Nine entered the Horseshoe Las Vegas yesterday, but only three survived, and one of those will win the largest prize in World Series of Poker Main Event history: $12.1 million. Today is the day we find out who will put the 2023 WSOP Main Event bracelet on their wrist.
Steve Jones, Adam Walton and Daniel Weinman all entered yesterday’s final nine as the chip leaders, and today they will fight to the finish. Here’s how they stack up against each other:
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven Jones | United States | 238,000,000 | 119 |
| 4 | Adam Walton | United States | 165,500,000 | 83 |
| 5 | Daniel Weinman | United States | 199,000,000 | 100 |
The pay jumps are like nothing these players will ever likely see again. The remaining three are guaranteed $4 million. The jump from third to second is $2.5 million, and from second to first, $5.6 million.
That’s $8.1 million separating third and first (the WSOP tacked-on $100,000 on top in order to break the $12 million first-prize record set in 2006).
Jones was able to use his large final table stack — he started the day second with 75 Big Blinds — to knock out several opponents and take the chip lead for the final day.
“It feels amazing. Everything came into plan as as as I wanted to do it today. Worked out really well, picked up some big hands at some key spots,” Jones told the WSOP.
The final three players begin play at 1:30 p.m. PT, and will go until there’s a winner.
Daniel Holzner first out
Daniel Holzner, the Italian apple tree farmer who was gifted his seat by friends and family for his 31st birthday, was the first to exit the final table. He managed a double-up while under 10 blinds, but as the wise old poker gurus know, you have to win your flips to have a chance.
With about 12 bbs, Holzner went to war with A
J
after Jones min-raised in the Hand #43 of the final table. Jones called with T
T
. You know how this story goes. The tens held and Holzner waved goodbye, $900,000 waiting for him at the cage.
Juan Maceiras stopped in eighth
Only two hands later, with blinds at 800K/1.6 million/1.6 million, Juan Maceiras open jammed with K9. Toby Lewis made the call from the big blind with AT, and it held. He became the first millionaire of the final table with the $1,125,000 cash.
Toby’s time
Flipping for a chance to survive the Main Event final table must be one of those delectable delights that might feel like French kissing someone who is sitting in an electric chair.
Seven hands later (Hand #52) and with about 21 bigs, Lewis decided to make a move when he found KJ in the big blind after Jones min-raised to 3.2 million from the hijack with TT and Walton called with pocket eights. Lewis jammed, Jones called, and Walton folded.
Lewis missed but will always have a seventh-place finish in the WSOP Main event and the $1,425,000 that goes with it.
Dean dives withs fives
Dean Hutchison could never really get anything going this final table, but moving up three spots on the scale was worth an additional $950,000.
In Hand #84, Hutchison, with around 14 bbs (22,400,000), made it 10 bbs with 55. Jan-Peter Jachtmann, who started the day with 62 bbs (74,600,000), had steadily increased his stack to about 96 bbs (153,800,000), which was good for second in chips with six players left.
Jachtmann put Hutchison all-in holding 77, the Englishman called, and the third five was a no-show. Hutchison wins $1,850,000 for his sixth-place finish.
Ruslan Prydryk out in fifth
Ruslan Prydryk came into the final table fifth in chips with 42 bbs, and would leave in the same exact spot. Blinds had just gone up to 1 million/2 million/2 million, and Prydryk was still in contention with 30 bbs, but he misfired out of the small blind in Hand #93 when he tried to move Jones and his big stack off a pocket pair and was short-stacked.
His last hand was #106. With 12 bbs, he open-jammed with QT and Weinman called with AJ. Prydryk got a good sweat when Weinman hit two pair, but couldn’t get to Broadway. He wins $2.4 million for fifth.
Bad ace starts Jachtmann’s downfall
Remember how many chips Jachtmann had only 20 or so hands ago? When he was sitting pretty with a real line to the $12.1 million locked somewhere in the casino?
Oh how fast things change.
His problems started in Hand #108 when he defended a Jones min-raise from the Big Blind with a bad ace — A4. Jones held two black 8s.
The flop 846, and Jachtmann check-called a 2.7 bb raise. A 2 meant nothing to either, and Jachtmann check-called a six bb bet (12,000,000). The 6 on the river gave the board a flush possibility and also paired the board, and Jachtmann, his Spidey-senses failing him, bet 12 bbs.
Jones reraised him 32 bbs, and Jachtmann folded, 24 big blinds lighter.
He flushed away another 16 bbs seven hands later with K8, and all of a sudden he was under 25 bbs.
His elimination hand was typical. Jones min-opened in Hand #116, and Walton called from the button. Looking down at KQ, Jachtmann jammed for his last 24.5 bbs.
Jones folded and Walton called awith AA. He wins $3 million for fourth.
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