, but even more WSOP events are in the works. Players will find 10 events left on the schedule, including two online bracelet tournaments.

That includes one online tournament for players only on the WSOP.com Pennsylvania platform.

Thursday’s action sees an $800 NLHE Deepstack and the $250,000 Super High Roller kicking off. Check back to PokerScout next week for a look at some recent winners in other events.

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WSOP Roundup: Germany’s ​​Koray Aldemir Takes Big Lead Into $10,000 Main Event Final Table

The World Series of Poker Main Event reached the final table on Tuesday after seven days of play in Las Vegas.

The World Series of Poker Main Event reached the final table on Tuesday after seven days of play in Las Vegas. The final nine players now return to action on Tuesday later in the afternoon to play down to the final four with a champion crowned on Wednesday.

The winner scores the championship bracelet and $8 million with all players at least earning $1 million. The final table includes several international players with Germany’s ​​Koray Aldemir leading the pack.

Aldemir returns with 140 million chips, a deep stack of 175 big blinds. After a long day, Aldemir looked forward to resting up.

“The focus is on sleeping well,” he told WSOP.com after Day 7. “That’s going to be kind of important. It’s of course a big final table, but it’s still poker. So I’ll try to play well. Just normal poker. I’ll try to play it like any other final table and see where it brings me.”

In other events, several other international players were making big runs and winning bracelets. Here’s a look at the latest news.

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A look at the final nine in the WSOP Main Event. (photo courtesy PokerGO)

Event 67: $10,000 Main Event

Main Event chip leader Koray Aldemir.

When play began in the Rio on Tuesday, 36 players returned to the action. After six starting flights and Day 2 registration, the event brought in 6,650 players for a $62 million prize pool.

The last man standings can look forward to a bracelet sporting 10 karats of yellow and white gold encrusted with 2,230 rubies and white and black diamonds.

Beyond Aldemir, a few other players from outside the US return. Argentina’s Alejandro “Papo MC” Lococo sits third in chips. The freestyle rapper has a big following in Latin America and recently signed as a PokerStars ambassador.

“What I enjoy most about poker is the different emotions that you experience while playing,” Papo told PokerScout in August. “Beyond this, poker has helped me get to know wonderful people and visit wonderful places. It’s given me great friends and amazing stories.”

Two players from the United Kingdom also return. Jack Oliver is fifth in chips with 24.5 million and ​​Jareth East returns as the short stack in ninth with 8.3 million.

Turkey’s Ozgur Secilmis enters the final table in sixth with 24.5 million. Here’s a look at the final nine players:

  1. Koray Aldemir (Germany), 140,000,000
  2. George Holmes(US), 83,700,000
  3. Alejandro Lococo (Argentina), 46,800,000
  4. Joshua Remitio (US), 40,000,000
  5. Jack Oliver (UK), 34,000,000
  6. Ozgur Secilmis (Turkey), 24,500,000
  7. Chase Bianchi (US), 14,100,000
  8. Hye Park (US), 13,500,000
  9. Jareth East (UK), 8,300,000

Poker fans looking to follow the final table can check out PokerGO beginning at 4:30 pm (ET) on Tuesday. The four-player action continues on Wednesday at the same time.

Event 71: $1,500 Bounty Pot Limit Omaha

France’s Mourad Amokrane transitioned from final table chip leader to winner in this event. He scored his first bracelet and $132,844 with Matt Mamiya taking runner-up for $82,100. The tournament brought in 860 entries for a $1.1 million prize pool.

Motoyoshi Okamura shows off his first WSOP bracelet. (photo courtesy WSOP.com)

Event 72: $1,500 Mixed NLHE; Pot Limit Omaha

Several international players scored big in this event, which brought in 846 players for a $1.1 million prize pool. Japan’s Motoyoshi Okamura took down the tournament for his first bracelet and $209,716. Brazilian rounder Rafael Mota finished runner-up for $129,621.

“Winning the bracelet has been a dream of mine,” Okamura told WSOP.com afterward. “This is my first time playing the WSOP, and I will surely be back next time.”

Others in the top five were:

  • 3rd – Nicolas Yunis (Chile), $91,989
  • 4th – Leonid Yanovski (Israel), $91,989
  • 5th – Mike Takayama (Philippines), $48,428

Two more online bracelets awarded

WSOP.com featured two more bracelet events on Sunday as the end of the series gets closer. Estonia’s Aleksejs “APonakov” Ponakovs took down the first one, the $7,777 Lucky 7s High Roller. He won his first bracelet and $432,491 for the effort.

Canada’s Jaroslaw “johnnyloveit” Jaskiewicz took the runner-up spot for $267,232 in an event featuring 183 entries for a $1.3 million prize pool.

In the $777 version of the Lucky 7s, Bulgaria’s Yuliyan “Dr.Feelg00da” Kolev came out on top for his first bracelet and $146,163. The tournament produced 1,122 entries for a $785,400 prize pool.

More tournaments on the horizon

The action at the Rio continues this week with several other events as the series winds its way to a conclusion on Nov. 23. Here’s a look at events in the coming days.

  • 77: $1,500 Fifty Stack NLHE – Nov. 16
  • 78: $10,000 Razz Championship – Nov. 16
  • 79: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty – Nov. 17
  • 80: $3,000 Six-Handed PLO – Nov. 17
  • 81: $800 NLHE Deepstack – Nov. 18
  • 82: $250,000 Super High Roller – Nov. 18

* Lead image courtesy PokerGO

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